Nick Saban expects Alabama to ‘respond’ after lackluster start but expresses doubts ahead of Ole Miss

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The No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide are out of the AP top 10 for the first time since 2015 as they prepare for No. 15 Ole Miss Saturday. 

The last time Alabama had two losses before the month of October was 2007, and Lane Kiffin and the Rebels are a legitimate threat to knock the Crimson Tide out of the national championship picture altogether. 

Alabama head coach Nick Saban claps during the first half of a game against South Florida Sept. 16, 2023, in Tampa, Fla.  (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Alabama is coming off a subpar performance against South Florida after losing to Texas at home in Week 2, but head coach Nick Saban expects his team to play better against Ole Miss Saturday. 

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"We'll respond. We've got a better team than the way we played last week," Saban told ESPN Thursday. "I don't know if we've got a good enough team to beat Ole Miss or anybody else we play, but we've got a better team than we played last week. Texas has a damn good team, probably one of the best five teams in the country, and we were ahead of them in the fourth quarter.

"I like this team. I like this group. They've worked hard. They've got a good attitude about things. We just got to execute better and pay better attention to detail, and we've got some areas on our team that need to play better."

There have been many who have questioned whether Alabama’s dominant run — six national championships under Saban — has come to an end after a slow start to the 2023 season.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban before a game against the South Florida Bulls