Nick Saban identifies biggest difference for Alabama in 2026
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Alabama Crimson Tide are entering Week 3 of a pivotal Year 3 under head coach Kalen DeBoer, welcoming the Florida State Seminoles to Tuscaloosa for a 3:30 kickoff in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
DeBoer and the Tide will look to avenge their Week 1 upset loss to the Noles from last season, when FSU moved the ball seemingly at will against Alabama’s defense.
The Tide may have had some serious issues on defense in 2025, but former Alabama head coach Nick Saban told the crew of College GameDay he isn’t seeing those same issues so far in 2026.
“Alabama’s got a real defense,” Saban said on Saturday’s show. “They’ve given up one third down conversion in 23 attempts. They got some big people up front. They got pass rushers. They like to play zone. They’re really good in the secondary. I think this is the difference for Alabama, is their defense this year.”
If there’s one guy who knows what a good defense looks like, it’s Saban, and the numbers certainly support his analysis. Entering Week 3, the Tide rank sixth nationally in total defense and first in 3rd down defense.
Alabama’s defense will obviously face bigger challenges as the season progresses, but there’s no denying that the early returns for the Tide on that side of the ball have been extremely promising, especially compared to last year.
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