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Tide works on the “little details” before flying to Indy for national title game

Media guide to 2018 CFP title game between the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs
Pat Duggins
Media guide to 2018 CFP title game between the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs

The Crimson Tide will hit the practice field in Tuscaloosa before flying to Indianapolis on Saturday. That’s where Alabama will face Georgia at Lucas Oil Stadium for the national college football championship on Monday. That venue is former Tide player Ryan Kelly is the center for Indianapolis Colts. Outside linebacker Will Anderson says the victory over Cincinnati at the Cotton Bowl is over and now it’s back to work for Alabama’s defense…

“I think it’s really critical now, to pay attention to these little details, to make sure we’re locked in on the same page, and keep cutting down on those mental errors, keep playing around and having fun, and I think we’re doing that,” he said.

Sports writers say this is a chance for Alabama to repeat as title winners or for the Bulldogs to avenge themselves after losing the SEC championship to the Tide in November. Alabama head coach Nick Saban admits he had to handle his inexperienced team differently than in years past…

“But, I felt we needed to do that with this team,” he recalled. “Getting on these guys all the time wasn’t going to build their confidence, it was not going to help the young players develop.”

Sports observers appear mixed when it comes to predictions for the outcome of the game. Although Las Vegas oddsmakers appear to favor Georgia coming out on top. CBS Sports is giving Alabama the edge over The Bulldogs.

Pat Duggins is news director for Alabama Public Radio.
Related Content
  • Organizers of this year’s College Football Playoff championships are adding more COVID-19 contingencies. Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan, and Georgia are scheduled to play in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and the Orange Bowl in south Florida, with the winners playing for the title.
  • The Crimson Tide only has a few days of practice left before Friday’s Cotton Bowl in Dallas. That championship playoff game will be against the Cincinnati Bearcats which are making their first ever try for the college football title. One Tide player is expecting a tough game. Two Alabama assistant coaches have COVID-19.
  • The University of Alabama college football team went from “zero” to “hero” during a tumultuous college football season, where the Alabama lost to its cross-state rival Auburn in the annual “Iron Bowl” game. That pushed the Tide out of the top four ranked teams where it had spent the year. Instead of being assured of a playoff slot, Alabama could only wait for a decision from the playoff committee on whether the team could contend for the 2018 title game in Atlanta.
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