re: Bama Football Tidings

Courtesy Alabama Athletics
An offseason of self-examination has Crimson Tide zeroed in at start of camp by Christopher Walsh Alabama's aim of returning to its championship ways has been steadily fueled by 44-16 loss to Clemson
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Anfernee Jennings sees it every day. Whether he’s just walking by or brushing his teeth, it’s always staring back at him.

On his mirror, written with a permanent Sharpie pen so it can’t be wiped off, the senior linebacker has the score of last year’s National Championship Game: 44-16.

The reminder is constant, from when he gets up until he heads to bed.

“It just motivates me, and how to take on my day,” Jennings said Saturday morning.

This from a guy who was already considered a team leader and one of the hardest working players on the Crimson Tide.

It’s been nearly seven months since Alabama got blasted by Clemson at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and the loss has been gnawing at the Crimson Tide every single day. It’s not just with the returning starters, but everyone in the organization.

This was an unusual offseason in Tuscaloosa, one of self-examination. While the immediate consequence to getting thumped in a title game was predictable, with Nick Saban’s coaching staff overhauled, things otherwise appeared to be quiet.

Like the quiet before a thunderstorm strikes.

“Everyone’s talking about that last game that we played,” junior right tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. said. “Just the chip on our shoulder, to come out and prove who we are. Everyone thinks that we fell off but that’s not the case at all.”

Yes, Alabama still feels that it was fundamentally a better team than Clemson, and one that peaked after the LSU win. Some all calling those excuses, but the latter is especially true. The film doesn’t lie and the Crimson Tide didn’t play especially well from mid-November on, and especially during the final game.

Now Alabama is out to prove that the former was true as well.

The Crimson Tide’s only had two practices in fall camp and the players are still couple of days away from putting the pads on for the first time. So there really isn’t much that can be said about player development, schemes or what the lineup might look like against Duke in Atlanta on Aug. 31.

Consequently, the vast majority of things being said during the team’s media day were similar to what Saban said during the offseason, and a lot like what had been stated by their predecessors during years past.

“We always look to improve, just on little things, big things,” sophomore wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said. “There’s always room for improvement. We’re never satisfied.”

It’s the kind of thing that players are encouraged to say, and great for Alabama if true. However, every player on every team could say that.

What stood out during the interview sessions at Bryant-Denny Stadium was how nearly every player who participated said almost the exact thing about where the team is at, and what was different from the end of last season.

“Leadership,” sophomore cornerback Patrick Surtain II said. “We just have a chip on our shoulder and we’re just ready for the season to start.”

There have been other signs that there’s already more going on with the team below the surface.

Like Saban saying that this is one of the best-conditioned teams he’s had coming out of the summer, and how the leadership is already established. Even though there are barley any senior starters, those roles have already been largely defined: Linebacker Dylan Moses is the Alpha Dog of the defense, while it’s Tua Tagovailoa’s offense.

Did you see the way the quarterback started the first practice?

“Let’s go get what we want.”

The distractions have been few and far between while nearly every preseason publication and poll is picking Clemson as the team to beat.

The louder the doubters got, the quieter the Crimson Tide has been.

“Everybody so far, I feel like we’re locked in,” senior linebacker Terrell Lewis said.

“We use that as fuel. I think a lot of guys every day come in with the mindset that we want to prove it to ourselves that we want to be that Bama defense that people are scared of, people are intimidated by.”

The offense feels the same way.

Sometimes a failure can inspire that kind of reaction. So can the subsequent non-stop reminders, the self-inflicted ones included.

“Your team is only going to go as far as your leadership takes you,” Jennings said. “Guys doing the right things, re-emphasizing it to the younger guys, knowing what to do, how to do it and why it’s important.

“With great leadership the sky is the limit.”