Nick Saban sends a warning to Alabama Crimson Tide fans just before Rose Bowl matchup against Indiana Hoosiers
Saban wants Alabama and college football fans to take the Indiana Hoosiers seriously.
Nick Saban knows a thing or two (or seven) about winning national championships. Within that, he knows the power of motivation and bulletin board material. For the Alabama Crimson Tide, they haven’t been short on doubters.
Ty Simpson revealed an “us against the world” mentality earlier this week, and Alabama has heard all the questions about its toughness. But many have begun to doubt the Indiana Hoosiers and their status as true contenders. Well, Nick Saban has a warning for all of them.
Nick Saban doesn’t want fans taking Indiana lightly
“People still don’t have the proper respect for Indiana. I’m not saying that’s true for Alabama’s football team,” Saban said on ESPN’s College GameDay. “I know their coaches have respect and I know the players have respect… I’m just saying from a fan perspective. Fans don’t look at the game from a technical perspective like we all do. Indiana is a damn good team.”
Indiana is the best team in the tournament on paper, and it’s not close. It has the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. It has a fundamentally sound defense that executes at an elite level, playing multiple fronts and coverages, and making life a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
But all of that is on paper. On the gridiron, you see come-from-behind wins against Penn State and a close victory against Iowa. You see 13 total points against the Ohio State Buckeyes, and you see a team preparing to be without their best defensive player against Alabama.
That doesn’t mean that Indiana isn’t a viable candidate and that the team is incapable of beating Alabama. As Saban said, this is one of the best teams and coaching staffs in the country. But don’t think that a revitalized Alabama team won’t be down for a fight in the Rose Bowl.
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