It's football and nothing more

When will these coaches learn that football is a game and nothing more?

Yes, there is a lot at stake, especially at the college level where wins on Saturday equate to millions in the coffers for universities.

Florida coach Urban Meyer used to call his players “soldiers,” and when one went down with an injury, the next would pick up his rifle and move forward. Meyer has since dropped the analogy.

But Alabama’s Nick Saban hasn’t seen the memo or e-mail or whatever it is coaches use these days to spread the message.

After losing to Louisiana-Monroe 21-14 at home last week, Saban described his team’s chances of bouncing back Saturday against Auburn with this:

“Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event. It may be 9-11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, or whatever, and that was a catastrophic event.”

Losing to Louisiana-Monroe, however embarrassing for the Crimson Tide and their followers, was not a catastrophic event.

And beating Auburn has nothing to do with “changes in history.”

Maybe a better game-plan or better coaching or a better effort from the players.

Did losing to Louisiana-Monroe force Saban’s coaching staff and players to take a long, hard look at itself? I hope so. And that was Saban’s point. The Tide is now focused.

Terrific.

Why don’t you just say that?

Or would admitting that be, you know, catastrophic?