Nick Saban Shares the Importance of Alabama's Loss to Texas A&M

The last-second loss to the Aggies in October may have been a blessing in disguise for Alabama.

Ahead of Friday's College Football Playoff semifinal against Cincinnati, Alabama coach Nick Saban said that the midseason loss to Texas A&M allowed the team to reset before its run to No. 1 in the country. 

In October, the Aggies became the first unranked team since 2007 to beat Alabama after a dramatic last-second field goal sealed Texas A&M's 41–38 victory.

“... That was certainly a difficult environment to play in,” Saban said, per Bama Central. “So, I think we matured some as a team. I think we gained a little respect for what it takes to be successful, and I think our players have done a little bit better job of trying to create the right habits so that they could play with consistency and performance, which, you know, sort of defines success, and they had to overcome a lot of adversity to be here.

“We surely didn't get it done that night, but I'm kind of proud of the way they responded and what they've been able to do to get here.”

The loss snapped the Crimson Tide's 19-game winning streak and dropped the team to fifth in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll the following week. 

But Alabama would go on to win seven straight, including the SEC championship over then-No. 1 Georgia, before being ranked first in the final College Football Playoff rankings. 

“I think that one of the most difficult things to do is probably deal with success,” Saban said. “I think most of the time when you have a negative thunderbolt, you know, people are much more willing to respond and do the things that you've been trying to get them to do to the standard that you've been trying to get them to do it.”

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For more news on the Alabama Crimson Tide, head over to Bama Central.