The countdown to the BCS National Championship game has drawn under 30 hours, and Alabama coach Nick Saban wants his players to shift their attention to the game.
Saban stressed Sunday during his final pregame press conference that his team needs to avoid any anxiety or distractions caused by the championship’s buildup.
“The most important thing the players can do right now is just focus on the task at hand, focus on what it’s going to take for them to play their best football,” Saban said. “I’m sure that’s their goal in this game. They have the commitment to do that.”
The Tide’s motivation for a 2011 championship began last season, Saban said. Alabama lost three games in 2010 and faced Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl. Saban said those three losses motivated his team to pursue perfection this season.
“Anybody can be successful every now and then, but to be successful all the time, you have to make a commitment to doing things right,” Saban said.
Though Alabama only has one loss this season — a 9-6 defeat against LSU on Nov. 5 — Saban said his team wasn’t discouraged by the initial shortcoming. Instead, Saban said he and his players treat it as a learning experience heading into a rematch with the Tigers.
“Sometimes, when you have a negative experience, you’re more willing to learn some of the things that can be valuable to you in the future in terms of the execution and the ability to finish in critical times,” Saban said. “I see the first game as an opportunity to learn and understand some of the things we need to do in order to be successful this time.”
Saban led LSU to a BCS National Championship in 2003 and brought Alabama that same success in 2009. The five-year Crimson Tide coach doesn’t reflect on those past victories but carries a message of focus he relays to his team.
“Being in those other games really doesn’t matter now,” Saban said. “We all learned a little bit, gained some experience from that. But basically, my message to the team is going to be to focus on everything they need to do to play their best football.”
When Saban left LSU in 2005 to coach the Miami Dolphins, he had returned a once-struggling program to national prominence. Saban complimented LSU coach Les Miles and his ability to maintain the success Saban established in Baton Rouge.
“When I started out at LSU, we were 3‑8 and didn’t have a very good graduation rate,” Saban said. ”We were struggling recruiting and had lots of issues and problems. Les has done a great job of recruiting fantastic players and has had a great coaching staff that has helped develop those players. Their consistency and success is probably second to none in terms of their accomplishments and what they’ve done.”
 
 
Follow @TDR_sports, @HunterPaniagua and @mcleme9 on Twitter for continuous updates as LSU prepares to take on Alabama.
 
 
____
Contact Hunter Paniagua at [email protected]