As ESPN's College GameDay preseason special unfolded Saturday there was little disagreement amongst the panel that Alabama would repeat as SEC champs. However in Tuscaloosa success is measured in national championships, not SEC championships.
ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit expressed concerns with Alabama's chance at a repeat, citing his worries over the Tide's championship drive.
"It wasn't the Xs and Os or the football team itself, it was the drive and hunger that they had after losing to Ohio State the year before," Herbstreit said. "Reggie Ragland, A'Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed were a really big part of keeping those guys focused after losing to Ole Miss. Who is that this year? Is it Jonathan Allen? Is it Reuben Foster taking over in the middle?
"They need to make sure the intangibles are there. It's an area Nicks Saban works on so hard throughout the offseason. Anytime you win a championship, it's always a little bit tougher to have that drive (the following season)."
Alabama players have talked at length about this in the past and leading into the start of this season, so the talk about where their heads are isn't anything new to them. Hopefully they aren't just hearing this message, hopefully they are taking it to heart.
