The 2008 Crimson Tide was favored against Utah in the Sugar Bowl that season, but lost by two touchdowns. The 2013 squad was favored in the Sugar Bowl, too, but lost — again, by two touchdowns — to Oklahoma.
This time, No. 5 Alabama (10-2) heads into Saturday’s game favored by 6 1/2 points over No. 11 and Big 12 champion Kansas State (10-3), according to Fanduel Sportsbook.
“We’ve been really focused. We’ve been doing extra lifts, extra sprints after practice, extra film, just treating this game like it’s our championship,” Ekiyor said. “I’m really excited to see how we perform because I know we put a lot into it.”
Kansas State lost three of its first nine games, but arrived in New Orleans on a four-game winning streak — including a dramatic overtime victory over No. 3 TCU in the Big 12 title game — that has put the Wildcats in position to make this season among the most memorable in program history.
“Not many people expected Kansas State to be in this position this year,” Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said. “We have a number of kids that are going to have opportunities to play at the next level, but we haven’t had a kid on our football team that’s had an opportunity to play in the Sugar Bowl, and to play in a New Year’s Six game. That’s really special.”
Alabama has played in the national title game or CFP semifinal in all but three of the past 14 seasons. So Saban has to guard against let-downs when his team enters bowl season outside the national title picture.
“It’s more challenging when that’s sort of a goal for what the players work for all year long and came up short,” Saban said. “But I think that our players have had the right disposition and the right mindset.”
While many non-playoff bowl games that have seen high-profile NFL draft prospects opt out, the best players for Alabama and Kansas State were expected to suit up for the Sugar Bowl.
Quarterback Bryce Young, a 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and first ‘Bama QB to pass for 3,000-plus yards in consecutive seasons, is among those planning to play, along with Crimson Tide All-America edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn and Wildcats defensive end Anudike-Uzomah.
“The best thing you can do to create value for your future is to play really well against really good teams,” Saban said. “I’m very pleased that they chose to do this.”
Saban said that when players say they’re opting out to prepare for the draft, they really mean the NFL Combine.
“A lot of things you do at the combine are irrelevant to what you do playing football,” Saban asserted, citing seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, “who didn’t run fast at the combine, didn’t jump high, didn’t bench press a lot, didn’t do all of the things that they measure … but he can play quarterback.”
The Sugar Bowl is at 11AM CST Saturday on ESPN.
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