SEC Media Days: Notes from Nashville – Pt 2

While Monday and Tuesday did not disappoint, there was something special in the air on Wednesday. When Alabama arrived at 8.05am (very specific and unsurprisingly bang on time), the atmosphere in the room changed immediately. The Goat had arrived.

Forza Alabama!

While the rest of the room may have been sitting up a little straighter, the Crimson Tide head coach, Nick Saban was relaxed and pretty chilled out. He had, after all, just returned from vacation.

“I think you all know that we went on vacation to Italy, just to
clear that up, that was our 50th wedding anniversary gift to
Ms. Terry from some of our friends, which I successfully
got out of for two years”.

Saban told the assembled media.

” (I) Failed to be able to get out of it this year – didn’t really want to go…..”

With all these misgivings (I am picturing Coach Saban being dragged through Rome airport) I never thought that the Alabama head coach was about to become an ambassador for the Italian tourist office. But he did – he loved La Dolce Vita. Saban was smitten and continued,

“But it was a fabulous time. Fabulous. And I would
recommend anybody do it, lots of good culture, great
architecture, art, a lot of good things to see”.

Of course I have been trying to tell the Southeastern football world that there is a whole big world outside of the eleven states that the SEC plays football in. So, to me anyway, it was no surprise that Coach Saban was recognised when he was out and about during his Italian adventure. Although it seems to have come as a surprise to the Crimson Tide head coach,

“And I thought nobody would know us anywhere that we
went, and we got ‘Roll Tided’ everywhere we went.
Even in the Ferrari plant, we had a tour of the Ferrari plant
and these cats don’t even speak English and we’re getting
Roll Tide. I guess we must have a pretty decent brand, I’m
talking about the University of Alabama now, but it was an
enjoyable trip and I’d recommend it to anyone”.

Grandma Saban

Expectations are always high in the SEC and nowhere more than at Tuscaloosa, Alabama. While talk of the King losing his crown is rife no-one knows more than Nick Saban the need for the Crimson Tide to make its mark not just in the SEC but across college football this upcoming season.

However Saban is too long in the tooth to reach for the quick fix. He religiously follows “the process” and the process takes time. Saban used the analogy about him waiting impatiently for his Grandma’s cake to bake when he was young while talking about how and when he will land on his QB1. Saban said,

“So we have three guys that are competing for that position
right now. All of those players are getting better, and it’s
important for us that all those players get better. I don’t
think anybody has actually separated themselves yet and I don’t think it’s something that we are trying to rush”.

Saban said referencing the battle between Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner – the transfer from Notre Dame.

Saban made the point that everyone has to show some patience as the process unfolds.

“I used the analogy earlier, Grandma Saban used to bake
the best cakes in the world, and I used to stand by the
oven when I was a kid and say, “When is this cake going to
be done? When is this cake going to be done?”
She said, “If I don’t let it go through and take it out of the
oven too soon, it will turn to mush and it won’t be a really
good cake.”

I’m not sure any of us thought we would be listening to stories of Grandma Saban but here we were.

“So I think we have to sort of let this develop and make sure
we let the cake bake until somebody separates themselves
and all the players are working hard. They all have a good
attitude. They are all competing well”.

Which means Nick Saban expects us all to show some patience over the summer and into fall camp. Lo betide the first media member to ask about the QB1 battle at Fall camp.

summitting everest

I was reflecting recently on the number of football head coaches that I have had the opportunity to speak with. When the College Chaps spoke with Clemson head coach, Dabo Swinney we thought we had got as close to the top of College Football Everest that we were ever going to get.

But sitting in the Main room at SEC Media Days I got my first clear sighting of the top of the mountain. It was right in front of me and while many talk of the ‘Death Zone” when climbing the worlds tallest mountain, the prospect of college football’s greatest ever coach chewing me out, never crossed my mind. I was about to enter the Death Zone.

Of course that was never going to happen. Nick Saban is the consummate professional and Media Days was not the place for him to make his point. If he had a message for his fans and his players it wasn’t going to happen in a response to media questions, on this occasion anyway.

Saban’s opening of is trip to Italy was perfect for my question. Alabama have Finland’s Olaus Alinen already on the roster and are in the process of recruiting Germany’s #1 ranked talent in Justin Okoronkwo. What does this men for recruiting – does Alabama and the other SEC schools need to expand their search globally? In short the answer is yes. But I will let you hear the answer in full below.

It was the pinnacle of my week.

#RollTide