Dooley: Like Meyer, Saban thrives in Year 2

<p>What is it about the second year?</p><p> Urban Meyer did it. Nick Saban has done it twice, winning the SEC in his second year at LSU and taking Alabama to the big game in his second year in Tuscaloosa. Mark Richt won the conference in his second year. Les Miles went to the Sugar Bowl.</p><p> The first year? Tough.</p><p> The second year? Wonderful things can happen.</p><p> "It's a tough transition year," Saban said. "You're trying to change a culture in terms of the way people do things. It's more difficult for the older players to probably adjust to and adapt to that, and those guys are probably the guys that provide quite a bit of leadership, and are looked to for leadership. It may be the most difficult group to buy in.</p><p> "I think the next year, you know, maybe the juniors sort of are more willing to buy in and make the change and change the culture, and provide the leadership that the coach would like to make the changes."</p><p> Said Meyer, "The first year people are looking at you. Players need to get used to you, you need to get an understanding of the players. There are usually schematic changes that take a little while to get used to. Absolutely. That's truth. That's real.</p><p> "It's that one-year period where you have to get everybody on the same page, but you also have to have the players to do it."</p><p> Exactly. Because it doesn't happen for everybody.</p><p> But it happened for Alabama this season.</p><p> A year ago the Tide was a mess. The low point of the season was a loss to Louisiana-Monroe 21-14. They went 6-6, which only gets you to Shreveport.</p><p> Even with a win there, the Tide seniors looked in the mirror and saw a 13-13 record in 2006 and 2007.</p><p> The turnaround started during Independence Bowl practices. It continued into the offseason. It announced its presence with authority in the first game of the season at the Georgia Dome against Clemson.</p><p> "The biggest turning point," Johnson called the Independence Bowl practices. "Everybody saw what we're doing, it isn't working."</p><p> I remember heading to SEC Media Days and stopping at a barbecue restaurant in Dothan. On the wall there was a poster with Alabama's schedule.</p><p> "Too tough," I said, shaking my head.</p><p> Who knew?</p><p> Maybe we should have seen this coming. The second year, you know.</p><p> "We got a lot of guys who are very mature who bought into Coach Saban's system," Alabama safety Rashad Johnson said. "Last year, we didn't do things the way Coach Saban wanted them done and you saw the results. Once this past summer came around during the offseason workouts, you could see it in the eyes of the seniors. Everybody bought in. We believe in this guy (Saban). He's been a winner everywhere he's been."</p><p> In college. We won't get into the NFL, where coddled players don't always respond to a guy like Saban.</p><p> Instead, he's back where he belongs where you can turn things around quickly. He and Meyer are more alike than they are different.</p><p> Maybe that's why it worked for them in Year Two.</p><p> Meyer did it at Bowling Green and Utah as well. But when he came to Florida, the spotlight was brighter. Almost as bright as it is at Alabama.</p><p> But where these two guys are so much alike is that they both are focused to a fault, relentless recruiters and meticulous game-planners. They are both big believers that every little detail matters.</p><p> And they both used outstanding freshman classes to ignite a special year.</p><p> Now they are here, in Atlanta, No. 1 vs. No. 2.</p><p> Saban in his second year.</p><p> Meyer in his second go at a second year.</p>