Alabama football staying consistent, ready for 2012

On a day that didn’t seem to have the same buzz that Alabama fans generally create inside the lobby of the Wynfrey Hotel, the Crimson Tide head coach and three player representatives met with the media during the final day of SEC Media Days.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with members of the media for an extended period of time on Thursday and had to address a wide variety of topics. Saban was not shy to comment on issues troubling the landscape of college football, but the overwhelming tone of the day surrounded the Crimson Tide’s attempt to repeat as national champions.

“The last five years. The most important thing we’ve learned is you got to stay on top of the little things,” Saban said on Thursday.  “Things don’t happen by accident. You don’t win a play by accident. You don’t win a game by accident.”

The Crimson Tide will begin fall practice in a few weeks, and Alabama will be looking to do what it has not done in recent years — repeat as national champions. Throughout spring practice, Coach Saban stressed the importance of consistency in routine, preparations and dedication to success. His statements on Thursday furthered those sentiments.

“It’s human nature to relax,” Saban said.  “And I think success should be defined: consistency in performance.

“We’ve obviously learned a lot at Alabama over the last five years. The most important thing we’ve learned is you got to stay on top of the little things. Things don’t happen by accident.”

One of the many barriers in the Tide’s way en route to defending its national championship is the shot the Tide will receive from every opponent on its schedule this season. The target will be firmly planted on the backs of the Crimson Tide, as it was in 2010, but Saban’s message from the spring continued into Thursday — the Tide has to let the 2012 team define itself by its actions, not the past.

“This team seems to be less affected by the previous year, what has happened in the previous year,” Saban said. “They’re not really the 2010 team,  and they’re not really the 2011 team. There’s a lot of players on this team that know this is the opportunity for them and their season.”

For the time being, though, Saban and the Tide seem focused on preparing for fall camp and the first game of the season on September 1, against Michigan. The Crimson Tide will begin fall camp in early August and begin to prepare for the season opener in Dallas.

“I think playing a great opponent like Michigan the first game of the season really enhances your players’ sort of work ethic and preparation in the off-season because they know they’re going to play a top-notch team right off the bat,” Saban said. “That’s very challenging.

“We know that Michigan is going to have an outstanding team and it will be a very challenging game for us this
year.”