Alabama vs. Texas A&M: Fisher's Challenge vs. Saban's Reign
Transcript
00:00 Alabama and Texas A&M get together at College Station, always with Nick Saban
00:07 and Jimbo Fisher get together. It is an interesting game and Jimbo's given him
00:12 problems the last couple years, Joe. Outright win two years ago with Calzone
00:16 at quarterback. Last year a very close game and a cover for Texas A&M. Here is
00:22 Jimbo on facing Alabama. Isn't there a certain human nature that would look at
00:28 playing Alabama and think of it as... Not if you understand what success is about
00:32 and understand what winning and how you have to prepare. I mean if you can
00:36 get distracted by that and listen to the clutter and listen to all that stuff you
00:39 can, but what you got to focus on when you learn that you have to control
00:43 yourself. There's nothing we can do about Alabama. Alabama is Alabama. They're a
00:45 great team. What we have to do is get prepared to play Alabama and then
00:48 whoever you're playing because each game is a big game. I know that sounds
00:52 cliché and it does to the public always says these things and I get it
00:55 in the media. I get what you're saying that but as a player, as a coach, you
00:59 can't do that. I mean it's that simple and I don't mean that any disrespect to
01:03 them but you got to control what you can control and it's the next game and how
01:05 you prepare and you prepare for them like you would anybody else. It's just the
01:10 next game Joe for Jimbo. Just the next game. These games, let's be fair Joe,
01:15 these are the games that have kept Jimbo afloat the last two years at
01:20 Texas A&M. It's how his performances have been against Alabama because he hasn't
01:25 been performing anywhere else. No, but you know he covered this line as a 24
01:30 and a half point dog last year in Tuscaloosa. That was with Jalen Milrow
01:33 making his first career start right and he he struggled a little bit but here's
01:38 the thing. Max Johnson's a veteran quarterback. I still thought Max Johnson
01:43 was the better option over Connor Wegman. Wegman's out for the year with
01:46 the foot injury. It comes down to context and saying them stop the run because
01:51 I'll say this if they can't stop the run I think they're up against it. Now who
01:55 has Texas A&M played? They lost to Miami. They played a one-dimensional Auburn
02:00 team. Who else did they beat? I mean New Mexico week one. I mean the body of work
02:06 for A&M is not there in my opinion and you're getting Alabama laying two and a half.
02:11 I think they win by double digits. I'm not backing Jimbo at home less than a
02:17 field goal. They have to win the ballgame outright. Good luck. Let's hear from Nick
02:23 and there you go minus two and a half for Alabama on the road here. 46 and a
02:27 half is the total. On the Nick side of things, Nick Saban. Of course Joe you know Nick
02:34 he don't really like talking about things outside like Jimbo of this week.
02:38 Big picture type stuff. That's not really what Nick Saban does. Here he is. Hey
02:43 Coach, do you pay much attention to the standings or the rankings at all and
02:46 how things are currently shaping up? Are you letting your guys know that
02:49 everything they want to achieve is still right there in front of them? Look
02:53 we're trying to play one game at a time. We're trying to improve our team. I can't
02:57 tell you where we're ranked. I can't tell you what the standings are. I think
03:01 everybody realizes the importance of every game that we play. The whole focus is how can we play better? How can we play good? How can we improve? Not worrying about some
03:16 outcome oriented thing that may happen two months from now. What am I going to
03:25 do in the next five minutes, the next 30 minutes, the next hour, the next two hours,
03:29 the next three hours to help us play better as a team. That's all I care about
03:34 and I think that's my job. So we got guys like this guy over here who can do
03:39 standings and rankings and put a poll together and say who should be this and
03:44 that and he's good at that and I thank him for it. Just less time I have to
03:48 spend doing it. You know Joe when Nick's hot because Nick starts doing all
03:55 the stuff with his hands. Like Nick doesn't want to get on anybody like
03:58 anybody. This guy over here with his rankings and his standings but when Nick
04:02 starts waving his arms all over the place, he's pointing at this, he's doing
04:05 that's when you know Nick's hot Joe. Oh it's definitely hot. I'll say this, I
04:10 believe that the Alabama passing attack is a little suspect right now. Jalen
04:15 Milrow on the perimeter in my opinion is their best option. If you're Jimbo though
04:20 you have a hundred and ten thousand fans in that place. You better start fast, you
04:25 better not start slow because if not the pressure is on.
04:31 (upbeat music)