DALLAS — Michigan State hasn’t won a national title since 1966. It’s two wins away from taking home the hardware.

A national title would mean everything to the Spartans.

Just ask Alabama coach Nick Saban. He’s won four of them.

“A national championship means a lot to any program,” Saban said. “But from my perspective, I think it means the most to the players. And most coaches are really excited for the opportunity that the players have created for themselves by the hard work and commitment that they’ve made. And I think the fun of it all is to see them sort of reach the fruition of what they’ve worked for.”

Focus is a key talking point for any team headed into the College Football Playoff. With the semifinal game just over 24 hours away, getting loose isn’t exactly what Saban has in mind with his team.

“I think that the players basically need to stay focused on the things that have helped them be successful in the past,” Saban said. “Doesn’t start now. It started with the preparation for the game and how they invested their time in practice and what they needed to learn about the other team so that they have a chance to go out and execute and be successful.

“But I don’t know that you try to keep players loose. I think that there’s an edge that you’d like for them to have that is going to give them the best opportunity to go out there and play for 60 minutes in the game the way that I’m sure they’d like to play and we’d like for them to play.”