Press Bullets: Alabama’s Nick Saban on Ryan Day, Jaylen Waddle, National Championship Game

For the penultimate time before Monday’s national championship game, Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke to the media Thursday morning. He spoke about Ryan Day, Jaylen Waddle and more.

Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding and the Crimson Tide players also meet with the media this morning, while Day, Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, Justin Fields and several other Ohio State players are scheduled to speak on Thursday afternoon. Come back with Eleven warriors for full coverage throughout the day.

A detailed look at what Saban said.

• “I think in a game like this preparation is really, really important. The practice has been good.”

• Saban on Jaylen Waddle: “He was able to train. His status for the game is still relatively high, and that will probably be a game day decision.”

• Considering the circumstances of the year … “We are happy with how this season has gone and how many games we have been able to play.”

• Linebacker Dylan Moses has shown persistence and leadership this season after being injured. “He has certainly made a positive contribution to our team.” He says Moses “builds the confidence of the rest of the group” when he plays because of his leadership and knowledge of defense.

• On Ohio State Readiness: “We’re doing our best to prepare internally.” He says they watch all of the Ohio State games and talk to coaches who have faced the Buckeyes each year who might get a glimpse of them.

• Ryan’s Day: “He’s doing a great job as a coach. He’s a very good offensive player. He has a great plan in attack.” He says the state of Ohio “plays with great intangibles,” noting the discipline, tenacity and effort. Also says that Day took advantage of a “great opportunity”.

• On the Buckeyes: “They have one of the best teams in the country. No doubt about it.”

• Saban says he doesn’t have a crystal ball on whether Waddle will play on Monday. “It’s something we’re trying to gauge, but not something we’re trying to predict right now.”

• He says the program’s # 1 goal is for players to “create value for themselves”. Saban says the guys who returned to Alabama for this season all dramatically improved their worth as football players before leaving for the NFL. “The draft money goes down drastically, so if you’re a second or third round pick, you can almost double or triple your value” by upgrading to become a first round.

• Saban says he never really wanted to be a coach, but he pays tribute to his varsity coach for hiring him as a graduate assistant. “When I did, I absolutely loved it.” He liked the preparation and the competitive nature, as well as the relationships developed with the players.

• “I think Ohio is one of the great states in the country when it comes to football, the tradition of football.” … “There are still many places in Ohio where the school is the center of the community.” He notes that Ohio has produced “an incredible number of very, very good players.”

• Saban’s full response to the question about the importance of not postponing the national championship game: “Well listen, I think everyone respects the disruption we’ve had to endure throughout the season. full respect for player safety. If there were, and I believe there were, issues relating to COVID, there were discussions as to whether it was right to continue or back off the game and all that. I think there would have been, probably, I don’t. I know, tough management issues if we had pushed the game away. Our school starts next week. We would have had 35,000 students who are coming back here. We have played 12 games this year so we have a lot of guys who have ground throughout the season, a lot of guys are a little excited. Another week of practice would have probably been a lot harder for these guys. guy. January 18th is the date when the g ens have to decide whether they will come out for the draft or not. So just all the timing of the whole thi ng would have been difficult management, but I would have put the safety of the players on either team as the most important factor in this decision. ”

• Saban believes the current style of play makes college football “exciting for the fans” with the number of points scored per game.

• He credits his offensive coaches for developing Alabama’s offense over the years. But … “I still think our # 1 goal is to feature our players on our squad and adapt to the style that would allow them to be most successful.”

• Why the defense has improved over the week. “I think we’re pretty young, especially in high school.” He mentions that three freshmen are playing important shots. At the start of the season, he says, the young players made some mental mistakes. The group has been able to develop confidence.