Windham Wrap-up: Nick Saban's Been Asking for Leadership, Now is the Time for an Answer
It's an uneasy feeling around Tuscaloosa today because it's an unusual feeling.
At least an unusual feeling as of late since the Alabama football team is coming off a loss for the first time since 2019.
Alabama lost to Texas A&M 41-38 on Saturday which notably ended several streaks including a 19-game win streak. Even though the Crimson Tide had won 19 games in a row, head coach Nick Saban has consistently been mentioning the difference in leadership between this year's team and last.
He has been asking for people to step up, and now is the time.
Even with the loss, this Alabama team still has everything in front of it that they would want to accomplish. They can still win the West, the SEC Championship and make the College Football Playoff without help from any other teams. As this week's polls indicated with Alabama at No. 5, the Crimson Tide just has to win out.
Does that mean it will be easy? No, but this team can prove why they have been considered the No. 1 team for most of the year, and it will start with leadership. The question is, who will step up?
During Monday's media availability, running back Brian Robinson Jr. cited himself, Will Anderson Jr. and Phidarian Mathis as some of the players who were vocal after the game. Anderson seemed very frustrated with the lack of intensity from the team, but said he saw more at workouts on Monday morning.
Nick Saban has previously mentioned quarterback Bryce Young as a developing leader. Obviously, it can't just be one person.
This team undoubtedly has all the talent in the world, but they will have to decide what they're going to do with that talent. And it starts with leadership.
This is the earliest Alabama has lost in a season since the Ole Miss game in week three of 2015. (The Crimson Tide went on to win the national championship that year.)
With a loss already on the schedule, it can become a source of misery for this team, or the leaders can use it as motivation.
