Nick Saban on outside noise: 'I don't need anybody else to criticize'

Following the team’s third loss in its last nine games, Alabama has invited questions about the state of the program and the current trajectory of not only this year’s team but the future of the program, coach Nick Saban included.

But all that outside noise is falling on deaf ears inside the program.

“I haven’t even heard or read any of those things because I don’t really pay a lot of attention to it,” Saban said. “I do pay a lot of attention to what we’re doing here internally and how we can get it fixed so that our players have a better chance to be successful.”

Even players have had to answer questions about some of the negativity around the program, some of which has come from critical alumni of the program.

They’ve done their part to embrace Saban’s mantra of ignoring the outside noise, but it can be difficult.

Saban broke down how he attempts to try to get his team locked back in following a tough loss, like Saturday’s to Texas.

“My approach is to try to play to a standard, try to get our players to play to a standard,” Saban said. “And when we don’t play to a standard, I don’t need anybody else to criticize. I’ve got pride in performance just like everyone else in this organization.”

The Crimson Tide will have a game against the USF Bulls to get right before a tricky stretch of the SEC schedule arrives, including a ranked Ole Miss team and back-to-back road trips to Mississippi State and Texas A&M.

Saban knows his team needs to be locked back in if it hopes to reach its season-long goals of winning the SEC West, reaching Atlanta and potentially competing for a College Football Playoff berth.

“We want to try to get it right, we want to try to get everything we can to get people to play to a standard,” Saban said. “And that’s what we’re focused on. My standard comes from within me, not from some external motivation that comes from some place else.”

Alabama and South Florida will meet at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday with a broadcast on ABC.