Nick Saban Offers Blunt Assessment After Stunning Loss To Tennessee

Nick Saban didn't mince words after losing to Tennessee 52-49 Saturday night.

The Volunteers pulled off one of the biggest wins in program history after beating the Crimson Tide at home, and we still don't know whether or not Knoxville is still standing.

While fans of the Vols were getting wild, Saban had a much more sobering and honest reaction to what went wrong.

"We played way too soft at the end to let them go down the field and get in field goal range. So, I think that the big thing that our players need to do is learn from this experience, have more respect for playing with discipline so you don't help the other team," Saban told the media after the game, according to ESPN.

Nick Saban reacts to losing to Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)

It's very hard to disagree with Nick Saban's honest assessment of what went wrong at the end of the game. The Crimson Tide let Tennessee go 45 yards on two plays in order to set up a 40-yard field goal from Chase McGrath.

Giving up half the field on two plays is absolutely unacceptable, and there's no doubt Nick Saban expects much better from his defense.

While he's definitely not calling his guys soft, he made it crystal clear they played soft on the final possession. It's an important distinction, but either way, it's not good.

Nick Saban breaks down losing to Tennessee 52-49. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)

Now, Alabama will have to go back to the drawing board, and attempt to win out. While it's not clear if that will happen, you can bet the house Nick Saban will have his guys ready to go. That much isn't up for debate.