A reignited rivalry will hold the attention of the college football world in Week 2. A year, before they both become SEC powerhouses, Alabama and Texas will face off in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Steve Sarkisian has been vocal about the Longhorns’ 20-19 loss in Austin from a year ago, saying his team “didn’t lose,” but instead, Texas “ran out of time.” He’ll get his second chance in a familiar setting on Saturday night. The No. 11 Longhorns are 7.5-point underdogs after beating Rice, 37-10, in its opener.

Alabama played about as good of a first game as it could’ve last Saturday, stomping Middle Tennessee, 56-7. More importantly, it found some answer to the quarterback question with Jalen Milroe producing five touchdowns. The Tide needed Bryce Young’s heroics the last time these teams met, could another solid performance keep Milroe as the starter long-term?

Texas Governor Greg Abbot likes his side’s chances. He predicted a 27-21 win in March at a business luncheon, according to The Austin-American Statesman. Abbott boldly declared Milroe, a native of Katy, Tx., as “no Bryce Young.”

Here’s what the people who actually have an impact on the game said about the matchup before ESPN broadcasts the 6 p.m. CT kickoff.

Nick Saban, Alabama head coach

“They’ve got a really good team. They’ve got a veteran team returning, with 10 starters on offense, six on defense. Really good skill players on offense. Really good quarterback who can throw the ball effectively. They make a lot of explosive plays. Worthy’s an outstanding receiver. They’ve got good running backs. They’ve got a really good tight end. They’re very good on defense. They play really good up front.”

On facing Sarkisian: “I think Sark is one of the best coaches we’ve ever been around when it comes to offense. He’s got a great disposition with players, he’s a great teacher. He’s got a great understanding of the game, really understands defense and how to attack defenses but has some really good concepts on offense that are hard to defend, understands how to present them in different ways so that maybe whatever you practiced, it doesn’t really come up that way in a game, which makes it more difficult for defensive players.

On the impact the crowd could have on the game: “You impact the offense, their ability to check, their ability to communicate, sometimes get the snap count right. So I think the fans being in this game can create not only positive energy for our team, which we certainly appreciate and I know the players appreciate, but also make it more difficult for the other team to operate when they have the ball.”

On Texas’ defensive line: “The two inside guys are really, really good. Strong, powerful, athletic, can pass rush, really hard to block, don’t give up a lot of movement inside, which makes it difficult to run. Their ends are athletic and they do a good job of playing together as a team.”

On Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers: “He’s a really good player. He does a great job with their offense. He reads coverages well. He’s accurate with the ball. They’ve got really good skill guys outside, and they’re able to take advantage of that. It’s gonna be a real challenge for us to affect him, No. 1, but also do a good job of covering their guys.”

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Terrion Arnold, Alabama defensive back

On last year’s Texas game: “I remember it being hot, cleats was melting. The atmosphere, the fans, they did a really great job of kind of making the atmosphere very shaky. Ultimately we had a lot of penalties on defense and I feel like with us preparing and stuff. We have to do a better job of making practice tougher on ourselves. Ultimately it was a very difficult atmosphere so we need our fans to come in and make a difficult atmosphere for them, too.”

On Texaas wideout Xavier Worthy: “Oh, fast, just like going against (Tide WR Isaiah) Bond. Speed kills. So I would say with him, he has the ability to take the top off at all times and he’s a very great player. You just have to be disciplined in guarding him.”

JC Latham, Alabama offensive lineman

On Week 2 excitement: “Just the opportunity like you said to play in games like this, the biggest games of the season, one of the biggest of the season, definitely the biggest of the week to us, that’s why you came here. You want to play in these big games and go against the best teams and have an opportunity to prove yourself why you’re here. So yeah, definitely a reason why I came to Alabama.”

What the Longhorns said about the Tide

Texas HC Steve Sarkisian: “The game itself is a game. We focus on our preparation and what we need to do. Naturally, Bryant-Denny Stadium is a heck of an environment. They do a tremendous job at Alabama with their game day, the electricity in the stadium, but the key to the drill is focus on what we need to do. We can’t get caught up thinking we’re going to play all 17 teams that coach Saban has had the last 17 years, and the players and the coaches on them. We’re playing the 2023 Alabama football team, which is very good, and they’re very well-coached. It’s gonna be a great environment for college football. All that being said, we need to focus on what we need to do.”

Sarkisian on Alabama’s offense under Tommy Rees: “The play-caller controls a lot of that kind of style in which he wants to call the game. I know that they’re a physical unit,” Sarkisian said. ” … “(Jalen Milroe’s) got arm talent, he’s got leg talent, he’s a great competitor and leader. They’ve got good runners, they utilize the tight ends well and they’ve got good speed on the perimeter. Ultimately for us, if it’s a ground-and-pound game, we’ve gotta defend that. If it’s a (scenario where) try to create space and get the ball on the perimeter with their speed, you’ve gotta defend that. If it’s utilizing the quarterback run… I know Tommy’s done in his past of utilizing the quarterback run and the option things, so you’ve gotta prepare for that.”

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Sophomore QB Quinn Ewers on how often he thinks about the Dallas Turner hit that knocked him out of last year’s game: “How often? I don’t play the what-if games.”

Ewers on any unfinished business with Alabama: “I would just,” he said before pausing for a few seconds, “I’m going into this game like any other game. Again, I don’t really play that what-ifs. I just focus on what the offense is trying to do.”

Senior DB Jahhae Barron on Alabama’s home successes: “Twenty-one (straight wins)? I didn’t even know that. That’s crazy. If we can pull that off, that would definitely be a confidence builder. … You know what they say: Big-time players make big-time plays. We’ve got to execute.”

Barron on what UT can prove with a win: “To show what Texas is and to show what Texas is about. We work so hard in summer workouts and all that. We just want to showcase and trust everybody. This is a brotherhood we created.”

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