"A lot of conversation in the locker room was about Florida": Greg McElroy revealed how Nick Saban's Bama used 2008 SEC loss to Gators as motivation
Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy knows what it's like to play for coach Nick Saban. He played with the Crimson Tide from 2007-2011 before being drafted by the New York Jets in 2011. McElroy remembers how losing to the Florida Gators in the 2008 SEC Championship game fueled the locker room more than ever.
Saban became the coach at Alabama in 2007 and since then has completely transformed the team into a powerhouse of talents, including Greg McElroy. Bryce Young was the latest quarterback from the Crimson Tide to be picked first overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Meanwhile, talents like Jalen Hurts, and Mac Jones have already made a name for themselves in the NFL.
While speaking to John Middlekauff of The Volume last year, Greg McElroy recalled how losing to the Gators in the SEC finals was a turning point for Saban and his team. The team had a perfect 12-0 regular season record, sweeping up the SEC West division. However, they lost to the Gators in the 2008 SEC championship game.
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Following the loss, the whole team, including Nick Saban, was locked in on getting their revenge on the Gators. Greg McElroy recalled how Florida was the topic of discussion despite not being on their regular season schedule.
"So a lot of conversation in the locker room was about Florida. They weren't on the regular season schedule, which, thinking back on it, I can't believe we were talking about a team that we weren't even scheduled to play. But when we got to that game, it was almost as if we'd had 365 days of frustration and preparation to get over the hump", he said.
Greg McElroy recalled that several experts favored the Florida Gators as the better team heading into the SEC championships, as they had Tim Tebow as their quarterback. Furthermore, the Gators were targeting their third SEC title in four years in 2009.
However, 2009 turned out to be the year for the Crimson Tide under Saban. They went on to have a perfect 14-0 record, defeating the heavily favored Gators 32-13 in the SEC Championship game. And the run just did not stop there. Fueled by the motivation, Greg McElroy, Nick Saban, and the team went on to clinch the National Championship by defeating Texas 37-21.
How are things looking for the Crimson Tide in 2023 with coach Nick Saban still at the helm?
For Alabama fans, the era under coach Bear Bryant may have been one of the most dominant ones, with six national titles. Nick Saban has gone on to equal that record, clinching six national titles himself since joining Alabama.
Last season, they suffered regular season losses to Tennessee and LSU, leading to a 10-2 regular season record. As a result, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide were ranked fifth in the CFP rankings, missing the playoff games in 2022. Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and Ohio State advanced, with the Georgia Bulldogs winning the national championship.
The SEC preseason media poll ranked Alabama as the favorite to win the SEC West with 165 first-place votes, followed by LSU with 117 first-place votes. After quarterback Bryce Young's exit from the NFL, the team now has a choice to make between Tyler Buchner, Ty Simpson, and Jalen Milroe for the starting position.
On the other hand, the Georgia Bulldogs will be looking to achieve a three-peat, and are hopeful of clinching the national championship this year as well. Will Nick Saban and the team have the same motivation this year as the one they had after their loss to the Gators in 2008? Only time will tell.