Sometimes when you’ve watched football — or anything, really — for a long time, it is hard to believe you’ll see something new.

Nick Saban has been coaching football approximately since forever, and ardent Saban-watchers like yours truly knows the Wee General is going to, ahem, lose his cool at some point in a game. Usually at a player, sometimes at a coach (see: Kiffin, Lane) but never before Saturday at an official.

So when Trevon Diggs picked off Duke quarterback Quentin Harris in the closing moments of the 3rd quarter, we saw something new from Saban.

Instead of taking that opportunity to clap a young player on the back or simply stroll down the sideline and let others enjoy the moment, Saban saw some laundry fly from side judge Bobby Sagers.

Saban rant, engaged.

“Undisciplined,” said Saban afterward of his tirade — which was caught by the ABC cameras and included Saban’s suggestion that Sagers perform an act anatomically impossible on himself — that drew a 15-yard flag, 27 replays and the attention of mouth-readers everywhere.

“You know, one of the things that we wanted to establish here was discipline, and the coach did a poor job in his leadership of setting a good example for how you’re supposed to be disciplined. But I guess my reaction was, you know, the kids are having fun. So the guy intercepts the ball and everybody jumps up and down on the sidelines and we get a flag. So my reaction to that was, the kids are having fun. But I deserved it. I’m not making any excuses for it. It’s the first time it’s happened. I don’t remember the last time it happened, but it’s been a long time. But I’ll learn something from that, too.”

After the game, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke for the entire roster by being surprised by Saban’s 15-yard infraction.

“Saban got a penalty?” Tagovailoa said. “Oh. Yeah. That’s beyond me, guys.”

Discipline is an interesting word in the Lexicon De Saban. It was the pretext of Thursday’s “Hey Coach” tirade on live statewide radio that Saban uncorked, suggesting that Crimson Tide players wanting “to talk s–t to the other team, go join the (bleepity-bleep) debate team.”

Later, after apologizing for taking the Lord’s name in vain, Saban offered this:

“Self-indulgent behavior,” Saban said. “Players bringing attention to themselves. A lack of discipline. When you don’t have respect for discipline, a lot of bad things happen. You get a lot of penalties. You get a lot of late hits. You get a lot of bad decisions. You don’t really play smart in critical situations. That’s never been the trademark of our team and that’s something we really want to reestablish with our players.”

By and large, Alabama players heeded that call Saturday against Duke, choosing to let a Friday tweet from the University of Alabama’s debate team gently point out that — with 21 national titles — they actually outpace the football team.

But Saban, ah Saban. Going to the mattresses with the 3rd team on the field is a new twist. And who knows if it will be the pilot light on a season that actually began not with a bang but a whimper.

Through much of the first half Saturday, giving up 15 yards in the name of passion was looking like a decent trade-off for the Tide. The offense was sputtering around. The defense was holding Duke at bay. But not much was happening.

Who’s to say if the pedestrian performance against Duke was because the Blue Devils’ devilish 4-2-5 look on defense or their funky flexbone offense … or maybe the Crimson Tide was simply searching for a spark — some emotion — to establish identity.

Because after Saban’s outburst, it sure felt like the Crimson Tide was a more fearful bunch. Even with backups cycling in throughout the 4th quarter, the offense was clicking and the defense was suffocating.

Just like when a baseball manager chews some umpire a new rectum to earn an early exit, or a basketball coach eats a T and steps right to the edge of ejection, Saban’s rant might just have been the emotional catalyst the Crimson Tide needs.

It’s still far too early to tell, of course. And with puff-ball New Mexico State coming in to cash a $1.8 million check as cannon fodder for Alabama’s home debut this week, very little about who this team really is will be truly answered. Neither will they against South Carolina (which lost to North Carolina in Week 1) or Southern Miss (hey, they beat Alcorn State) or Ole Miss (which fell to Memphis).

The first real test? Not until Oct. 12 at Texas A&M. Until then, there are plenty of striped shirts for Saban to abuse and lightweights to blow out. Only time will truly tell what kind of team Alabama really is.