Elite college football fans know the move for an 11 a.m. kickoff of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve.

Rest up the night before? Negative ghost rider. Just move the party from the French Quarter to the first quarter.

For Alabama fans, putting this disappointing season to bed requires a proper wake … New Orleans style. For the Kansas State crew, a first-ever trip to the Sugar Bowl and a first-ever meeting against the Crimson Tide demands all-night pregame preparation.

Does anyone really lose if no one sleeps?

RELATED: Alabama legend to join radio broadcast

RELATED: Will Anderson ‘cried my eyes out’ after loss to LSU

RELATED: Pete Golding explains what went wrong with Alabama’s defense at Tennessee, LSU

GOODMAN: Criticism of Bill O’Brien deserves a closer look

GOODMAN: Appreciating the greatness of Will Anderson Jr.

Some will say a morning kickoff on New Year’s Eve before the College Football Playoff somehow makes this Sugar Bowl less sweet. That’s the wrong perspective. It just means the Bloody Marys will be extra spicy.

The party never really ends in the Big Easy, which makes it one of the world’s greatest cities, but this time for Alabama in New Orleans there will also be this haunting specter walking the late-night streets as Friday turns over to Saturday morning. How many non-playoff bowl games does Nick Saban have left in his career? It’s probably not many, so enjoy every minute and toast every hour.

This game doesn’t mean anything? Don’t tell that to All-Americans Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. They’re going in the first round of the NFL Draft, but before preparation begins for the rest of their lives Alabama’s dynamos made a promise to go out in style with Saban one more time. At this point in Saban’s career, that probably means more to him than winning or losing this game.

If somehow this is Saban’s last game with Alabama, then wouldn’t you want to be there on the sidelines, too?

Saban’s final media obligation before the game was Friday morning, and he said something that’s worth amplifying. It showed that Saban cares about his players beyond the field, but also that he appreciates the impact of the collegiate experience on those players’ lives.

So many players have transferred away from Alabama after this season, and that would make any coach frustrated and even angry. To his great credit, Saban said he told each of those players that they could play in this bowl game and enjoy the bowl experience with their teammates.

Man, that’s impressive.

Would every coach do the same? I’d like to think so, but I know the answer. Would a younger version of Saban give transferring players that option? Probably not considering Saban’s stance on transferring just a few years ago. There’s a funny story of Saban once calling Will “The Terminator” Anderson soft, but I think it’s Saban who is growing tender with age and I don’t mean that to be a bad thing.

He had a tough season by his standards — and I was highly critical of Saban on more than one occasion — but, with the No.1-ranked recruiting class in his back pocket, Saban obviously hasn’t dropped off as a coach. Giving transferring players the option to play in the Sugar Bowl will go unnoticed by many, but for me that’s one of Saban’s finer moments of a legendary career.

I want that version of Saban to coach forever.

College football is changing, and I hope it’s for the better, but something is getting lost along the way when players would rather transfer away from Alabama than play in a Sugar Bowl. Sitting out a bowl game for the draft is one thing. That’s business. Missing a chance to go to a bowl game after a 10-win season? In a way, considering the unique historical significance of bowl games, that’s sad.

No matter the stakes, no matter the destination, players remember their bowl trips for the rest of their lives. They all say that once they unbuckle the chinstrap for the final time, and then look back on their careers in reflection. Maybe there’s a way to make the bowl games more meaningful in the future even with the transfer portal open and the College Football Playoff expanding. Giving players cash for playing wouldn’t hurt.

A lot of fans will disagree with that sentiment while also partying all night on Bourbon Street thanks to the players of the Crimson Tide who chose to play in this game.

There was a time when the Sugar Bowl was the height of college football for Alabama. The Crimson Tide has played in this game more than any other bowl, and its all-time record stands at 9-7. Want a stat that serves as a sign of the times? Saban, shockingly, is 1-3 in the Sugar Bowl as Alabama’s coach.

When the game isn’t impacting the national championship, Saban is 0-3 in the Sugar Bowl with Alabama. The scoreboard isn’t going to matter much in this one either, but that doesn’t mean the moments before and during this game are less significant.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama: A season of hope and the making of Nick Saban’s ‘ultimate team’”. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.