{"id":171388,"date":"2022-12-29T08:13:58","date_gmt":"2022-12-29T08:13:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/why-alabama-vet-said-this-team-isnt-sleeping-on-sugar-bowl\/"},"modified":"2022-12-29T08:13:58","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T08:13:58","slug":"why-alabama-vet-said-this-team-isnt-sleeping-on-sugar-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/why-alabama-vet-said-this-team-isnt-sleeping-on-sugar-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Alabama vet said this team isn’t sleeping on Sugar Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At least recently, Alabama has been a mixed bag in bowl games without national title implications.<\/p>\n

Sugar Bowls have been rough — just see the Utah game in 2008 and Oklahoma in 2013 — while the Citrus Bowl yielded better results. A 2010 demolition of Michigan State was followed by a win over Michigan in 2019. Three of those four years were followed by national title runs, most recently the 35-16 win over the Wolverines in the 2020 Citrus Bowl.<\/p>\n

It’s that game that stands out to Emil Ekiyor as he uses that as a barometer for this team. There’s an understandable perception this Crimson Tide team might not be quite as dialed in for the Sugar Bowl on Saturday against Kansas State.<\/p>\n

Ekiyor explained Wednesday why that isn’t the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve kind of been on those teams that haven’t been in the playoffs,\u201d he began. \u201cAnd seeing some things as an older guy, this team just has a different mindset right now going into this game and a different level of focus and intensity that we’ve been practicing with.<\/p>\n

\u201cNormally, around this time of year, if we’re not in the playoffs, guys are just kind of checked out. But everybody on the team is locked in and it started with the leadership with Will, Bryce, us. All the seniors on the team. I’m really excited to see how everybody performs in the game just because our preparation has been really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, are we talking about that Michigan game three years ago?<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s kinda what I’m talking about,\u201d Ekiyor said. \u201cThat’s the one time that we didn’t play in the playoff and it was kind of a different vibe then.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Bill O’Brien, Alabama players respond to coaching criticism<\/b><\/p>\n

Alabama trailed 16-14 at halftime before scoring all 21 second-half points in what turned into a rout.<\/p>\n

This time they’ll face a Kansas State team fresh off a Big 12 title win over playoff-bound TCU. It’s a Wildcat program with something to prove against an Alabama team that thought it deserved one of the four semifinal slots.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously we’re not where we wanted to be at the beginning of the season,\u201d running back Jahmyr Gibbs said, \u201cbut we’re here now and want to make the best of it and play to the standard of Alabama football.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Crimson Tide and Wildcats kick off at 11 am CT Saturday in the Superdome.<\/p>\n

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter <\/i>@ByCasagrande<\/i><\/a> or ten <\/i>Facebook<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n