Nick Saban’s press conference after a Wednesday practice session is known to be a barometer of the fan base’s confidence in a particular weekend.
If he’s loose, bad news for the other guys. Wound up and maybe there is a problem to worry about.
As Alabama prepares for the CT trip to LSU this Saturday at 6:00 p.m., Saban took to the podium with a message and it’s about maintaining the intensity. A key tea leaf for the public is exercise performance, and Saban assured they’ve looked good every three days since returning from the open house weekend.
“But everyone will lose their intensity at times,” said Saban. “So really, when you get into situations, you need to hit your chest or do whatever you need to do to get your momentum back and regain the mental focus you need to maintain and sustain the intensity, because that’s the only way you can maintain performance.”
The weather for Wednesday’s practice was warmer than usual for early November.
“And it’s a challenge for the guys to keep up their intensity,” Saban said, “and it’s a choice everyone has to make. Nobody chooses to win and nobody chooses to lose, but you have the freedom to do what you want to do and how you want to do it.”
Saban said he didn’t see a group that was overly intense in a way that would invoke the anxiety that was a problem in Tennessee. It’s the age-old battle between outcomes and process that Saban revisited Wednesday.
“Holding on to doing the things you need to do to be a productive player is a lot more effective and a lot more fun when you’re a competitor and playing that way. When you say dominate your box, do so one game at a time. That’s why it’s important to maintain focus and intensity.”
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.