As early as July, Nick Saban was making mention of his team's chemistry and makeup. He wasn't talking about expectations or goals, but how the Crimson Tide had approached the process of preparing for the season.
He liked what he saw, even if he hadn't seen his team on the field yet.
“I just had a meeting yesterday with our team to reiterate to them how well I think they're doing this summer,” Saban said in his opening statement at SEC Media Days in Hoover. “Working hard, everybody's all in to doing things the way we want them to do them, not a lot of negative energy around, a lot of positive energy, a lot of good character, a lot of positive leadership.