Picture the words Nick Saban and nervous in the same sentence.
It is kind of hard to do, seeing the respect he commands and success he has achieved as head coach of Alabama football. However, even he felt some type of way – prior to the Crimson Tide facing LSU on last week at Bryant-Denny Stadium. When you talk to players about the loss, none of them gave off a vibe that something was different emerging from the locker room.
In fact, the majority said things were okay and it was just LSU executing better.
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Even before the 46-41 loss hit and national media taking every shot at him, Saban felt a negative energy in the room. On Thursday, he opened up about it on his “Hey Coach” show.
“Sitting in the locker room before the (LSU) game, I was really nervous about the way our team looked because they didn’t look the way they normally do,” Saban said. “They were kind of quiet and kind of not how they usually are. And it was a concern.”
Two types of quiet are in football: silent confidence and fear.
Did Alabama know it was going to get exposed by LSU? Answers to this question may vary; however, this not a silent group. The players on this team love to laugh, joke around, poke fun at each other and play video games together. To see this bunch oddly quiet for the biggest game of the season in front of a capacity crowd, it spells eerie on a huge scale.
Thankfully, the team fought back in the second half and showed signs of wanting to snatch victory in adversity.
Hopefully, the setback has refocused the team.
It must be locked in for Mississippi State on Saturday.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
