USC vs. Alabama: Nick Saban Hopes Opener Will Keep Tide Focused

Nick Saban spoke about the advantage of a national match up like USC vs. Alabama for the season opener as a tool to keep his team focused through the offseason.

The season opening USC vs. Alabama game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas is less than four months away, and Crimson Tide Nick Saban was asked about it over the weekend.

The national champion head coach spoke to the media about the impact of playing a team as talented as USC on Friday in Atlanta, upon a visit to the College Football Hall of Fame.

“I think it does impact the offseason in terms of your players’ focus, getting ready to play a big game first,” Saban said. “It affects you summer conditioning. It affects your fall camp. So I think it’s something we always thought was a good thing to participate in.”

This will mark the seventh time in ten years under Saban that the Tide will open the season with a one-off neutral site game. That should give Alabama a considerable experience boost, particularly since they played twice at Jerry World last season.

For USC, the matchup in Arlington is the first of its kind since 2004, when they beat Virginia Tech in the BCA Classic at FedEx Field. Add in the fact that it’s Alabama, and from a Trojans perspective, it’s a game that has been circled for years, not just the offseason.

There’s an entirely new coaching staff and a daunting early season schedule with Stanford and Utah looming in the first month to balance out as well.

More from Reign of Troy

• Markese Stepp enters transfer portal intending to leave USC football
• USC football’s Alijah Vera-Tucker declares for NFL Draft
• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

The hope for the Trojans is that the looming Alabama game forces a strenuous and precise offseason.

Focusing too much on the Tide and forgetting everyone else could be a problem though. USC’s match ups with the Cardinal and the Utes will certainly impact the race for the Pac-12 title, while a win or loss over Alabama is more about bragging rights.

Saban addressed that issue for his own squad.

“The consequences can be detrimental,” Saban said. “But I think our focus is on how do we develop our team and how can we have the best team that we can have, and I think playing a good opponent early certainly helps you do that.”