Everyone is hopeful for the best case scenario for college football, despite the Coronavirus pandemic.
Regardless of seeing multiple players from big programs opt out, the University of Alabama has not had one player to second guess whether it should play or not this season. Even in a critical time in today’s world, student-athletes for the Crimson Tide have stuck together for Nick Saban and each other. With the team in week three of fall practice and its first game at the latter part of this month, all Alabama is thinking on is fielding a team that can win a College Football Playoff National Championship.
On Wednesday, local reporters asked Saban on if players had any thoughts of opting out.
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For now, he is proud of the team’s commitment to play.
*Saban talks on players not opting out at 8:55 mark
“I know there are a lot of things going on in the world right now that can affect that as we see on a daily basis,” Saban said. “I think it is important that once you make a commitment to doing something, it creates more value for you if you do it the right way and you focus on controlling what you can control. I think everybody on our team can create value for themselves by playing.”
In a 10-game, conference-only schedule, Alabama will face the best competition in the fall.
Even with the challenges, Saban sees this year’s group as being a really good team.
“There are going be a lot of variables we have to overcome this year, relative to the circumstances that we are in,” he said. “I’m excited about the fact that the players are committed and I’m hopeful that everybody will stay committed. I have no reason to think that they won’t, but it is a changing time right now. Our guys have been really, really good about it and I’ve enjoyed the fact that once these guys made a decision to play and try to accomplish something… they have all stayed committed to it.”
Should the commitment of players remain firm, this will be a dangerous team. After not securing a championship in each of the last two years, the mindset for Alabama is returning to the top of the college football landscape.
The Tide will face Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6:00 p.m. CT via ESPN.
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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.
