After falling short in last year's College Football Playoff quest, Alabama coach Nick Saban is leaning on members of his leadership counsel to spur teammates down a better path this postseason.
The nine-member group, which includes a Heisman Trophy winner (running back Derrick Henry) and a representative from Fort Worth (defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson), has been proactive in efforts to polish practice habits and boost morale since a Sept. 19 loss to Ole Miss, 43-37.
The results, said center Ryan Kelly, are evident in a 10-game winning streak that has carried No. 2 Alabama (12-1) into Thursday's matchup against No. 3 Michigan State (12-1) in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.
Kelly, a third-year starter and member of the leadership group, said Saban's appointees have been able "to sway this team in the right direction" and keep them focused there, a trait Saban and veteran players considered missing in last year's playoff.
"With negative guys, one guy can bring down a couple of others and those couple can bring down more guys," Kelly said during a Sunday news conference. "You can't have that. That's been our motto all year and we've had the least amount of problems than in any year that I've been here. When you don't have distractions off the field, great things happen on the field."
Reggie Ragland, a senior linebacker and fellow member of the leadership counsel, said he plans to take a vocal approach this week to make sure the Crimson Tide plays its best in the semifinal matchup at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
"Everybody on the team knew that leadership wasn't the right way [last season]. But now, I can say something because I'm a leader," said Ragland, the team's leading tackler (90). "I feel like, if I don't like something, I'm going to say it. The guys are very focused coming in."
If they stay that way, Kelly envisions this Alabama team living up to its lofty preseason expectations.
"Every year, it's either a national championship or we didn't do it," Kelly said. "I think it's incredible that we're at that place where that's the standard. But there's a lot of great guys who came before us and built that standard. It's nice to be a small part of something bigger."
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Cowboys connection
Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun, a senior from Middletown, N.J., paid more attention to the NBA than the NFL while growing up. So the opportunity to take the field Thursday night in the home of the Dallas Cowboys is not a value-added to this week's experience, in his estimation. That is not true for all family members, however.
"My dad loves the Cowboys," Calhoun said. "He calls me every day to remind me that we're playing in their stadium. I told him [Sunday], 'Yeah, Dad, we're going to practice there, too.' He's really excited."
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Heavy workload
Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin vowed that Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner who leads the nation in rushing yards (1,986) and rushing TDs (23), will get plenty of touches Thursday even if he does not top his workload in recent games against Auburn (46 carries, 271 yards) and Florida (44 carries, 189 yards). A smiling Kiffin referenced the 11-carry performance by Ohio State tailback Ezekiel Elliott in a 17-14 loss to Michigan State that helped the Spartans reach the Big Ten championship game.
"Hopefully, we give the ball to Derrick more than they did (to Elliott)," said Kiffin, who took time to explain that his comment was meant as a joke, not a shot at the Buckeyes. "We are going to have our hands full because they do play very tough, very physical, up front."
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Keeping it loose
Michigan State co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett smiled during linebacker Riley Bullough's Sunday soliloquy about secrets in trash-talking that boost his energy on game day. Bullough declared himself "a little bit crazy," which drew a verbal thumbs-up from his coach.
"There's nothing wrong with being a little crazy out there," Barnett said. "This is football. If you're going to run full speed into somebody and hit them and think, 'It feels good,' you are a little nuts. And I'm one of those people, so I love that. That fires me up."
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