Season has been special for Saban

NEW ORLEANS — A Mapquest search says it is 345 miles from Shreveport, La., to New Orleans. The trip takes about about five hours, 23 minutes.

The Alabama football team will tell you it’s much farther than that — and takes a lot longer.

The Crimson Tide took the road less traveled in 2008. It took them from consecutive appearances in the Independence Bowl to tonight’s Allstate Sugar Bowl game against undefeated Utah.

The effort, on and off the field, produced Alabama’s first No. 1 ranking in the regular season since 1980. The Crimson Tide went undefeated while winning the SEC West for the first time since 1999 before falling to Florida in the SEC Championship game.

Alabama’s players not only returned the program to national prominence, they earned the respect of head coach Nick Saban. The coach has certainly had more talented teams, particularly at the skill positions, but his affection for this group was evident Thursday at the final Sugar Bowl press conference.

“Our team has really given a lot this year,” Saban said. “You know, change is kind of inevitable sometimes, but the growth that people make and the team makes is really optional.

“This team shared in some values that, from the very beginning, has helped them play to a high level. ... You feel good about the capacity that they play to on a pretty consistent basis.”

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham likes the opportunity his team has. A decided underdog, the Utes are the nation’s only undefeated team. They have won seven straight bowl games, the longest streak in the nation. And they have victories over big-name opponents.

They won at Michigan and played bowl teams Air Force, Oregon State, Colorado State, TCU and Brigham Young.
Their two victories over ranked opponents TCU and BYU ran the program’s record to 6-0 when Utah and opponent are both ranked.

“I think (our players) are very motivated to go out and play well,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who signed a five-year, $6 million contract this week. “Since Game 4 of the 2007 season, they’ve come ready to play each and every week for 21 straight weeks. We haven’t won all 21, but we’ve won 20 of those 21.

“They’ll come with that same mindset tomorrow night and play well. Whether that’s going to be good enough to win, we’ll find out.”

There are two intriguing matchups when Alabama has the football that could determine the outcome.
Mike Johnson, who will replace the suspended Andre Smith at left tackle, goes against touted sophomore defense end Paul Kruger.

“Certainly their defensive end that Mike is going to have to block is a guy that’s had a lot of production,” Saban said. “We have a lot of confidence in our player. Hopefully Mike will do a great job against him — just got to play with good technique and good fundamentals.”

“I know Paul was disappointed,” Whittingham said of Smith’s suspension. “Not like, ‘OK, I’m going to go out and kick his butt,’ but to go out and play against a guy of that caliber.

“As a coach, you want to play teams at their best. It’s Alabama. They’ve got guys. ... There’s going to be a very capable replacement.”

The other matchup is Alabama freshman receiver Julio Jones against Utah cornerback Sean Smith, who is one of the biggest cornerbacks in the country at 6-foot-3, 218 pounds.

“We put Sean on their go-to guy all throughout the season,” said Whittingham, who called Jones the best freshman receiver in the country. “That’s a matchup that is intriguing and we’ve got to slow him down. He’s a playmaker.”

“I think it’s these kind of games, these kind of matchups, that great competitors look forward to,” Saban said. “They’re going to plus us a lot of man-to-man and close coverage. It’s going to be important, not only for Julio, but for all the players on our team ... to be able to create some space so that we can throw the ball effectively.”

On the other side of the ball, both coaches say the key to the game is Utah quarterback Brian Johnson.

“He’s our team leader,” Whittingham said. “He’s a fifth-year senior quarterback. His numbers are not what some of the other quarterbacks in the country have put up, but he has done a great job — a lot like (Alabama’s) John Parker Wilson.

“His win/loss record is the best in Utah football history, which says a lot when you consider we had Alex Smith in the program for a number of years. All he does is win ball games. He’s invaluable to our football team. He is really the guy that makes it all go.”

Saban talked about stopping the run, not giving up big plays and being good in the red zone.

“Third down is critical in the game,” the coach said. “That was one of our failings in the Florida game.

“I think a lot of those things ... go back to one thing, and that’s how we affect the quarterback — with disguise, with coverage, with pressure. Can we create pressure with the four-man rush? ... It’s going to be a real challenge for our defensive players.”