Alabama’s meeting with Cincinnati in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl is just days away.

Crimson Tide fans, of course, know all about games like this, having seen their team qualify for the Playoff 7 of the 8 seasons it’s been in existence. They’ll hope that Jan. 10 ends with Nick Saban and his players having clinched the program’s 2nd national championship in a row and 4th in the last 7 years.

With all that said, it almost feels preposterous to consider the Tide the underdog against a Cincinnati team that is the first non-Power 5 program to make the Playoff field. In fact, Alabama is favored by around 2 touchdowns or more to win on Friday and advance to the national championship game.

Will Anderson, though, feels a little bit differently.

“I feel like we’re the underdog in this game,” the star linebacker said on Monday during the team’s media availability. “All year, we’ve been disrespected.”

If there’s anyone that uses disrespect, perceived or otherwise, to their advantage, it’s Saban and the Tide. It sounds as if this time around won’t be any different.

“We love it,” Anderson said. “It just fuels us up even more. We know what type of team we have.”