Eight years ago Nick Saban was very concerned about player safety.
He was distressed about the emerging up-tempo brand of football that had gained popularity. More tempo created more plays, which in turn fostered more opportunities for injuries to happen. A burgeoning health crisis loomed.
Saban played the player safety card so convincingly the NCAA rules committee proposed "the 10-second rule." It would have impacted offenses like Oklahoma's, which c o i n c i d e n t a l l y had just torched Alabama's defense in the Sugar Bowl.