Nick Saban shares how Texas A&M loss turned around Alabama's season

There was a time this season when Nick Saban and Alabama weren’t on top of the college football world. The Crimson Tide entered the year as the defending national champions and No. 1 in the country, but would soon fall back to earth.

After starting off 5-0, Alabama ran into a hungry Texas A&M team in College Station. Despite being unranked at the time and on a two-game losing streak, the Aggies won 41-38.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Sunday that game was likely the wake up call his team needed. They haven’t lost since on their way to regaining the No. 1 ranking and will face Cincinnati in a College Football Playoff semifinal game on Friday.

“I think one of the most difficult things to do is deal with success,” Saban explained. “Most of the time, when you have a negative thunderbolt people are much more willing to respond. I think we had won something like 19 games in a row. …There were lessons learned in that. Sometimes when you win, you lose respect for winning. Really, what you lose respect for is what it takes to win. What it takes to prepare to win. And to respect the challenges the other team brings.

“That’s what you need to do especially in difficult environments to play in, and that was certainly a difficult environment to play in. I think we matured some as a team. I think we gained a little respect for what it takes to be successful. And I think our players have done a little bit better of a job trying to create the right habits. They had to overcome a lot of adversity to be here. We surely didn’t get it done that night, but I’m proud of the way they responded to get here.”

Alabama’s path to the Playoff certainly wasn’t easy. Three of its final four games of the season were decided by a touchdown or less. That includes an Iron Bowl victory that lasted four overtimes.

Not many gave the Tide a chance in the SEC Championship Game either, but they dominated top-ranked Georgia. That victory secured Alabama the top seed in the Playoff, where it will aim for its seventh national championship in 15 seasons under Nick Saban.

And if you ask the legendary coach, the loss to A&M halfway through the year played a pivotal role in getting them here.