'Bama's Title Run Part of 'The Process'

It's focus. It's work ethic. It's an organization plan. It's team-building.

No matter how one describes Alabama coach Nick Saban's plan -- it's officially called "The Process" but often described by players as an ongoing system or program -- it works. Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram, part of the Crimson Tide's heralded Class of 2008 that was ranked first nationally by recruiting analysts, recalled his initial experiences into Saban's approach.

"I remember after just seeing the seniors buy into the program there (at Alabama), they had a 7-6 year before and we went 12-0 (regular season last year) and kind of the turning point was when we lost to Florida (SEC championship) and lost to Utah (Sugar Bowl)," Ingram said.

"We weren't committed all the way; we were taking teams for granted and we didn't have the will not to be denied."

Alabama, of course, wasn't denied this season.

The top-ranked Crimson Tide beat second-ranked Texas, 37-21, Thursday night in the Rose Bowl to win the BCS national title. Alabama raced out to a big lead but had to hang on and hold off a spirited rally by the Longhorns, who lost record-setting quarterback Colt McCoy on Texas' fifth snap of the game.

Alabama won its first national title since 1992 and made it four BCS national titles in a row for the SEC. And, the always dead-serious Saban, who never stops planning, became the first coach to win national titles at two different schools, further validating his approach.

"He's just a coach that is driven, and he has a vision and he tries to do his best to instill his characteristics in us," said Ingram, the school's first Heisman Trophy winner.

"He influences college athletes and high school athletes to buy into his system and not only develop characteristics that are going to help them in football but in life as well."

Since the Crimson Tide's national title in 1992, Alabama fans had endured endured a tumultuous ride. Three times during that period, Alabama failed to win at least five games. There was NCAA probation. But with the arrival of Saban in January of 2007, Alabama fans had a renewed sense of hope optimism.

Saban never stops talking to his players about buying into his system.

"Last year when me and Mark were freshmen, and we saw that a lot of the seniors and underclassmen had bought into the system," said defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, who sent McCoy to the sidelines less than five minutes into the game on a tackle and picked off a shovel pass and rumbled for 28 yards for a touchdown to end the first half.

"They had the same team we had the year before and bought into the system and turned our whole program around," Dareus said. "We will always be remembered as the team that turned the University of Alabama program around.

"As they bought into the system, we were like we were going to make it our thing to guy into the system and it took a little bit of -- now we won the national championship."

Many believe this Alabama team is the best in school history, a storied program that has won 13 national titles by its count.

This season's Crimson Tide were the first 14-0 national champions. They had an unprecedented six first-team AP All-Americans. They had the first Heisman Trophy winner (Ingram) and the first Lambert Trophy winner (linebacker Rolando McClain). They beat the defending national champion in Florida in the SEC Championship.

Naturally, celebration plans are in the works.

The university is going to display its new national championship football trophy at a place where most anyone can see it: Walmart. The school says the Coaches' Trophy will be on display at a Walmart Supercenter in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday and another Walmart store in Gardendale, Ala., on Sunday.

Of course, the chatter has already started: Can Alabama become the first team to repeat as BCS national champion?

"People who make those statements sort of just look at the periphery of, well, 'You've got Julio Jones, you've got Mark Ingram, you've got Trent Richardson, the quarterback's coming back, so therefore every thing's going to turn up roses,' " Saban said Friday at a news conference.

"But that's not necessarily the case. You've got to build a team."

From a personnel perspective, Alabama's offense should be better.

It's the defense that will have some growing pains, losing eight starters, including junior Rolando McClain, who should be the top linebacker prospect in the 2010 NFL Draft. he is expected to announce his decision to bypass his senior season as early as Monday.

Of course, a big reason for Saban's success is his ability to focus on the present and future.

It's called "The Process."

"It starts as soon as a season ends and offseason conditioning begins, and it goes all the way to the last game," senior linebacker Cory Reamer said."It's always going. It never stops. It's just making sure that you're doing the right things and keeping your mind right to be the best football player you can be."

Ingram agreed, stressing that Alabama won't be content despite winning the national title.

"This is where we are now," he said. "We had an undefeated season and we're going to continue to try to have success."