Nick Saban rolled out of bed Tuesday morning without time even for his daily dose of The Weather Channel with his wife, Terry. The business of celebrating Alabama's second national championship in three years disrupted the morning routine for a coach who makes a habit of, well ... habits. This time, he didn't seem to mind. And of all things, it is the picture of the postgame Gatorade drenching that reveals the difference in attitude between the 2009 and 2011 seasons. The image of Saban three years ago, when the Crimson Tide beat Texas for the national title, could hardly be described as merry. Saban -- straight-laced, focused, unemotional -- glowered after getting the cooler-full of red liquid dumped on him. But after Alabama shut out previously undefeated LSU Monday 21-0 in the Allstate BCS Championship Game, when he got the Gatorade bath -- orange, this time -- he was caught hopping and smiling. "I enjoyed the Gatorade bath two years ago," Saban said Tuesday in the morning-after news conference. "I wasn't expecting it and got kind of almost knocked out. The players improved in terms of their ability to deliver. I improved on my ability to accept, and everybody was happy." Saban, who has three national titles overall now, acknowledged Tuesday he might have savored this one a little more, as evidenced by his unrestrained smiles after the game. "To be honest with you, I think I maybe did," he said Tuesday. "This team was a special team -- not that the 2009 team was any different. And certainly an honor and a privilege to be with a group that made the kind of commitment that you look for from a competitive character standpoint and intangibles that you always strive to try to get as a coach. "It was a really special group." Read more: http://espn.go.com/college-football...nick-saban-enjoying-alabama-crimson-tide-team
