Nick Saban reveals the turning point in Alabama’s come-from-behind victory against Oklahoma in round one of CFP
Nick Saban was proud of what he saw from the Alabama Crimson Tide on Friday night.
The Alabama Crimson Tide did what few believed was possible on Friday night in Norman. After a quarter and a half, it looked like Alabama picked up right where it left off against Georgia in the SEC Championship.
A 17-point hole that had many wondering if Kalen DeBoer and the Tide had mailed it in, what happened next would create ripple effects throughout the sport as Alabama clawed back to win 34-24 and advance to the Rose Bowl. It took not only physical determination, but mental toughness and stamina, something that caught the attention of Nick Saban.
Nick Saban notes Alabama’s ability to fight back vs. Oklahoma
“I’m so proud of that team, I’m proud of that team, because that atmosphere was something, man,” said Saban regarding Alabama’s win on College GameDay. “And it was hard to sit there and pick Alabama last night, sitting in that stadium, knowing the energy in that stadium, but sometimes I think the emotion of the game can work against you. You know, Oklahoma was really way up here, but as the game went on, you could see that that emotion didn’t sustain.”
What won Alabama the game wasn’t just the big-time throws from Ty Simpson and the interception from Zabien Brown. It was the team’s ability to never waver. To never lose confidence, and as Saban alluded to, being on the right side of the emotional rollercoaster.
“Ty seemed pretty confident,” said Kalen DeBoer after the game via the Alabama Crimson Tide YouTube channel when asked about how his team responded to the 17-0 hole. “I think it just goes back to that. I know what I was echoing and trying to get guys to believe in, is just get one score. Make it a one-score game. Just chip away.”
Say what you want about the way Alabama played down the stretch of the season, but when you have all the distractions that the Crimson Tide have had, and you rally from a three-score deficit to win on the road in a College Football Playoff game, against a team that already beat you, that creates a level of confidence that could carry the Crimson Tide well beyond the Rose Bowl.
Will Alabama meet the moment and win this go-round in Pasadena? We’ll find out in just a couple of weeks.
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