It happens every year, or at least at Alabama. The Tide has come off yet another successful campaign under the guidance of head coach Nick Saban, and everyone’s pondering how the Tide will outdo itself in the coming season.

It certainly has been hard to miss this year, with Alabama coming off back-to-back national titles and the chance of a three-peat looming on the horizon. Fans and media alike have made it one of the biggest stories of college football this spring. Try visiting any college football site that doesn’t have something about Alabama’s ridiculous track record on it.

Those people are relishing the past.

College football analyst Phil Steele has already projected Alabama as the No. 1 team heading into the season. Fans and media are already talking about the Tide’s season opener against Virginia Tech. Those same people are discussing AJ McCarron’s Heisman chances and drawing comparisons from the Alabama-Texas A&M game to previous games of the year.

Those people are worried about the future.

The same question is on everyone’s mind: can Alabama really do it? Can it win three in a row, and four in five years, marking them as one of the single greatest teams to ever play the game?

The people asking those questions are dealing with uncertainty.

That’s all fine and good. It provides media with something to talk about and provides a nearly endless source of entertainment for Alabama fans, college football fans and sports fans in general.

Granted, there is one person who’s not interested in the past, the future or the Tide’s chances at history. After all, he’s got other things to worry about, such as preparing his team to be the best they can be.

When everyone else is lauding Saban for his record of success, he’s lamenting the lack of mental focus on his team. While everyone is speculating on the future of the program, Saban is hammering the details of technique and discipline into his players. While everyone is still basking in the glow of the Alabama program, Saban has already left it far behind.

If you’re curious, that’s what makes the Tide so ridiculously successful year in and year out. Sure, Alabama has had some luck in the past few years and pretty much can grab any player from around the nation it wants. But more than anything, the reason for Alabama’s success is Saban and his work ethic.