Nick Saban came away from Alabama’s trip to LSU most impressed by the way the Crimson Tide handled the pressure.
After Alabama’s 31-13 win over the Tigers, Saban broke down what stood out to him on “The Pat McAfee Show,” pointing to the team’s response after LSU had grabbed momentum.
“What really impressed me about the Alabama team was the competitive toughness they showed and the poise they showed in playing in a difficult place to play at LSU,” Saban said. “And got behind 17-13.
And when it seemed like the momentum of the game had completely shifted in LSU’s favor, they went right down the field and scored and then took over the game and controlled the game. I was very impressed with their competitive toughness in the game.
And, you know, that’s what you need to do in the SEC to be able to win on the road in some of these difficult places to play.”
The win pushed Alabama to 7-2 and lifted the Tide to No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Saban also said the bigger test now is what Alabama does after such a convincing result. He turned his attention to the upcoming trip to Vanderbilt and made it clear he wants to see the Tide carry that edge into another road setting.
“Now, I think the big question is how do they deal with that success,” Saban said. “How do they deal with that victory?
They’re going to a place like Vanderbilt. That was always a place I did not like to go play.
But hopefully, because they lost up there a couple years ago, they’ll have the proper respect and go play another good game up there.”
Alabama and Vanderbilt are set for an 11:45 a.m. kickoff Saturday in Nashville.
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