Alabama tries to ignore ‘clutter’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Nick Saban knows it’s out of his control, but he wishes people would stop asking No. 1 Alabama’s players about the national championship.

That’s one of those external things he calls “clutter,” things like the Crimson Tide’s first Heisman Trophy, the Butkus Award, the six first-team All-Americans and the Southeastern Conference title.

And the biggest piece of potential clutter of all: The Tide’s Jan. 7 date with No. 2 Texas in Pasadena, Calif., for the BCS national championship.

Oops, those two dreaded words.

“I’m not worried about winning the national championship and I don’t want our players to worry about it either,” Saban shot back at a reporter Monday. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t ask them although I know you will.

“What I want our players to focus on is playing our best football and assume they’re going to be playing against the best football team they’ve ever played.”

For the time being, that pesky national title talk will remain as much a part of the fabric of the state as Bear Bryant. Impossible to avoid, even for an ultra-focused coach like Saban, who insists he has too much to do every day to waste precious seconds daydreaming or pondering what-ifs.

Actually, Saban might be capable of ignoring it except when reporters bring it up. Linebacker Cory Reamer was even asked if he’d ever heard the words “national title” come out of his coach’s mouth.

“No. And I doubt I ever will,” Reamer said.

Alabama (13-0) is seeking its first national championship — sorry, Coach — since the 1992 season and trying to break an 0-7-1 record against the Longhorns (13-0).

The Tide dispatched then-No. 1 Florida 32-13 to claim the SEC title for its 25th win in the past two seasons.

This Alabama team is much more accustomed to handling the hype than last year’s group, which was unable to rebound from an SEC championship game loss to the Gators.

Stunned by the game-week suspension of Outland Trophy-winning left tackle Andre Smith, the Tide lost the Sugar Bowl 31-17 to Utah.

“I think we’ve gotten better at it,” All-America cornerback Javier Arenas said. “We were undefeated last year and the expectations, and people were saying this and saying that. And we’ve managed it pretty well.”