After Losing CFP Title Game, Alabama Football is Focused on Discipline
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It appears that maintaining the 'Alabama Standard' has jumped to the forefront of head coach Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide players ahead of the 2022 season.
After falling to Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in January, the mentality of the Crimson Tide has been an often-discussed topic of conversation amongst the players and fans alike.
Alabama began its 2022 campaign on Thursday, with the team hosting its first practice of fall camp. On Friday, offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor Jr. broke down the differences in returning to practices following a loss in the title game compared to coming off of a victory.
"I think there's a difference in just trying to change the things that we did wrong last year," Ekiyor said. "Obviously coming off of a championship, a lot of things went right as far as accountability, leadership on the team and we can look back on last year and see that we didn't do those same things right. So just reflecting on where we messed up at and trying to correct them going into this season and really harping on the small things is probably the difference.
"The workouts are just as hard. It's almost just as hard when you're coming off of winning a championship as it is losing, so it's never going to change the standard but we're definitely focusing on those little things trying to improve on where we messed that up last year."
Ekiyor's words came a day after Saban also discussed his team's mentality heading into the 2022 season. It was made evident over the summer that the Crimson Tide has undergone a shift in its collective thought process when quarterback Bryce Young revealed that he believed last season to be a disappointment despite winning the Heisman Trophy.
Linebacker Will Anderson Jr. echoed Young's sentiment at SEC Media Days in July, further driving the point home that this team is using last year's title loss as a means of motivation.
Saban said on Thursday that regardless of winning or losing, his team needs to play to a certain standard.
"Regardless of whether we’re winning or losing, I want everybody to try to play to a standard," Saban said. "Although I do acknowledge the fact that when you lose and bad things happen, from a human nature standpoint, people seem to respond a little bit better. Is that what we want? No. But I think that’s probably something that is pretty normal for most of us human beings."
That standard has extended to more than just the practice field, though. Linebacker Henry To'oTo'o said on Friday that the team has begun to practice simple things like tucking in their shirts, wearing the right shoes and socks in order to improve not just their appearance, but also their mindset.
"It just comes down to discipline," Ekiyor said. "Doing something that you might not necessarily want to do. Like, guys want to look cool with their shirt out, but like just tucking it in — like I don't want to do it, but I gotta do it just because it's disciplined — so that comes out on the field. 'Am I going to do the right thing? Because I'm tired as hell, but I gotta make this block.' Coach Saban believes that's the same mindset, and we're trying to get the rest of the team to believe that and the reason why the little things matter and why they're so important."
He then elaborated by revealing that the change in attitude is not just on the football field.
"Tucking the shirt in the weight room, on the field — everywhere," Ekiyor said. "I mean, it's the rules and we've gotta follow the rules in practice. It's the same rules that we're gonna have in the game."
Alabama fans have been quick to dub this season the '2022 Revenge Tour' for the Crimson Tide, with Young and Anderson's offseason comments adding fuel to the metaphorical fire. With Ekiyor and To'oTo'o revealing that the team is taking discipline and mentality far more seriously this offseason, it seems that the nickname for this season might not be too far off.
Ekiyor named one final thing that the team is using as a means of motivation this offseason: the 2022 CFP runner-up trophy. Displayed in the team's cafeteria, the trophy serves as a constant reminder that the team came so close last season to achieving its ultimate goal, but fell short.
"It's a trophy: '2022, Indianapolis," Ekiyor described. "And it's basically like our runner-up trophy. And there's a sign under it that says 'Participation trophy: are you happy with it?' So just a little motivation just to see that every day and reminds you this is what we're really working for.
"We're changing the outcome of the season and focus and do the best that we can be this year so that we can have a different outcome at the end of the year."
