Alabama Football Focused on Fundamentals Ahead of College Football Playoff

The Crimson Tide had a couple of weeks off following the SEC championship. Now, back at practice for the CFP, the group must start with the little things.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The month of December is an odd one in college football.

On Dec. 2, the Alabama Crimson Tide knocked off then-No. 1 Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship. With the College Football Playoff not until New Years Day, Alabama's players were given time off after the conference title.

With the Crimson Tide (12-1, 8-0 SEC) back at practice this week, the main focus is on the fundamentals. Before any preparation for No. 1 Michigan begins, Nick Saban and Alabama must first get back into the swing of the little things.

"With us, we just try to fall back on our level of training and work on our fundamentals and read things properly and little things like that," quarterback Jalen Milroe said Tuesday. "We're trying to take our game to the next step in this time period before Michigan. We're really trying to master our game and improve and little things like that. This is a great opportunity for our team, and I'm happy to have this time."

"It's just been a good couple of days," linebacker Dallas Turner said on Tuesday. "Guys had a lot of time off. These last couple days we just had to buckle down, just get used to playing football again. Just having the contact, even little things like hand placement, technique, stuff like that."

A big positive to the time off? Getting key players healthy before the Crimson Tide plays in its most important game of the season.

"This is a tough season," Milroe said. "We have a long period playing in the SEC, playing tough opponents, so having this time to have our bodies heal and have everybody where they need to be at to be ready for Michigan."

"Toward this part of the season, a lot of guys' bodies start breaking down," Turner said. "A lot of people start getting sore, banged up, stuff like that, just from the constant pounding and stuff like that, just from games and practice and stuff like that. So you just gotta keep everybody’s head steady. We all got one goal that we’re still trying to achieve and you just gotta have the right head on your shoulders."

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