When a coach is as successful as Alabama’s Nick Saban has been in recent years, creativity is key when trying to motivate a team.
Whether it is a rant to the media about not respecting an opponent or getting on to the team for committing a penalty, Saban uses every tactic possible to get the Tide prepared week in and week out.
If Alabama has a bad practice, Saban comes into his media availability and barks at the local reporters for writing negative stories about the Tide’s opponent. He says it is unfair to not give teams like Western Kentucky respect (even though Alabama was a 40 point favorite). He goes on about how it is not fair to his team or Western Kentucky because of how hard they work to get where they are.
But Saban really has a hidden agenda when he gives the media a scowl. The coach knows his team will watch the countless number of videos or hear about him erupting through social media. This is how he gets his message across when it is not effective at practice.
Saban understands the basic principle of being successful: it is human nature to get complacent. He watched it happen in 2010 when a supremely talented Alabama team dropped three very winnable games.
The team’s focus has been not succumbing to complacency. It is what the coaching staff preaches to the players and what the players regurgitate to the media.
So Alabama’s lackluster effort in its 35-0 beating of Western Kentucky was expected. Even though the Tide is a national power, the team still has a tendency to take its foot off the gas and play down to its competition.
The offensive line, which is being hyped as the best in the country, allowed six sacks and multiple quarterback hurries. The line also struggled to create holes for the running backs as the team was held to 103 rushing yards compared to the 232 against Michigan.
“At least three of the sacks somebody got beat on the edge,” Saban said. “Couple other times, we probably held the ball – the last one we held the ball, no one was really open.”
The scary thing is that Alabama’s team is not even close to being a finished product, but it is still one of the three or four best teams in the country (along with USC, LSU and Oregon).
If Alabama’s secondary continues to develop and the offensive line protects McCarron, this team has the potential to repeat. The first major test for the Tide will be this Saturday against Arkansas. The Razorbacks feature a dynamic offense, lead by quarterback Tyler Wilson. If healthy, Wilson is an elite passer with a big arm and the ability to make every throw on the field.
Arkansas’ defense is not elite by SEC standards, but it will be considerably better than Western Kentucky’s, which did a pretty good number to Alabama’s offensive line.
Alabama knows it cannot play the same way in week three as it did in week two because the Hogs have serious upset potential.
But this could all be a set up. Alabama could be waiting for another quality opponent to embarrass like it did the Wolverines.
“It’s just a young team being young,” wide receiver Kevin Norwood said of the team’s struggles.
For Saban and the local media’s sake, let’s hope so.
