Why Alabama Isn't Overlooking Any Opponent

Six national championships later, Nick Saban still doesn't forget what happened in 2007, and the Sun Belt's strong start to the season provides more relevance for the Crimson Tide.

Katie Windham | Sep 15, 2022

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Alabama Crimson Tide

Nick Saban doesn't forget. He may have won six national titles and nearly 180 games since then, but the Alabama head coach still hasn't forgotten the loss that took place his first season with the Crimson Tide in late November 2007.

He has often said that the losses stick with him more than the wins, but with Louisiana-Monroe back in Tuscaloosa this week, Saban made it a point to bring up the 21-14 loss from his first year on Monday.

"I don't forget things, so I remember when these guys beat us," Saban said. "I know that our players won't remember that because history sometimes is not that important. And they were probably only 5-6 years old when that happened. But it kind of is what it is."

Even though Alabama did have the opportunity to right the wrong in 2015 against the Warhawks, it still hasn't lessened the sting for the Crimson Tide head coach.

And Saban was right. When asked during the week, the Crimson Tide players didn't have much memory of that game. But there is something a little more recent, and relevant, to Alabama's game against Louisiana-Monroe this Saturday.

The Warhawks hail from the Sun Belt. The same conference that is hosting College Gameday this weekend and upset three Power Five schools last weekend: Appalachian State's win over Texas A&M, Marshall beating Notre Dame in South Bend, and Georgia Southern putting the final nail in Scott Frost's coffin at Nebraska.

None of the losses were expected according to the Vegas odds, but the Nebraska result was the least shocking. However, both Notre Dame and Texas A&M were ranked in the top-10 at the time of the losses. And while the 2007 ULM game might not be something that resonates with the players, this weekend's results certainly do.

"It just shows you can't get complacent," said Alabama senior safety
DeMarcco Hellams. "We have to take all our opponents seriously. We have to prepare for every opponent the same way. We're just preparing this week to make sure we're not one of those teams.

"In football, if you don't come ready, any team get you. Especially playing at Alabama, we get everyone's best game, so we're definitely preparing for ULM the same as we would for any other opponent."

Saban said he doesn't normally use the ULM game from his first season as a teaching tool because history is not usually on the forefront of the player's minds.

"I do think that players relate better to things that affect them," Saban said. "Which, most of them don’t remember those types of things. I think sometimes what happens currently, like what happened last week to a couple teams, you know, maybe something that they can identify with and relate to better."

Overall after watching film, Saban sees significant improvement in the Warhawks from year one to year two under Terry Bowden. This doesn't mean that he expects it to be a close game

Alabama is currently a 49.5-point favorite over ULM, according to SI Sportsbook. According to the ESPN Football Power Index, Alabama has a 99.6% chance of winning. Plus, the Crimson Tide and Warhawks do have a common opponent through just two weeks of the season. Texas beat Louisiana-Monroe 52-14 in Week 1, and the Crimson Tide beat Texas 20-19 in Week 2.

For the Alabama players this week like running back Jahmyr Gibbs, it's all about building upon the fight and resiliency shown in the fourth quarter against Texas.

"I think preparation will be key," Gibbs said. "Just getting better every week, staying in the film room, practicing hard as we always do."

Outside linebacker Dallas Turner said the adversity faced early in the season against Texas will help the team moving forward.

"I feel like it was just like a learning point that we had to go through early, and so now we know what it feels like to be in a situation like that," Turner said. "And so now, I just feel like all we can do is just move on and grow from it."

That chance for growth comes Saturday at 3 p.m. against Louisiana-Monroe at Bryant-Denny Stadium on SEC Network.

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