Nick Saban aims to ensure ’Bama avoids familiar trap
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has been upfront about his belief that his team didn’t handle its preparation well for the inaugural College Football Playoff two years ago, which resulted in a 42-35 loss to Ohio State.
Since then, Alabama vowed to have a more businesslike approach to the semifinals despite the fact they are structured like typical bowl weeks with various off-field activities and recreational opportunities in which players and coaches are expected to participate.
Upon arrival in Atlanta for Saturday’s semifinal matchup against No. 4 Washington, Saban said Monday it’s ultimately up to the players to mentally prepare more like last season – when Alabama beat Michigan State 38-0 in the Cotton Bowl – as opposed to the lead-up against Ohio State in 2014.
“In a playoff you’re all-in. You have to go 1-0 or you’re out,” Saban said. “Is this a bowl game or a playoff game? Every player has to decide that mindset for themselves; every coach has to decide for themselves. We are trying to create a balance for everyone in our organization because it is a playoff game.”
For decades, bowl games have been viewed as a reward for players, each one showering players with frivolity and festivity over the course of several days leading up to the event.
Given the high-stakes, pressure-packed nature of the playoff, however, multiple coaches initially expressed concern about overloading players’ schedules and chipping away at their focus.
That’s one reason the CFP structured the national championship game to be more like a regular road trip, without the pomp and circumstance of a bowl week and no major events outside a media day.
Though the Peach Bowl will provide some typical bowl week experiences – teams were scheduled to do Go-Kart racing, visit a children’s hospital, tour the College Football Hall of Fame and visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Site at various points before the game -Saban said the CFP has taken his input into consideration about the best way to structure the week.
“I think everyone is in agreement we’re trying to create a balance for the players in terms of them having the proper time to focus on what they need to do to go play well because of the opportunity they’ve created for themselves and still have somewhat of an experience from a bowl game standpoint that would not be too intrusive in terms of what they want to try to accomplish as a team,” Saban said. “Everybody has been open about how we can all manage this the best for the players and I think everybody’s doing the best they can to try to make that happen for the players.”
Washington, on the other hand, plans to soak in the atmosphere and isn’t terribly concerned about distractions. Just a year ago, the Huskies were preparing for the Heart of Dallas Bowl as a 6-6 team and have been empowered to enjoy everything coming their way this week as they make a big step into the national spotlight.
“It’s kind of like how we talk to them anyways; even when we travel as a normal away game we always want them to enjoy and appreciate the moment,” coach Chris Petersen said. “We want them to appreciate the different venues, the hostile environments we go into. That’s part of this whole thing, the pageantry of college football. There’s nothing like it. So when you come here for a week and you get these cool events, we want them to appreciate that as well.
“There’s plenty of time to do that and be focused on why we’re here. It’s how we’ve done business all along and I think our guys are ready to do this the right way.”