Everything the Alabama Offense Had to Say at the Cotton Bowl Press Conference
The Alabama offense got its turn in the interview room at the Cotton Bowl Classic on Tuesday.
Here's what was said:
Offensive Coordinator Bill O'Brien
Thank you very much. Obviously, to reiterate what's been said throughout the week here, we're thrilled to be here this week and just really excited about the opportunity that we have to be in the Final Four of college football is really exciting for all of us and just feel really good about the opportunity that we have. I feel good. Personally, I'm excited to be back. I got in this morning after talking with our trainer, Jeff Allen, about the changes to the SEC protocols. And throughout the time when I was in Tuscaloosa, I've been able to do my job virtually. It's pretty amazing with technology. You guys probably know more about that than me. But every meeting, every practice, I was able to be involved with. So it was really good back in Tuscaloosa for me; but, obviously, excited to be here right now.
I think it's really important that we prepare the right way, and basically that's what we've done. We've worked really hard for this opportunity, really proud of these guys and the way they've practiced. This coaching staff that I'm associated with, just really proud of everybody's efforts and where we are to be able to get to this point. This is an outstanding Cincinnati football team and, relative to our offense versus their defense, an outstanding defense. This defense that basically is number seven in the country in total defense, number one in pass efficiency. Really, really good against the pass and they do a great job in scoring defense. They're number four in the country in scoring defense. So we've got a tall order in front of us. We need to play our best football game of the year offensively in order to have a chance in this game. So we're excited about the opportunity. We want to keep preparing here, keep working hard; but we know that Friday is going to be a great football game and we're going to be ready for it. So, with that, I'll open it up to questions.
Q. I remember during fall camp, we spoke to you about the trust level between you and your quarterbacks and how that's a two-way street. I wonder if you could speak a little bit about your and Bryce's [Young] relationship. Obviously, it produced some fantastic results with him winning the Heisman Trophy this year.
COACH O'BRIEN: Yeah, just really proud of Bryce. He's a very special young man. I think you guys know that in your interactions with him all year. And, for me, you know, relationships with quarterbacks are really, obviously, a big part of being in the position that I've been in, whether it's at Alabama or the other places I've been.
I mean, there has to be a trust. And from day one, you know, when Bryce walked in the office when I got to Alabama, he had a really good knowledge of the offense, which is a testament to last year's coaching staff and also Mac Jones and his ability to mentor Bryce last year. So Bryce had a good understanding, and we started talking about the offense. And it was a good relationship right from the start, and it developed a bond and a trust right from the start. And, you know, when you're dealing with a quarterback of talent level but also the intelligence of Bryce, you know, that trust is easy. And he's able to be involved in the game plans. And it's just been really a great experience for me, one of the best experiences of my career.
Q. Going back to you being in Tuscaloosa, how weird was it working remotely? And how big was it to have guys on staff like Alex Mortensen and some others to be able to kind of step up with you not there in person?
COACH O'BRIEN: Yeah, no, it wasn't weird, only because I've had that experience in the National Football League last year, everything was Zoomed relative to -- you know, this has been going on for a couple years now in our country. So I had experience with the Zoom and, really, what I think the biggest thing is that Coach [Nick] Saban made everything normal. It was like I was actually there. So I was in every meeting. And then also to our video department, Daniel Lyerly and Kaleb Medema, they did an unbelievable job setting me up every day. And like you said, the whole coaching staff, Alex Mortensen, Holmon Wiggins, relative to the skill positions and Joe Pendry coming in here was a huge help to us and the whole coaching staff, Will Lawing, all those guys that -- you know, graduate assistants and analysts that really do a good job of helping. Everybody chipped in. And that's the way it's been all year. The whole year has been a really cool, collective effort of this whole coaching staff. It's a very, very strong coaching staff all the way across the board -- offense, defense, special team. That's a testament to Coach [Nick] Saban, the type of staff he's able to put together.
Q. Just wanted to ask you about being at Alabama. You're obviously not front and center as a head coach anymore. What's it like having the spotlight on you just being in a major college program and calling plays?
COACH O'BRIEN: I mean, look, I think that's part of these careers. I mean, when you enter into this profession and you start up and you start to climb the ladder, that -- kind of comes with the territory. So it's -- like I've said before, it's not really my first rodeo. I've been very, very excited about the opportunity. And I've said this to several people around the program. I'm very grateful to Coach Saban for this opportunity. It was the only phone call I got last year. And so he had a job opportunity for me, and I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. And to work with a bunch of players that we have here have been awesome. The coaching staff just -- it's been a really -- it's just been a rewarding year for me personally.
Q. Just expand a little bit more. You were talking about how you guys were able to coach from home, but just talk about the initial, like, we tested positive, and then you saw, you know, The College Football Playoff policies changed almost that same day, basically, just because of the spread of Omicron, and so just the initial kind of, okay, it's here, let's contain, and kind of what the conversation was about containing COVID and just being thankful that it didn't spread.
COACH O'BRIEN: Yeah, no, I'm very thankful for that. I think, again, it starts with our head coach and our medical staff. From day one here at Alabama, you know, even way before -- I'm talking about the beginning of the season -- all the way through, we've been masked up. We've been socially distant. We've had Zooms before this week. So this is not anything. In fact, when I first got here, we were Zooming a year ago. So this is something that we're on top of at Alabama. Unfortunately, Coach [Doug] Marrone and I tested positive. That's just the way it is. And everybody took care of us. We were able to coach virtually. And I think it's something that's been really, really emphasized here at Alabama, really from the moment I've stepped in here, is the health and safety of these players especially. And this coaching staff, I think we've been on top of it. And glad to see the SEC kind of adjust those rules a little bit so I was able to get out here today and be able to be here in person. I feel good. I'm ready to go. And I think the big story is obviously the two teams and the game on Friday.
Q. We've seen on the field how Bryce [Young] handles adversity. How do you feel he handles success and the humility that he shows in handing that?
COACH O'BRIEN: I think that's a great question. I've heard that question before from just people in my life. And I've tried to explain to people, my family, my friends, everybody asks "What's Bryce like?" And Bryce is a tremendous young man. He's very smart. He's very poised. He's very humble. He's a great teammate. And every great quarterback that I've been fortunate to be around has those qualities. They're all different. They all come in different shapes and sizes and things like that, but they all have those qualities. And the quality of humility is a tremendous quality that he has. And when he went to the Heisman, when he came back, he made that statement to me that, "Look, I'm very grateful and very honored to be the Heisman Trophy winner, but we have more to do. There's more out there for me to do." He's a young man that really gets it, and he's practiced really well the last couple weeks for a very, very challenging game on Friday against a very good defense, like I said in the beginning. But can't emphasize enough the special qualities that Bryce has.
Q. So a couple things related. One, what was it like to work with your buddy Doug [Marrone] this year? I know you guys go a long way back. And the other part of it, I guess the obvious question is, you've worked for the Patriots and [Coach Bill] Belichick and [Coach Nick] Saban in Alabama now. And what similarities, differences, you know, where do you see maybe some overlap in the two programs?
COACH O'BRIEN: It's been good to work with Doug again. You know, Doug and I go way back. I think most everybody kind of knows that story. Even though he's a Yankee fan and I'm a Red Sox fan, we still have kept our friendship the last many, many years. So it's been good. He's a great football coach and an even better friend. It's been good to work with him, like I said, the rest of the staff. Obviously, and I say this to everybody, I take a lot of pride in working for two of the greatest coaches of all time in any sport: Coach Belichick, Coach Saban. I've learned so much from both of them. And, you know, there's some fundamentals that they both believe in: Hard work, trust, loyalty, smart football teams, teams that play selfless, complementary football. They both believe in that. And then, you know, obviously they're both two different people. And I respect the hell out of both of them, and I'm grateful for the opportunity that I've had. Not many people can say -- I think you can count on one hand how many people can say they've worked for both guys. And I'm just extremely proud of that.
Q. Just wondering what was the most challenging moment maybe of this season, and how did you adjust to working for a demanding head coach like Nick Saban?
COACH O'BRIEN: I think the most challenging thing for me was, when I came in here, learning this offense. And I had a lot of people help me, people that were here before, guys on the coaching staff, obviously Bryce [Young]. I've said before, Mac Jones, when he was working out for the draft, helped me a little bit, which was great. So I'm really thankful to those people. That was the most challenging thing because I had been involved with an offense for 10 to 15 years, whatever it was, similar offense. But when you come here, you're running Alabama's offense; you're not bringing your offense in here. And it's a great offense with a great history. And it was really awesome to learn it, but it was very challenging. And then relative to working for a great head football coach, I mean, that's kind of like when you're coming up in coaching. These are opportunities that you cannot pass up. You have to jump at an opportunity to work and learn from somebody that will go down as one of the best of all time.
Q. What do you feel like was maybe the reason or the thing that helped the offensive line click against Georgia? And related to that, how do you build off that momentum leading into this game against Cincinnati?
COACH O'BRIEN: Yeah, you know, the offensive line, you know, over the year has learned and grown together. We lost some experience off that line from last year. And we had some guys playing for first time, and they learned and they grew together. And they got better every week. And give credit to many of the defenses that we played. We played against some really good defenses that had some good game plans coming in. But in the end, we were able to come out victorious in most of our games, which is a credit to our offensive line and everybody else on offense, coaching staff, the whole thing. So I think that we came out of the Auburn game, we made some adjustments. We knew what we had to do to get fixed, and then we studied Georgia and we tried to do as good a job as we could. And now we've moved on to, obviously, Cincinnati. So it's one game at a time, and we've been working real hard on Cincinnati. And hopefully we'll coach and play well on Friday.
Q. With John Metchie being out with the ACL injury, what are some of the young guys you've seen step up at receiver?
COACH O'BRIEN: Yeah, when you lose a guy like Metch, it's not easy. He's a hundred-catch guy. He can do so many different things for us, and he's just a great guy. So his presence in the room is missed and all those things. But when those things happen in football, it does give opportunities to other guys, you know, guys like Ja’Corey Brooks, JoJo Earle. I think that those guys have stepped up. I've seen improvement from Agiye Hall. I've seen improvement from a lot of different guys. And then you have your guys that you know are dependable and trustworthy that are going to be there, the veterans, Jameson Williams and Slade Bolden, you know, Cam Latu. Jahleel Billingsley had a good couple weeks. So we're excited about the opportunity and, really, the guys that have some opportunities that maybe they haven't had all year, hopefully, they'll be able to step up and make some plays on Friday.
Q. Now that you've been through a season, how have the kids changed since you were in college ball, and how has the game changed since you were in college ball?
COACH O'BRIEN: Yeah, it's been almost 10 years since I was at Penn State. And, you know, it's changed a lot. But I'll say this about the players, the players are players. They love football. They work hard. Maybe they look at their phones a little bit more than maybe they used to, but that's the world we live in, the social media world. I just think that the guys at Alabama, I'm really proud to say that I'm their coach because they put a lot on the line, meaning they work very hard. They love football. They're really good teammates. It's been a great experience. I think the game has changed, you know, from especially when I was in the Big Ten to being in the SEC. The game is more of a spread game. I think that's kind of obvious over the years with the different offensive numbers that have been put up over the years. And so we had to -- Alabama, obviously before I got here, adapted to that and has done a great job. And hopefully we can continue to improve and have a good showing on Friday.
Quarterback Bryce Young
Q. Bryce, just talk about your week and what it's like to be here in the CFP Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
QB BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, this means a lot. This is a huge opportunity for us as a team. Being able to have the experience to play in the Cotton Bowl and travel to Dallas and be able to experience this, obviously play in the stadium we are (AT&T Stadium) in such a prestigious bowl. It's a great opportunity for us. So we're blessed to be here, but we also understand the work that's necessary for us to accomplish our goals. And we're in the process of pushing ourselves each and every day to give us the best chance and the best possibility to be successful.
Q. Bryce, just curious what you see out of the Cincinnati cornerbacks on the outside and how they compare to other teams you've played this year.
QB BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, they have two very strong corners on the outside. It's something that right when we got done with the last game, we start preparing, something that immediately pops when you turn the film on. Those guys have been really consistent all year, which is hard at a position like that. You watch each and every game, you see how consistent they've been. Those are guys that are ball hogs, they always have an eye for the football, always around the ball. So that's something that really pops on film. Something we definitely see whenever we turn on the film. And we understand the challenge that comes with that. So for us, it's about stepping up and accepting that challenge and pushing ourselves each and every day to put ourselves in the best situation possible.
Q. What have you learned from Coach [Bill] O'Brien this season? And how has that relationship between quarterback and offensive coordinator evolved through the year?
QB BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, I learned a tremendous amount from Coach O'Brien. That's always a very important relationship, offensive coordinator-quarterback. And obviously at first, I hadn't met him before he got here. So at first, for me, I'm working to build that trust to kind of learn him, how he likes to look at things, how he likes to call plays. He's trying to learn me, and I think just the amount of communication we've had and amount of honest dialogue we've been able to have, the amount of dialogue back and forth up until this day is really what has kind of pushed our relationship forward. For OB to have the coaching legacy he's had, to coach the players and just to have the resume he had, he could have easily came in and said, “Just sit down, be quiet, and this is where you're going throw the ball. This is what I'm going to call.” But for him to come in and talk to me about how I saw stuff, for us to really have that dialogue, it speaks to him as a coach. And that's something that definitely helps me. Definitely makes it a lot easier for me to be comfortable in the system and for us to have success. So just for him to have that attitude when he first got here and us to be able to build and grow off that throughout the year, I'm eternally grateful for that. O'Brien's been here and helped me out so much throughout the year.
Q. Bryce, what was your, I guess, initial impression of Jameson [Williams] when you first saw him? And also, how surprised are you that he had the year he's had considering he really didn't make much of an impact at Ohio State?
QB BRYCE YOUNG: First impressions when he first got -- when he originally came to Alabama and came with the team was just how professional he was and how professional an approach he took. Someone who comes in, you have to learn a lot. It's a new playbook, a new system, new verbiage. And he came in and had a professional mindset with it. He was always talking to me, to his coaches about making sure we're on the same page. He was someone that I didn't really have to worry about the playbook, which is -- whether it's a new guy transferring in or a freshman, that's always a big hurdle. And he was someone who really attacked that. When we started practicing, the moment after he transferred in, he had the playbook down really, really well for someone who maybe had his hands on it for a week or two before that. It was really just how professional and dedicated and the attitude he took. Honestly, I wouldn't say I'm surprised by the year's he's had. People just see Saturdays and you see the output. But when you see what goes into it, when you see how he works and the energy he brings to practice, day in and day out from Monday through Friday in a normal season and you see the work he puts in, no, I wouldn't say I'm surprised at all. When you're not able to see that, you may look past numbers. But seeing him day-to-day, seeing how he approaches things, seeing how hard he works, it's not surprising for me.
Q. Going back to Coach [Bill] O'Brien for a second, what was it like not having him there in person? And how much did it help to have guys like Alex [Mortensen] and other guys on staff to step up and fill that void?
QB BRYCE YOUNG: That was rough. That was really rough. Not having him in person for an extended period of time, not having him on the field for a few practices, that was tough. Someone like OB who is such a great mind and gives us in the quarterback room and meetings so much intel and knowledge and out on the field the entire offense, really leading that from a coaching standpoint, whenever you can't have someone like that on the field and around us, he did a great job. He was still Zooming in. He was still running every meeting virtually, so he was helping us out throughout everything. And he was on -- he was still talking to us. But when he's not there in person, you obviously lose that instant feedback, that presence. So that was tough. But like you said, Moore and Montana Murphy did a great job of stepping up in the quarterback room. Those are guys that -- again, obviously OB is who I talk to the most and who gets all the credit offensively and deserves it. But Moore and Montana have been guys individually the entire year, guys that I'm always talking to throughout the week, always bouncing ideas off of. Those are guys that I trust completely and guys that maybe aren't always publicized, but those are the guys who win games behind the scenes. Those guys stepped up tremendously. They've been doing that all year. May not be what you see on headlines. But Coach Moore and Montana, they've been doing a great job. There's people I always juggle ideas off of, I value their input greatly. And the ideas they have show up thoroughly on Saturdays. So those guys stepped up, and we all had confidence in them, and we knew they would.
Q. You talked earlier about Bill O'Brien and the way he was checking and asking you to learn more about this offense. Do you remember any of those moments specifically? And what were those moments like? And what was the thing you taught him that you thought it was most interesting?
QB BRYCE YOUNG: There was a lot of stuff. I feel like we were able to bounce certain things off of each other. When we first got here, really we wanted to keep verbiage and we wanted to keep a lot of things the same when OB got here. So I think for him, kind of learning new stuff, and figuring out what he would change, and what he would keep, and figuring out how he would interpret the whole offense. And, for me, I had been there for a year. And for someone to have the track record that he has and still come in and be humble enough to say, hey, how do you guys read this? How do you guys feel about this? Do you like this play? How has this worked in the past? I think having that conversation early on was really big for us, really big for me. And I think that was kind of big for us learning together. And then, for me, him being able to -- everyone kind of runs variations of the same thing at this point. But for him to see things and put in things that he's run in the past. And he is able to bring that knowledge of the next level, the NFL, giving examples, bringing film from the highest level, and being able to give his input on it, whether it be a route, whether it be how we looked at protections, cadence, whatever it may be. Him being able to add things that he's had success with in the past and really teach me that stuff and take time out to make sure I understood not just what we were doing but why we were doing and the function, that meant a lot to me. And that was huge for my development. So those are some things I think were pretty big.
Q. Hey, Bryce, how would you describe how competitive you are?
QB BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, I would say I'm very competitive. I think it's -- you know, hard to play at a level like this and not be. But I think, for me, I think it's about making sure I'm able to -- I like to look at being competitive as a process. I think a lot of people sometimes can think about being competitive as when the lights turn on, I want to get after it. I'm competitive. And when the play is there to be made, it's on me to want it more than the other. And that's a part of it. But for me, I try to understand that being competitive is not just the one moment or not just what you see on Saturday. But for me, I push myself to be competitive and understand that means the entire week. For me, I have the approach to be competitive in how I watch film. Be competitive in my nutrition, be competitive in practice, all that stuff, because that's what correlates to the game. So of course, there's a lot of people that are going to be competitive when the lights are on. There's a lot of people that say on Saturday, oh, I want to be competitive. But for me, I push myself to make sure to understand everything is a competition. It's about pushing yourself to be the best you can be. Whether it's 100,000 people in stands, it's on TV, or it's just you in a room by yourself watching film, you have to be competitive. And that's the outlook I try to take on it. I try to make sure I don't single in on, I'm just competitive at this time or this moment. I'm pushing myself to be competitive in everything. And I'm still growing and pushing myself. But for me, that's kind of the biggest thing when it comes to competition and being competitive as a whole.
Q. So you get to face a very well-coached and talented defense every time you go to practice. Compare both schematically and philosophically what you see every practice with what you saw when you studied Cincinnati's defense on tape.
QB BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, like you said, that's obviously huge for us, being able to go against our defense. And especially the growth you get in the offseason, going against such a great defense with all the talent and so well-coached. And I think it definitely, you definitely see that when you turn on the film for Cincinnati. You see the talent. You see the players. And sometimes you'll see really good players, but you see a lot of players in Cincinnati that really pop out on film. And on top of, that you see how well coached they are. You see the discipline. You see the consistency throughout games. So we understand that. This is a great opportunity for us. This is going to be a big challenge for us. So I think really understanding the urgency. I think you can say our defense and the intensity that we have in practice and the intensity that we have in the offseason, we understand it's going to take everything for us to be successful on Friday. So for us, when we watch the film, we see that same thing. We see talent. We see how well coached. We see the discipline. So we understand what it's going to take. We understand it's going to take everything during the week. And we're pushing ourselves day in and day out to put ourselves in the best position.
Q. Just wondering coming into this game, how have you handled the hype and the expectations that come with being the Heisman Trophy winner on the top-ranked team in the country?
QB BRYCE YOUNG: Being able to win accolades is a huge blessing and a huge honor. But for me at least individually, I understand that winning an award like that is great. And I understand it for what it is. It reflects what I've done in the past, which is a huge blessing. But it's exactly that, it's in the past. What I won was about what I've done in the past. As a team what we did in the past. Which is great, but that doesn't entitle me to anything in future. It's everything, that's a looking-back-type of trophy. For me that doesn't do anything for me going in. That's not going to mean anything and that's not going to help us at all. It doesn't change how I approach anything. It doesn't make any difference to me. I understand just being a part of Alabama, that's a place you come to for expectations. You understand what it's like. It's not something that’s uncommon for us to have expectations, for us to have whatever hype around our names that we have. But we understand that doesn't leave us entitled to anything. We have to work as a team. We have to earn everything. Individually earn everything. And that doesn't change regardless of what's going on. And whatever external circumstances may say or may change, for me and for us as a team, we understand that we have to earn everything, we have to take everything. And we're on that push as a team to put ourselves in the best position when it comes to Friday.
Q. As a leader on this team, what have you had to say to the guys to keep them focused and make sure that there's no kind of COVID spike in this squad in the way we have seen in other teams around the nation?
QB BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, you know, it's a collective effort. It takes sacrifice from everyone. When you think of a bowl game, you think of a bowl experience. You get to go places and do fun events. And that's great. But for us, we understand what the ultimate goal is. And this is a bowl game, there's obviously different implications than a traditional bowl game. So we understand this really isn't the week for going out and having a great time, because Coach [Nick] Saban in one of our meetings actually said it perfectly, “You only remember what you did during the week if you're successful on the weekends.” So for us as a group, as a leadership group, we had to make a decision that we weren't going to go anywhere, we weren't going to leave the hotel. We were going to stay in the hotel to make sure that we could try to do our best to try to cancel out and eliminate any COVID possibilities. Obviously, we can only do that part. But as a group, as a leadership group and a team, we all came together. And I'm sad we weren't going to leave the hotel room. We're going to practice, and we're staying in there. We understand the realities of COVID and the modern world we live. That was the decision we all made. And it's a sacrifice but at the end of the day, that's what we have to do to put ourselves in the best position.
Tackle Even Neal
Q. If you would, give us an opening statement about your excitement about playing in the College Football Playoff.
OL EVAN NEAL: It feels great. It's an honor to be here. It's a testament to all the hard work. I'm just really excited.
Q. I wanted to just ask you a little bit about how key you think the running game might be. It seems all the pregame hype has been about the passing game match-up with obviously with the Heisman winning quarterback (Bryce Young) and top receiver going against the Cincinnati secondary. How do you think the running game is going to play into this?
OL EVAN NEAL: I believe the running game will be equally as important as the passing game. I believe we want to go out there and keep a well-balanced scheme. As an offensive lineman, you want to run the ball. You want to put on the hogs, as I say. So I believe it will be equally as important.
Q. You've had some time to look at this Cincinnati defense. What stands out about their front seven that you guys have to be mindful of this week?
OL EVAN NEAL: All of those guys, they play well together. The outside guys get off the ball really well. They do a great job of using their hands. So I'm just excited for the challenge. This is what it's all about. I'm really excited.
Q. You've been through this several times now with the Tide (Alabama). What have you learned about your process individually as a player that's helped you prepare for big games like this in the playoff?
OL EVAN NEAL: Just to prepare. Not to psych yourself out. Just go about it as if I go about any other game. Just prepare and focus on doing my job to help my team win, and everything else will take care of itself.
Q. As a veteran with this team and going through so many big games, how do you help guys coming into the program in their first year understand what it means to wear that uniform with the pressure that comes with it and just enjoy the moment while you get ready to compete for championships?
OL EVAN NEAL: I just try to go out and lead by example, especially with those undergrads, making them understand what it takes to get here. I believe in a lot of those guys. They have been learning, and I'm really proud of the guys we have in our room, just going out there, leading by example. Doing what I can as a leader, I feel like that's what I do.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Q. If you would, give us an opening statement about your thoughts about Friday's game.
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: My thoughts about the game, it's one of those moments, playing on the big stage. Cincinnati is going to come out, they're going to come out fired up with something to prove. And just got to make sure our team is well-prepared and ready to go come Friday.
Q. You've been through a number of these games during your career at Alabama. How have you learned to prepare maybe from your freshman year to now an upper classman on how to prepare for playoff games of this magnitude?
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: Out of the five years I've been here, this is my fourth playoff experience. So that's multiple years just playing, playing at this time of the year, preparing for games like this. So after four years of playing in the playoffs, I just have a lot of experience of practicing and just preparing for big games such as the one we've got coming up. So it's nothing new to me. Same routine. Just got to come, prepare as hard as we can, as hard as we've prepared all season at this moment right now.
Q. I wanted to ask you, how do you kind of grade your guys' running game this year? You guys have had a lot of injuries in the running back corps. And I just wanted to get a feel for how you think that area has performed.
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: In our running game, I think we've improved tremendously throughout the season. We've had lots of ups and downs with guys, injuries at all positions. Offensive linemen kind of having to move around a lot, play different positions. And the running back depth, just having a few guys not with us to finish out the season, we had to make a lot of adjustments as a team, as an offensive unit, to help our running game. And I feel like we've improved a lot.
Q. Do you have a hunch on how big a role the running game might have in this game, given -- it seems like so much attention is put on the passing game and the Cincinnati pass defense and so forth. It doesn't seem like a lot of people are talking about the running game. I guess, how do you think it might figure into things here?
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: The running game will always be important in big games like this. You need to stay balanced in the running game in order to open up more in the passing game. I'm sure many people might not understand that part of it, but the running game has to work and it has to be a key factor in our game in order for it to open up the passing game for us.
Q. Just wanted to ask you a little bit about playing for Coach [Bill] O'Brien. Obviously, in your four years you've had a handful of offensive coordinators. Sark [Steve Sarkisian] to O'Brien. Sark is different. Just how different is he? And obviously coming from the NFL background coaching with the Houston Texans, coaching with Tom Brady in his time at New England, how has he helped you improve as a running back?
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: Coach O'Brien has helped me improve a lot as a running back, the way he likes to do things from his experience from coaching in the NFL. He's just bringing that into our offense and helping me understand the game a lot more, better as far as how I should understand it at the next level. He's been so great with just helping us to continue to learn, especially like new things that we'll continue to have to learn at the next level.
Q. A quick follow-up about Bryce [Young]. Obviously he seems so incredibly poised and a very humble kid. Is there something about Bryce Young that we in the media or fans at home don't know. Is he funny? Does he do anything in the locker room? Does he cut up? Give us a sneak peek behind the curtain of something Bryce does to add to the locker room dynamic.
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: Everybody sees Bryce as poised, a humble guy. I see that, too, with how he handles his business when it's time to practice or when it's time to step on the field for a game. But I see Bryce being himself sometimes when he listens to his favorite music and he's rapping his favorite lyrics and stuff like that. Just watching him be himself sometimes. He's human just like us. He likes to have a good time, too, even though many people might not be able to see it. When he's on the field, it's just a different side of him.
Q. I wanted to follow up on that question about Coach [Bill] O'Brien. I mean, how different was it for you guys on that side of the ball to not have him present and kind of dealing with you guys over Zoom here the last few days?
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: I mean, with him not being here, it's nothing new. He is still doing his job. He's on Zoom. He makes sure he coaches the same way. With him not being present, it just is more on the players. We had to come out to practice and be prepared to practice hard, even with us not having Coach present. We still know we have got to do everything at a certain pace and a certain speed that he would want us to do it at, whether he is there or not.
Q. A lot of defensive players yesterday were asked and talked about the Texas A&M game being the turning point for this team. You haven't lost a lot since you've been in Tuscaloosa. How was this year perhaps different in terms of what you guys did as a unit to improve going forward to not lose since that time?
RB BRIAN ROBINSON, JR.: We just looked at the film, and we just had to find ourselves again. And we never want to feel that hurt again. So we take that to the weight room, we take that to the practice field, we take that to the film room and continue to get better so we don't make the same mistakes we made to lose that first game.
Wide receiver Jameson Williams
Q. If you would, give us an opening statement about your thoughts on being back in the College Football Playoff.
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: I'm just excited to get a great experience in playing a great football game. I'm very thankful. I'm pretty sure my teammates are, and I'm just excited.
Q. As you watch film on this entire defense, can you talk about what you see in Coby Bryant and Ahmad Gardner?
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: I see a lot of technique. Those guys have two different styles. They like to press. They like to press big. I see a lot of things. Very talented DBs. It's going to be a great game. It should be a great game Friday.
Q. You've made some big gains this year and obviously a very outstanding secondary you go against on Friday. How much do you relish opportunities like this to put your skills up against some of the best in the country week in and week out?
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: I kind of like that. It's just to see we're going to come out, play football. We both go hard. So we're just going to see who wants it more in the end. When it's all said and done, we'll just see. But the competition, I love it. That's something I look forward to every week.
Q. I'm curious if when you transferred to Alabama, is this kind of what you envisioned in terms of being in this stage and then also what -- what has worked for you there that has allowed you to have the season you've had?
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: Yes, I would say this is something I envisioned because I had a lot of plans, big plans, of doing what I did. And it just was things I've been wanting to do since I was a child, dreams I've had since I was a child growing up, playing football on the biggest stage, college football playoffs, chance to play for a national championship, things like that. So I would say that would be it.
Q. Obviously Coach [Bill] O'Brien got in today. Can you just speak of what it was like to go through practice with a coach virtually and just in his first year and your first year at Alabama, how has he been able to help you get to the next level? And just talk about your relationship with him player to coach.
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: It was actually good going through practice. It wasn't anything different because he was talking to us. He was giving the same corrections over the Zoom. So everything was the same. And going through things with Coach O'B, this year I feel like he helped me a lot. He has a lot of experience from being in NFL offenses and things like that. So I think he brought some of that here and used it with our offense. And I feel like it helps me a lot. It helped me realize different routes, work on different defenses, how to get open on certain defenses, routes, and pretty much everything, really.
Q. I want to ask you about going through practice with Coach [Bill] O'Brien being on Zoom. How's that work exactly?
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: We went through practice, other coaches took over his role. So it was just like the same. We had a script and everything. But the next day we went to Zoom. He's on the Zoom. We can hear his voice. He's drawing up everything. He's talking to the O-line, receivers basically going over corrections. So that's how that was done.
Q. His message goes through the other coaches, and then the next day you guys review it?
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: Yeah, when we review it, he was on the Zoom so we can hear his voice and he's talking to us and we're in a big offensive meeting.
Q. Can you just talk about John Metchie right now? Obviously he's not going to play in the game. He's got that bum ACL. However, I know you guys are incredibly close. Can you just speak to how he's dealing with fighting through that injury? And is he still continuing to hang out with you guys on the sidelines? Is he there with you in practice? Talk about how he's doing currently.
WR JAMESON WILLIAMS: He's doing good. I've seen him -- he's with us every day. He's at practice on the sideline. He's on the buses with us. He kicks it with us in the hotel. So I would say he's dealing with it very well. I haven't seen any bad signs. He always smiles all the time. So I would say he's dealing with it really great actually.
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