Nick Saban on Alabama's 2-Loss Season: 'That's Not Our Standard'

No. 13 Alabama finished its season with a resounding 35-16 victory over No. 14 Michigan in the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday.

The result gave Alabama 11 wins after a 10-2 regular season, but Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban didn't seem pleased with the 2019 campaign postgame.

“Most people think a 10-2 record is a good thing," Saban told Michael Casagrande of AL.com and other reporters. "That's not our standard."

Alabama went either 13-1 or 14-1 every season from 2015 to 2018, making the College Football Playoff each year and winning it twice.

The ex-LSU and Miami Dolphins head coach has led the Crimson Tide since 2007, and the team has finished either undefeated or with one loss more often than not.

The 2009 Crimson Tide went 14-0, while six of his other teams finished with just one defeat. Otherwise, Saban coached five two-loss teams and then a 7-6 squad his first year on the job.

Alabama is 152-23 under Saban with five national championships, so standards in Tuscaloosa are naturally a bit higher than basically anywhere else outside of the top programs in the nation.

If it's any solace to Saban and Alabama, the Crimson Tide could be in line for significant improvement as soon as next season thanks to a stellar group of incoming freshmen.

Alabama is bringing in the second-best recruiting class in the nation, per 247Sports' composite, with three of the top 21 ranked players headed to the Crimson Tide.

One of them is defensive end Chris Braswell, who's ranked 17th overall and could help transform a defense that entered Wednesday 14th in Division I-FBS points allowed per game. That would be Alabama's lowest mark under Saban since 2007.

The Crimson Tide will look to return to their standard beginning Saturday, Sept. 5, when they face the USC Trojans in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.