Nick Saban describes what the term 'warrior' means to him, Alabama program

Nick Saban has built the Alabama football program into a powerhouse over his 15 years in Tuscaloosa. His Crimson Tide teams are dominant every single season – and that’s certainly been the case throughout the 2021 campaign as Saban’s club is 12-1 overall, ranked No. 1, fresh off an SEC championship and gearing up for next Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship.

While Saban has compiled an incredible 183-24 overall record as Alabama’s head man, this season has been one of the most impressive. Despite losing a regular-season game to Texas A&M, the Tide has been able to roll from there – highlighted by an upset win over Georgia in the SEC championship game that snapped the Bulldogs’ undefeated season.

Following its New Year’s Eve win against Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl semifinal, Alabama – which follows a a “warrior mentality” – is now gearing up for a rematch with Georgia in the College Football Playoff national championship. Heading into the matchup, Saban discussed what being a warrior means to his program.

“I think the warrior mentality just is sort of a great compliment to the kind of competitor somebody is,” Saban said. “I think it speaks to your intangibles, your intensity and ability to sustain and play with great energy and enthusiasm.

“So, it’s, to me, the ultimate compliment to a competitor to be a warrior, war daddy, whatever you want to call them. And that’s something that we really try to get our players to buy into, because it does create tremendous value for them when they compete at that kind of level and with that kind of standard.”

No. 1 ranked Alabama and No. 3 Georgia are scheduled to kickoff at 8 p.m. ET Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with ESPN carrying the national broadcast. The Bulldogs are three-point favorites, with the over/under currently set at 52 total points.

Brian Robinson Jr. comments on Alabama being underdogs to Georgia

Despite Alabama’s SEC championship win and all the success it has had against Georgia in recent years, the Bulldogs are still favored to beat the Tide in the national championship. For Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr., that’s no problem – and he actually embraces the underdog mentality.

“Being the underdog is just one of those normal feelings,” Robinson said. “Sometimes we always feel like the underdog even when we were expected to win a game. Just a mindset that our team has, just a mindset that our team lives with, just having that underdog mindset.

“I feel we’ll be motivated. We’ll come out with the underdog mentality and be ready to play.”