It’s been two years since Alabama faced LSU in Tuscaloosa and the Tigers won, 46-41, and went on to win the national championship. But what upset Crimson Tide players was not only the loss but the reaction of the Tigers and head football coach Ed Orgeron after the victory. LSU players walked up to Alabama recruits and tried to get them to come to Baton Rouge and most of you already know Coach O’s famous last words in Tuscaloosa, which went viral.

So naturally Alabama players, despite their 55-17 beat down of the Tigers last year, still haven’t forgotten what took place two years ago. Despite that, and the numerous injuries the Tigers have coming into this game, Alabama head coach Nick Saban wants his team to remember, these Tigers are still capable of pulling the upset and they must be respected.

“They are a very capable team, and I also think they’re a very dangerous team,” Saban said on his weekly radio show, per Bama OnLine. “And I think sometimes that when you hear negative things about another team that psychologically – whether it’s your fans, your players, coaches or whatever, they don’t have the proper respect for what you need to do to get ready to play a game like that. I think it’s happened to us twice this year. Texas A&M had lost two games in a row. I don’t think we respected what we needed to do to beat them. And even in the Tennessee game, I thought we were flat in the first half.”

Saban continued.

“We’re really trying to get our players to understand that the opponent really should be faceless, aight. You’re looking at the opponent for technical ways that you need to attack or defend, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams. But really, you’re playing the game because you wanna be the best player you can be. It shouldn’t be about the other guy, who you’re playing against, what their record is, what they’re capable of, not capable of, what the score is.”

Saban knows of what he speaks. The Tigers rolled into their game against Florida in Week 7 as 21-point underdogs, only to win that game 49-42.