Nick Saban reveals trend that was ‘tough to understand’ amid Alabama’s collapse vs. Florida State
By Jyesha Nance
Published:
Every Friday during the college football season, former Alabama coach Nick Saban joins The Pat McAfee Show and the two discuss all things college football.
It was only natural that McAfee was going to ask Saban about Alabama’s disappointing 31-17 loss on the road to Florida State last Saturday. Many have questioned what caused the Crimson Tide’s demeanor to look shifted and out of place. During the show, Saban pinpointed a specific moment early in the contest that seemed to trigger an unexpected change in the Crimson Tide.
“I do think there was something in that game that is tough to understand, in my opinion, in that Alabama looked great going down the field on the first drive,” Saban said.
The initial drive looked to be promising for the Crimson Tide’s potential and a dominant performance. However, that was not the case for the entire game, and the Seminoles outplayed them the rest of the way.
“Florida State gets the ball and goes right down the field and scores, and then the whole psychological disposition of Alabama’s team changed, for what I reason, I don’t know,” Saban said. “Was it anxiety? Was it expectation?”
Leading up the anticipated matchup between the Crimson Tide and Seminoles, trash talk was exchanged between the 2 teams. That discourse peaked when Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos took a shot at Alabama during an interview with On3’s Pete Nakos, saying, “They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
In reality, they couldn’t. Castellanos completed 9 of his 14 passes for 152 yards. He also ran 16 times for 78 yards and a score — Florida State’s first score, the one that ignited a 24-0 run.
