The Nick Saban culture started to rise again within Alabama players in Tuesday’s media availability.
Several players spoke to reporters, including Bray Hubbard, C.J. Dippre, Jah-Marien Latham, and Germie Bernard, about flushing what happened against Tennessee and moving forward with Missouri. Each student-athlete revealed how the Crimson Tide is re-focusing on doing the ‘small things’ right in wanting to become a championship team. Details such as tucking shirts in, having accountability, showing a sense of urgency, and wanting to give Tide fans the right showing on the field were discussed.
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Dippre, a second-year tight end for the Tide, said having two losses in unacceptable.
“We have to take pride in the small things, small details,” Dippre said. “Don’t get board with the basics. We have TNT signs, meaning Take No Talent. If you make a mistake, get a flag, you have to run and touch that sign. We have to get back to doing the little things. We have to get back to accepting ownership. We have to own up to it, accept it, flush it, and go 1-0 the next play.”
Dippre said Alabama’s losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee ‘should not have happened.’
“You can’t accept that and you can’t understand it in any way,” he said. “You have to understand from inside we lost those games. Alabama lost those games, nobody beat us. They were two good teams, but still we beat ourselves. To the Bama Standard, Bama does not lose two games before November. It is about rallying around and knowing what we are suppose to do. We just talked as a leadership council. Young guys are not young guys anymore. Everyone has to step up and know what they are doing, and that is for leaders also. We have to run the ball super efficient and get the pass game going. When the pass game gets going, we got to keep it moving.”
Latham, a fifth-year senior, said Alabama has had moments where opponents ‘could not mess with it’ but it needs to be consistent.
“We have shown moments where we are a dominant team,” Latham said.
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“It is about making sure we do that the whole game. Sometimes we start off the first quarter or first half on fire, but then we cannot get it done in the second half. We have to make sure we can get it done in both halves.”
The veteran defensive lineman said the sense of urgency is up now for Alabama.
“The chances of getting into the College Football Playoff are slim than what they were earlier in the season,” Latham said.
“Now, it is about making sure we are doing the right things throughout the week so on Saturday we can perform, knowing that we have five games left.”
Alabama has no room for error and the players know it. This week is crucial for the Tide to start proving to the CFP Committee that it is one of the best 12 teams in the nation and deserves an opportunity to possibly host a playoff game.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
