David Pollack believes Alabama faces new reality when looking forward at college football landscape

Alabama is 184-26 since Nick Saban took over as head coach in 2007, but only has two undefeated seasons in that time. Still, the Crimson Tide enter many games as heavy favorites, which is why it’s surprising when they lose.

ESPN’s David Pollack thinks we might see more Alabama losses, though.

Last week, Tennessee outmatched Alabama in a 52-49 thriller at Neyland Stadium to hand the Crimson Tide their first loss of the season. Questions are swirling about this year’s team, especially considering its trouble with penalties. Pollack said he thinks more teams might start playing Alabama tougher, and that could make things tough for the Crimson Tide.

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“We see all these stats about how Alabama bounces back after a victory. The days when Alabama used to kill everybody and used to be better than everybody, those days are over,” Pollack said on “Pardon The Interruption” on Friday. “Those days are gone. You look at the last couple years, way more competitive games, more losses. I think we’re going to get more accustomed to Alabama losing a game every single year. Those days where they used to murder everybody, I think, are gone.

“Look at the lack of discipline with like 30-something penalties between the Texas game and last week when you saw them lose, obviously, against Tennessee. The discipline, the defense, giving up over 50 points a week ago. This is not the Alabama of old. I’m not saying the dynasty is over. They’re still going to be a great program in college football. But the days where they just roll their helmet out there and we go, ‘That team is easily going to be in the College Football Playoff’ or easily going to win it, those days, to me? They’re gone.”

Nick Saban shares his message to the team, sends strong message to the fans

At the end of his weekly radio show, “Hey Coach & The Nick Saban Show,” the Alabama head coach had an impassioned, lengthy soliloquy about what his team can do better. He also mentioned how fans can help along the way.

Saban wants his team to pay more attention to detail and become process-oriented, not concerned with the outcome of the game. So much of what he wants to get right with his Alabama team is between the ears.

“There’s an old saying that people say some times: ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff,'” Saban said. “But, I think attention to detail and sweating the small stuff is really what our team needs to do better. Too many penalties. Eliminate bad plays. You know, win this play. Win this play, focus on this play, win this play. Do simple better.

“Don’t make things so complicated. Just focus on ‘Here’s my lineman, here’s my responsibility, here’s my technique.’ And do that one play at a time. I think sometimes you get too result-oriented. When you get result oriented, you’re worried about what you’re going to score in golf or ‘Are we going to win the game?’ Rather than focusing on the process of what you actually have to do.”