Alabama football players woke up Tuesday and went to meetings in Tuscaloosa. Then, the Crimson Tide headed over to Tuscaloosa National Airport and boarded planes, bound for a Rose Bowl matchup with Michigan in California.

When they landed at Los Angeles International Airport, Nick Saban didn’t give his team any rest. Alabama headed right to the practice field and got to work.

It’s a trick for West Coast trips that Saban learned during his time as an assistant in the NFL.

“The long and the short of it is that you travel the day before and you work out in the sunlight,” Saban said Wednesday during a press conference at Disneyland. “That’s the best activation. That’s what our medical staff thought was the best way to do it. Seemed to work for us when I was in Miami.”

In 2005, Saban’s Miami Dolphins team went to the West Coast twice. The Dolphins beat both the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers on the road that year.

Saban’s current Crimson Tide players were onboard with the move.

“That was the first time I’ve ever gotten off the plane and gone straight to practice,” outside linebacker Dallas Turner said. “It’s a challenge but when you have leaders like me, Jalen (Milroe) and Malachi (Moore), they lead in the right way, so you know it’s always a good mindset.”

Turner said the early practice with the sun still out did help the Crimson Tide acclimate to the two-hour time difference from what it was used to in Tuscaloosa. Quarterback Jalen Milroe agreed.

Milroe downplayed the effect of the time change on the Crimson Tide, comparing it to an early moment in his athletic career.

“Growing up I played AAU basketball,” Milroe said. “And we just to play early games, and used to travel and then have to get up and play early games. Same thing in 7-on-7s, we did the same thing. So I think it’s not a big thing. I think it’s all about having the right mindset. Approaching it as if you woke up at 6 a.m. to prepare for the day.”

Safety Malachi Moore said the long day of work on Tuesday wasn’t bad. He also said he enjoyed the switch to Pacific Time.

“I loved it actually,” Moore said. “I feel like, what’d we gain, two hours as opposed to back home, so I feel like I’m catching up on my rest.”

Alabama and Michigan are set to face off Sunday at 4 p.m. CT. The game will be aired on ESPN.