Heisman, national title, All-Americans: To Tide’s Saban it’s just mental ‘clutter’

‘Bama trying to ignore championship-game ‘clutter’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nick Saban knows it’s out of his control, but he wishes people would stop asking No. 1 Alabama’s players about the national championship.

That’s one of those external things he calls “clutter,” things like the Crimson Tide’s first Heisman Trophy, the Butkus Award, the six first-team All-Americans and the Southeastern Conference title.

And the biggest piece of potential clutter of all: The Tide’s Jan. 7 date with No. 2 Texas in Pasadena, Calif., for the BCS national championship.

Oops, those two dreaded words.

“I’m not worried about winning the national championship and I don’t want our players to worry about it either,” Saban shot back at a reporter Monday. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t ask them although I know you will.

“What I want our players to focus on is playing our best football and assume they’re going to be playing against the best football team they’ve ever played.”

For the time being, that pesky national title talk will remain as much a part of the fabric of the state as Bear Bryant. Impossible to avoid, even for an ultra-focused coach like Saban, who insists he has too much to do every day to waste precious seconds daydreaming or pondering what-ifs.

Actually, Saban might be capable of ignoring it except when reporters bring it up. Linebacker Cory Reamer was even asked if he’d ever heard the words “national title” come out of his coach’s mouth.

“No. And I doubt I ever will,” Reamer said.

If he has, it was probably in reference to Saban’s 2003 LSU team, which won a share of the title.

Alabama (13-0) is seeking its first national championship — sorry, Coach — since the 1992 season and trying to break an 0-7-1 record against the Longhorns (13-0).

The Tide dispatched then-No. 1 Florida 32-13 to claim the SEC title for its 25th win in the past two seasons.

This Alabama team is much more accustomed to handling the hype than last year’s group, which was unable to rebound from an SEC championship game loss to the Gators.

Stunned by the game-week suspension of Outland Trophy-winning left tackle Andre Smith, the Tide lost the Sugar Bowl 31-17 to Utah.

This Alabama team is much more seasoned in handling hype, and has mostly steered clear of off-the-field troubles.

“I think we’ve gotten better at it,” All-America cornerback Javier Arenas said. “We were undefeated last year and the expectations, and people were saying this and saying that. And we’ve managed it pretty well.

“If we just do the same thing for this game, then we’ll get the same results if we do everything else right.”

The colorful Arenas even offers an analogy to explain what Saban means by mental clutter.

“You drive down the road and you’re thinking about a chick and you hit a dog on the road, that’s clutter,” he said.

Hazards are everywhere for the Tide.

Tailback Mark Ingram captured the school’s first Heisman, which rests next to the SEC championship trophy in the first trophy case on the second floor of Alabama’s football building. Linebacker Rolando McClain won the Butkus Award. Those two were first-team All-Americans, along with Arenas, guard Mike Johnson, nose guard Terrence Cody and kicker Leigh Tiffin.

Saban knows none of that counts for points in Pasadena.

“The field’s still going to be 50 yards wide and 100 yards deep and how they play in that game — I don’t care what award they won, or how many All-Americans we have — none of that stuff’s going to matter when the game starts,” Saban said. “It’s going to be how we play. That’s what the players need to understand.

“Unless you have success in the next game, it doesn’t really matter. I can’t even name anybody that’s played in this game the last three years that didn’t have success.”

But he knows who won: Florida (twice) and LSU, both SEC rivals. Now, Alabama is trying to keep it in the league.

The Tide will practice through Wednesday before breaking for Christmas, then resume workouts on campus from Dec. 27-31. The players voted to travel to Pasadena together by charter flight even if that means losing the NCAA bowl stipend. Alabama has appealed in hopes that they will receive at least part of the money.

The game supplies the biggest potential payday.

“You only get one shot at the national championship,” tight end Colin Peek said. “You want to give it your best.”