On New Year’s Day, Alabama takes on No. 1 Michigan in the first round of the College Football Playoffs. Head coach Nick Saban of the Crimson Tide talked about the difficulties the Wolverines bring and how his squad is getting ready for the big game two weeks before the Rose Bowl.

“They’re a really good team,” Saban declared this past week. “On defense, they play really aggressively. They employ numerous personnel groups offensively. You always need to be prepared for where these people are going to come from. The secret is to prepare. It will differ slightly from every opponent we faced throughout the season.”

Over the next two weeks, Saban will go into great detail about Alabama’s practice schedule and how he plans to balance both the transfer portal and high school recruiting. Among other topics, he discussed the team’s overall health, the dangers of over-preparing for a single opponent, and the function of his staff in game planning.

“We attempt to get them back in the groove over the first three practice days, which are similar to basic camp workouts. Correct technique is one of the most important aspects of bowl games, particularly after a break. In bowl games, tackles are quite important because players haven’t played in a long time. That took three days of our time. We’ll spend a typical week here after three days and carry out the same activities when we go.”