[Stoney]

"These are the kind of games that you should come to a place like the University of Alabama to play in," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday, according to a transcript.
Someone asked Saban about the challenge of playing a team coached by Mark Richt.

Nelson Chenault/US Presswire
Nick Saban and No. 8 Alabama face No. 3 Georgia on Saturday.



"They are sound and solid in everything they do," Saban said. "They are always physical. They always play with great effort and toughness. They are always going to have great skill players. That has always a been a trademark of his teams. They have good quarterback play and great skill players on offense, a lot of players on defense who play with toughness and can run. They are well-coached, disciplined and are always going to be in the right spot. You are going to have to beat them, and they are not going to beat themselves very much."
That description describes the difference between the Alabama, Penn State and Nebraska teams of recent years and where those three teams would like to be. September is full of champions. Surviving into sweater weather, and then coat weather, make a season worth a memory.

[Stoney]

Saban wins -- but isn't happy about it
September 28, 2008 2:32 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low
ATHENS, Ga. -- It was vintage Nick Saban.

He'd just won his biggest game, his highest-profile game since coming to Alabama, and he was, well ... peeved. And that's saying it nicely.

As flawlessly as Alabama played in the first half Saturday in taking apart No. 3-ranked Georgia, the Crimson Tide didn't come close to finishing the 41-30 win the way Saban would have liked.

So there he was after the game in his post-game press conference, grim-faced and his voice rising with each question about where Alabama should be ranked, how far ahead the Tide is in Saban's rebuilding project and how good this team really is.

"We got beat out there in the second half 30-10 or whatever," Saban lamented. "That's not how we want to play. That's not how we play a game. That's not how we should play a game, and we should not be happy about playing that way in the second half. I hope we learned from that. I hope our players learned, 'What did I do when I played well? And what happened when I didn't play well?'

"That, my friends, will be the answer to why you're successful and why you aren't. I know everybody is going to be all over me in the press about what I'm saying now, but I'm being honest."

That's why his players swear by him, even though their ears were ringing right after the game by a little swearing from Saban.

"I'll be honest. He wasn't real happy when he got in the locker room," Alabama offensive guard Mike Johnson said. "He was mad, at least until he got some things off his chest. We realize we weren't as sharp in the second half, and it's all about coming back next week and hitting them in the mouth and getting ready for Kentucky."

Junior offensive tackle Andre Smith flashed a proud smile when asked about Saban's fiery address to the team right after such a monumental win.

"I love Coach Saban. He only wants the best out of you every single play," Smith said. "He demands it. If we're up by 50 or down by 50, he's still going to be on you."

Saban didn't want to take anything away from the win, and he acknowledged that the first half was the best half of football the Crimson Tide had played all season in building a 31-0 lead.

But from the time he sat down behind the microphone for his press conference, he was already coaching his team (through the media) about being mature enough to handle what's ahead.

After all, it's easy to make an argument at this point that Alabama deserves to be No. 1 when the new polls come out Sunday. The Tide have two wins against Top 10 teams away from home. But Saban wasn't about to go down that road Saturday night.

"If you want to drink the Kool-aid ..." he said, his voice trailing off.

In other words, why even go there at this point, especially in the SEC?

"It doesn't matter where you are until the end," Saban said. "It's the only time it counts or does you any good to be No. 1 ... is the way I look at it."
The guy never quits coaching, which probably explains why Alabama is back quicker than anybody could have ever imagined.

[Stoney]

ATHENS, Ga. -- We knew Alabama's offensive line was good.
Tackle Andre Smith is a future first-round selection in the NFL draft, and Antoine Caldwell is one of the best centers in college football.
But it's been a while since Georgia's defense has been decimated the way it was in the first half Saturday night by Alabama's offensive line. And for that matter, Alabama's defensive front seven was equally dominant in smothering everything Georgia tried to do.
It's never over in the SEC. But this one is about as over as it gets with a whole half to play.
Alabama 31, Georgia 0.
No need to do any double-takes or rub your eyes. This is one big crimson-coated party. Alabama set the tone with an 80-yard, 11-play touchdown drive to open the game, and it's been an old-fashioned bludgeoning ever since.
You get the feeling that Alabama can do whatever it wants to on offense, and Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford has been running for his life every time he drops back to pass. Even on those rare occasions he has had time to throw, Alabama has had perfect coverage.
At one point late in the second quarter, Alabama had 16 first downs and Georgia just 3. The only time Georgia's defenders came close to touching Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson in the first half came on two rouging the quarterback penalties that aided Crimson Tide drives.
Otherwise, Wilson had all day to stand back there and pick out his receivers. Wilson's 22-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to freshman Julio Jones, which capped Alabama's first-half onslaught, was as good a throw as you're ever going to see.
Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain had two great play-calls in the first half, a screen pass on third-down right into the teeth of the Georgia blitz and a draw play for a touchdown on third-and-goal from the 4-yard-line.
Alabama coach Nick Saban will tell you that there's no such thing as a flawless half of football.
Wonder what he'll think after he watches this first-half tape?

[Stoney]

"There's a lot of lessons for us to learn," Saban said. "It's great for us to be able to learn those lessons and not have to lose. Our focus needs to be on how we can get better as a team and how we can play with more consistency."

6-0 and no sign of letting up.

[Stoney]

YouTube - Nick Saban Interview on ESPN Pt. 1

YouTube - Nick Saban Interview on ESPN Pt. 1
YouTube - Nick Saban Joins UA

[Stoney]

Nick Saban On Alabama's Expectations - ESPN Video

[Stoney]

INSIDE THE SEC: No. 2 Bama leads foes 147-20 in 1st-half play



Compiled by David Brandt • david.brandt@clarionledger.com • October 7, 2008

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  • INSIDE THE SEC: No. 2 Bama leads foes 147-20 in 1st-half play | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger Buzz up!
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Why is Alabama the No. 2-ranked team in the country? Well, many reasons. But one is that Bama has buried its opponents in the first half.


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Through six games, Alabama has a whopping 88-0 advantage after the first quarter and leads 147-20 at halftime. The Crimson Tide had one of its first close games of the season on Saturday, when it slipped past Kentucky 17-14.
Alabama coach Nick Saban and the team's players said the early success stems from already knowing what plays are going to be run because the first dozen or so are scripted.
"The coaching staff is doing a pretty good job of getting our players prepared to start the game," Saban told The Birmingham News. "Our players have been ready to play."

[Stoney]

Saban was asked during the weekly SEC coaches’ conference call whether or not junior left tackle Andre Smith might head to the NFL after this season, after being hailed a potential top pick. “It’s not a surprise, but it’s nothing we’re concerned about right now,” he said. “Those kinds of things we evaluate at the end of the season.”

[Stoney]

Alabama bringing its 'A' game on midseason report card

Crimson Tide unbeaten halfway through regular season
Thursday, October 09, 2008 By GENTRY ESTES
Sports Reporter

TUSCALOOSA — Through the many highs and rare lows of Alabama's first six games, the ultimate measuring stick is being met.
If the Bowl Championship Series decided its two finalists today, there is a good chance the Crimson Tide would be one of them. That's enough to warm even Nick Saban.
"I am really proud and pleased of where our team has put themselves in terms of creating opportunities for themselves, and what we have accomplished in the first half of the season," Saban said. "They have played a lot of good football and played with a lot of toughness."
The BCS, of course, will not be determined today. And Alabama still has six games to go to reach its first SEC title game in nine years or the kind of national prize that seemed unattainable a little more than a month ago.
But as the Press-Register takes a look back for its midseason report card, it can be summed up with the phrase, "So far, so good."
The trick will be to keep it going.
"If we are improving, and we are doing things the right way," Saban said, "then we should be playing our best football in the weeks ahead."
-- QUARTERBACK (B+): Opponents are outgaining Alabama through the air by more than 400 yards, a sign that John Parker Wilson's numbers aren't close to what they've been in two previous seasons. But actually, this has been a good thing for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama's ability to run the football means Wison has not been asked to do nearly as much. When the senior has been called upon, he has completed almost 60 percent of his throws. Perhaps the biggest indicator of improvement is he's on pace to total only four interceptions, compared to 10 and 12 the past two years.
-- RUNNING BACK (A): A deep, effective tailback ro tation has Alabama leading the SEC in rushing offense by almost 20 yards per game. Junior Glen Coffee is averaging more than 100 yards per contest, and he hasn't carried the ball more than 25 times once.
Hard-nosed true freshman Mark Ingram has proven to be the real deal and a perfect fit for this offense, while resurgent junior Roy Upchurch is finally healthy and living up to the hype he carried out of high school.
The trio has been so good, in fact, that last year's leading rusher, Terry Grant, has fewer rushing attempts right now than Wilson.
-- WIDE RECEIVER (B-): Lost in the lack of a consistent passing attack is the contribution of Alabama's receivers to the rushing success. This group is much more physical than it was last year, with the likes of Mike McCoy, Julio Jones and Earl Alexander muscling defensive backs out of the way to aide in long scampers that Coffee and company keep producing. As Alabama's season continues, however, the passing game must become more of a reliable weapon. True freshman Jones is the only pass-catcher besides tight end Nick Walker with more than 100 receiving yards through six games.
-- OFFENSIVE LINE (A+): An area expected to be an asset for Alabama's team has been that and then some. The Crimson Tide's front has simply taken over every game except one (Tulane, without left tackle Andre Smith), manhandling the likes of Clemson, Arkansas, Georgia and Kentucky for big-time rushing totals that have formed the physical identity of an entire team.
All linemen have been really good, including right tackle Drew Davis, the lone newcomer who appears to have finally shored up a long-time trouble spot for Alabama. Praise includes the tight ends, as blue-collar workhorse Travis McCall might just be the best run blocker on the offense.
So long as the Crimson Tide can control the line of scrimmage like it has, it will stand a good chance to win every game it plays.
-- DEFENSIVE LINE (A-): Adding big noseguard Terrence Cody has changed Alabama's entire defense. No longer can teams run directly at the Crimson Tide, and Cody has opened plenty of space in the front seven by occupying two and sometimes three offensive linemen. As a result, Josh Chapman, Cody's backup and the strongest player on the team, doesn't get enough attention for also helping the Crimson Tide to its status as the nation's second-best rushing defense.
If there is a gripe, it has been the lack of a pass rush around the edges. Alabama is tied for seventh in the SEC in sacks. Perhaps most troubling, no player on the entire defense has two sacks halfway through the season, even though opponents have often needed to throw late in games.
-- LINEBACKER (B+): An area expected to be a weakness has been remarkably solid with unheralded outside linebackers like Cory Reamer, Brandon Fanney and Eryk Anders.
The interior remains stout. Sophomore Rolando McClain is the runaway team leader in tackles and being viewed as one of the best middle linebackers in the nation. True freshman Dont'a Hightower has more than held his own and kept Prince Hall mostly on the sideline after his early suspension.
It's worth mentioning, however, that Alabama's knack for jumping on opponents early has made offenses one-dimensional, thus allowing Saban to employ nickel and dime packages that take linebackers off the field. Only Tulane succeeded in keeping all four linebackers on the field most of the time.
-- SECONDARY (B): Alabama ranks a meager ninth in the SEC in pass defense, but that's not a fair statistic for a team that hasn't trailed once all season. Opponents have obviously needed to throw to try to come back from desperate situations, and a few occasional breakdowns notwithstanding, the Crimson Tide has handled it well.
Junior Justin Woodall has been a surprising standout beside proven senior Rashad Johnson at safety. No one wants to test Kareem Jackson, and Javier Arenas has shown a knack for big plays at cornerback, too. Behind them is a young, deep group that is only going to get better under Saban's personal tutelage.
-- SPECIAL TEAMS (C+): On a squad that has seemingly improved across the board, the kick cover age units have regressed. Alabama has allowed its first punt return for a touchdown in 12 years and its first kickoff return for a touchdown in six years.
Place-kicker Leigh Tiffin was solid up until Saturday's game against Kentucky, when he missed a pair of field goals and an extra point (that was erased because of a penalty).
On the flip side, punter P.J. Fitzgerald has quietly improved his average to 42.1 yards per kick after hovering around the 38-yard mark the past two seasons. And kick-return specialist Arenas remains as dangerous as anyone.
-- COACHING (A+): Short of perhaps Vanderbilt, there may not be a more overachieving team in major college football right now than Alabama.
New offensive coordinator Jim McElwain's physical, run-first approach has been highly effective in spite of its simplicity. The Crimson Tide's defense has not been outplayed to date, and Alabama's 88-0 edge in the first quarter speaks to the coaches' ability to prepare the team each week for what it's about to experience.
-- OVERALL (A): Occasional letdowns aside, a team picked by most to finish third at best in the SEC West is firmly in the conversation for this year's national title. What more could anyone want?

1. A lifetime supply of Sabanade
2. To win the eckridgefootball.com grand prize
3. How about some free tickets to the LSU game?
4. For Tennesee to keep Fulmer and his 6 million dollar contract.

[Stoney]

"The thing I constantly tell the players is, whether it's media, rankings, attention that you get on the street from what you've accomplished, none of that is connected to how you play the game," Saban said. "None of that is connected to what happens when you go on the field."

-Nick Saban-

[Stoney]

"The challenge is, for the second half of the season, can we finish games, can we play consistently, can we do that?" he asked rhetorically. "Improve until you've got to play the sec­ond half of the season. So, regardless of what the results are, the season starts now from that standpoint."

-Nick Saban-

[Stoney]

"C O N S I S T E N C Y & I N T E N S I T Y" It is what seperates winners from losers

[Nick Saban] 2008 Spring Practice.




Halfway into the season the message hasn't changed.

[Stoney]

We get no respect! Just because we're off one week... the media hates us. Just wait till I get to the locker room!

[Stoney]

"We certainly tried to spend a lot of time on fundamentals," he said. "In a day and age where a lot of people think it's what you do not how you do it that determines whether you're successful or not, we're still old-fashioned in terms of how you do it is still pretty important. That was a big emphasis for us."

-Nick Saban-

[Stoney]

Tide coach Nick Saban said physical play is a trademark of Houston Nutt's teams.
"(Nutt's) teams always play physical, they're always tough, they always play hard," Saban said. "They always compete well in a game. Never are they out of the game, as evidenced by some of the games we've had in the past with them, including last year's game.
"They're always hard to defend."

-Nick Saban-