During Tennessee week, Nick Saban wasn’t asked about Alabama’s preparations for LSU. When the Tide played the Tigers, it wasn’t asked about the next game against Kentucky. But as Alabama prepped for and then easily handled Chattanooga, players and coaches started being asked about not just the Iron Bowl but the SEC Championship on Dec. 2 against Georgia.

But, at least at the collegiate level, that’s never been Saban’s way of game planning. He explained why on Monday while revealing a difference between how he handles coaching now compared to his time in the NFL:

“In pro football, sometimes you do a little bit of work on the next team, only because it’s really, really difficult,” said Saban. “That’s not something that works well for me because I’m focused on what you have to do in that particular game, and I don’t like to commingle different things before that game is over.”

Saban spent the first 14 years of his coaching career from Kent State to Navy, among others. He had a stint coaching defensive backs for the Houston Oilers before returning to the league in 1991 with close friend Bill Belichick as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. Saban last coached in the NFL in 2006, his second year leading the Miami Dolphns.

Since joining the Tide and amassing six national titles, Saban has preached a “one-game-at-a-time mentality that’s led to widely-clipped social media rantss when a reporter has asked him a question that even implies that UA is overlooking the upcoming game. Instead, the regimented schedule of a college program allows for constant check-ins and meetings to prep the team.

“Here, we’re with the players a significant amount of time. Like Thursday, we practice. Friday, we have walk-through. Friday, we have meetings, we eat with them, then meetings Friday night. You don’t have all those things in pro ball, so sometimes there’s a little time to try and get ahead,” Saban added, “but it was not something that ever worked very well for me.”

The program has a 24-hour rule after Saturdays, win or lose, that allow a time for reflection before moving forward. Sometimes, however, human nature gets in the way. Senior defensive back Malachi Moore turned on a but of Auburn tape following the Tide’s 66-10 senior day win last weekend.

Alabama will close out the regular season on Nov. 25 at 2:30 CT in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].