Alabama almost didn’t get into the College Football Playoff this year, and it was because of a 26-14 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

The Crimson Tide offense struggled against Auburn’s tough defense at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and other aspects of the game didn’t go as planned for Nick Saban’s squad either.

Over the weekend, QB Jalen Hurts discussed what the Tide learned from that game as they prepare for their CFP semifinal matchup against Clemson on New Year’s Day (via AL.com):

“We didn’t execute,” he said. “I said it after the game. I still feel strongly about that. We didn’t execute. To be a successful team offensively and defensively, jumping offsides on special teams, I think we have to execute, do our job.”

Hurts himself is going to have to be much better against Clemson, as his struggles as a passer hurt the team against Auburn.

However, Hurts said he and his teammates are learning from their mistakes and improving as their rematch against Clemson approaches:

“I think we’ve learned from a lot of things this year,” Hurts said. “Even last year’s (Clemson) loss. How can we show the world we’ve learned? How far have we (come)? I think we’re trying to get better right now. We’re learning from it and trying to continue to improve and show it on New Year’s Day.”

Will it be enough to send the Tide to their third-straight title game? That remains to be seen, but the Sugar Bowl should be a great game this year.