Nick Saban on Alabama going up against Miami, D'Eriq King in opener

Week One of the college football season contains quite a few intriguing matchups. Alabama and Miami might be among the top of the list.

Alabama won the national championship last season and finished undefeated. Miami went 8-3 in 2020. Make no mistake, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban knows that his team has a tough task ahead of them against Miami.

Saban knows what Alabama is in for against Miami

Despite being ranked as the nation’s no. 1 team in preseason polls, nothing has changed for Alabama. The team has to come out strong against a tough opponent. If they don’t, Miami is more than capable of stealing the Week One matchup. Saban sees the game as a great opportunity for his players to prove what they are capable of.

“This is a very challenging game for us against a very, very good team,” Saban said on Monday. “Our players have to be focused on playing one play at a time. I think sometimes things happen in opening games that are unexpected or maybe you’re unprepared for. You’ve got to be able to adapt and adjust and play the next play.

“I think this is a really, really good team. They’ve got 19 out of 22 starters back from last year’s team that went 8-3. So, they’ve got ten starters back on offense and nine on defense. (Miami quarterback D’Eriq) King is a really good player. They’ve got outstanding skill guys and two very productive receivers returning form last year and they’ve got good runners. This is a really good team, and this is going to be a really challenging game for us on both sides of the ball. These guys play hard, they’re aggressive, so it’s going to be challenging for us. It’s a big game for our players to establish the identity of what this team is going to be.”

Saban: King is a tough QB to match up against

When King takes the field against Alabama, it will be his first live game action since tearing his ACL last season. When he has been on the field in his career, King has proven to be a versatile and dangerous threat at quarterback. When game planning against a quarterback like King, Saban said that the different elements of his game can complicate things.

“When you have great athletes that have great speed, especially at the quarterback position, that adds another element,” Saban said. “You’re out here trying to cover all of these guys, but then you’ve got a quarterback who has the ability to scramble, extend plays, make plays scrambling, throwing as well as running. He (King) certainly does that very well. He executes their offense very well and he’s very comfortable in how he manages the game.

“And he’s a good decision maker. This guy presents a lot of issues because he’s a great player, great athlete, and great quarterback all rolled in one.”