Alabama coach Nick Saban said on Monday that players have to respect what it takes to win after narrowly surviving an upset bid on the road by unranked Texas on Saturday.
The No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide needed a last-minute field goal to beat the Longhorns in Austin, despite Texas losing starting quarterback Quinn Ewers to a shoulder injury in the first quarter.
Saban said there was a lot to learn after committing 15 penalties — one shy of a school record which was set in 2002. «I think our guys played hard in the game,» he said. «They persevered in a game in tough circumstances.
They overcame adversity. They showed great resiliency. But it's also about playing smart, having good discipline to execute, focus on what's in front of you, and do your job.