Alabama's season ended Sunday night in Pasadena at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines will play Washington next Monday night for their first national title since 1997 and Washington's first since 1991.
After the Texas-South Florida games, there was widespread skepticism about Alabama's chances of moving up in the standings, winning the SEC Championship and securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.
That sentiment was not lost on head coach Nick Saban. He described the season as “one of the greatest seasons in Alabama football history.”
“This is one of the greatest seasons in Alabama football history…I wish I could have done more as a coach to help these guys succeed and finish.” – Alabama at the Rose Bowl Nick Saban after the overtime loss to Michigan. #CFBplayoffs pic.twitter.com/c2TM6WTPY4
— Next Round (@NextRoundLive) January 2, 2024
“Obviously I'm very disappointed with the result of the game. I don't think we played great in the first half, but I was really proud of the way our players played in the second half. We just couldn't finish the game.” “The final four minutes of the game were what we wanted, but we're all very disappointed,” Saban said.
“But one of the things I said to them in the locker room after the game is that in terms of where this team has come from and what they've been able to accomplish and what they've been able to do this season. “This is one of the greatest seasons in Alabama football history,” he continued.
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“I'm really proud of this group for winning the SEC Championship. I wish I could have done more as a coach to help them be successful and finish. Sometimes all we can do right now is You just learn from the lessons that failure brings.”
This is the first time in the Nick Saban era that Alabama has missed out on the national title three years in a row. College football continues to change and reshape itself every day, and the Crimson Tide now turns the page to 2024.
Michael Brauner is a senior sports analyst and contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
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