What Nick Saban said about Alabama jumping Clemson for No. 1 spot
After starting the 2019 season No. 2, Alabama is now ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 after Week 5. The Crimson Tide jumped previous No. 1 Clemson after the Tigers narrowly escaped North Carolina’s upset bid with a 21-20 victory in Chapel Hill.
During his Wednesday post-practice press conference, Saban was asked about how he and his team are handling being back in the No. 1 spotlight. Sorry to disappoint anyone expecting a rant about “rat poison” – Saban gave a calm, well-thought-out answer on the matter.
“I don’t think it really matters at all where you’re ranked or rated right now,” Saban told reporters. “It only matters when it’s in January. When the season’s over, that’s all that matters. It can slip away very quickly. As it did last week, it wasn’t even because the team (Clemson) didn’t win. It must’ve been somebody’s perception of how they played. So it’s not even about winning, it’s about how you played.
“Every player creates value by being his best every time he gets the opportunity. The scoreboard shouldn’t matter. Who you’re playing shouldn’t matter. And where you’re ranked shouldn’t matter. And what somebody says on the internet shouldn’t matter. You should be playing because you want to get the self-satisfaction to know you did the best to be the best that you can be. Hopefully, that’s what we can get our players to focus on.”
Alex Byington of the Montgomery Advertiser shared a video clip of Saban’s answer in the tweet below. Saban’s full Wednesday post-practice press conference can be viewed via Alabama’s broadcast on Twitter here.
#Alabama’s Nick Saban on avoiding clutter, its No. 1 ranking: “It can slip away very quickly. As it did last week, it wasn’t even because (Clemson) didn’t win. It must’ve been somebody’s perception of how they played. So it’s not even about winning, it’s about how you played.” pic.twitter.com/BmL7WeWWhP
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) October 2, 2019