As New Year's revelers stumbled around Bourbon Street three blocks away, Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis began the first day of 2018 by waking at 4 a.m. in his room at the New Orleans Marriott.
Lewis' roommate, fellow linebacker Mack Wilson, was up watching YouTube clips of Alabama's past two games against Clemson on his tablet. Although Wilson eventually went back to sleep, Lewis stayed awake for several hours, reviewing the opponent Alabama would face that night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
"I ended up staying up until the sun came up," Lewis said. "Me and Mack, we took it personally.