Nick Saban is willing to admit that his team hasn’t lived up to its typical standards so far this season.
The Alabama head coach attributes these struggles to the shoulder injury suffered by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young in Week 5.
Young missed one game after leaving an SEC contest against the Arkansas Razorbacks on October 1. In his first game back, the Crimson Tide notched its first loss of the season against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Saban says his team has been playing “a little bit left-handed” since Young suffered his injury.
“We’ve been a little bit out of sorts. I really challenged the players to be able to do things better, whether it’s run the ball, run routes better, make more explosive plays,” he added.
Alabama earned a No. 6 ranking in last night’s first College Football Playoff rankings of the season. The team will likely have to win out in order to earn a postseason berth later this year.
The Crimson Tide will face off against the No. 10 LSU Tigers on Saturday.