Nick Saban: Alabama 'Lost Our Identity a Little Bit' in Iron Bowl Loss to Auburn

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban believes his team's 26-14 defeat to the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 25 can provide some motivation ahead of the Tide's Sugar Bowl matchup with the Clemson Tigers on New Year's Day. 

Ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinal, Saban discussed how Alabama "lost [its] identity a little bit" against Auburn, per ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson:

"I think that one of the statements I made last year after we didn't succeed in the championship, don't waste the failing. I didn't think we finished very well [last year]. Your identity as a team starts with how you finish. This team has an opportunity to finish this season a little better than the last. I think we lost our identity a little bit in the last game, forgot who we were and what we needed to do to succeed. Feel fortunate to have the opportunity to rectify that in the playoffs."

Alabama surrendered its most points of the season to Auburn, and the Tigers' 408 total yards of offense were nearly 151 yards more than the Crimson Tide have allowed per game (257.8).

The Tide also made a number of mental mistakes uncharacteristic of a Saban-coached team. Most memorably, a pair of botched snaps in the fourth quarter took the offense out of field-goal range, and Alabama turned the ball over on downs with a little over nine minutes remaining.

The fact the Crimson Tide still reached the College Football Playoff despite the Iron Bowl loss allows Saban to spin the game as a positive for his team. Losing at the end of the regular season can be beneficial, as it allows the Alabama coaching staff to address any weakness in the squad.

Auburn will still have bragging rights over its in-state rival regardless of the outcome of the Playoff. A fifth national championship, however, will allow Alabama fans to make the Iron Bowl merely a footnote in an otherwise successful 2017 season.