The Alabama football team is a sleeping giant. They usually start games flat and it takes a big play or two from the opposing team for them to awake from hibernation.

Some may call it overconfidence or arrogance, but I just call it knowing.

Nick Saban knows that no matter how much he tells the team to take it one game at a time, the only one that really matters is the collision that will occur on Nov. 5.

The offensive line knows they don’t have to always create holes for Trent Richardson because Richardson’s strength and elusiveness allows him to break tackles in the backfield.

Quarterback AJ McCarron knows he can take risks and throw into double coverage because all of his receivers are athletic enough to make big plays and even if one of those passes was to get intercepted, the defense would just stop the opposing team’s offense and give him another chance.

He also knows that no matter how much Saban yells at him, he’ll never get benched.

Offensive coordinator Jim McElwain knows that all he has to do is call runs up the middle and screen passes because eventually Trent or one of the receivers will break one open for a big gain.

The secondary knows they can give up a few big plays early on because eventually some one will get an interception that will swing the momentum in Alabama’s favor.

Even kicker Cade Foster knows he doesn’t have to kick the ball out of the end zone on every kickoff because he is good enough to tackle any return man who even thinks about the end zone.

Alabama is that nerdy kid that never had to study in school, but could show up on test day and get a perfect score. Or that pretty girl who knows she’s hot, so she doesn’t have to put any effort into anything she does.

The good news is that Alabama is more physical than most teams in the country and teams will eventually wear down in the fourth quarter.

The bad news is that if Alabama wants to win a national championship they’ll have to win against LSU, then beat Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, or Stanford. All four of those teams have quarterbacks that can light up an opposing team’s defense and coaches that don’t mind throwing the ball 40 or more times, which will put all kinds of unwanted pressure on that Alabama secondary.

But why should Alabama play hard every game? Should they do it for the fans? Well, they do play in front of a student section that arrives late and leaves midway through the third quarter.