NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Looking back on last season, in which Alabama missed the College Football Playoff for only the second time in nine years, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said his team fell victim to high expectations, which caused a sense of anxiety and led to too many mental errors.
"I don't think I did a very good job of getting the most out of that team," Saban told ESPN.
But Saban noted at SEC media days on Wednesday that he has seen a different mentality forming inside the locker room as Alabama approaches the start of preseason camp.
"I think we have a pretty good mindset on our team," he said. "Our team seems to be pretty hungry this year and motivated."
Offensive lineman JC Latham told ESPN that he has heard the chatter about how "Alabama's changed" and "the dynasty is over."
Georgia enters the season as back-to-back national champions and the betting favorite to win a third title in a row. Alabama, on the other hand, is coming off a season in which it lost two regular-season games and saw LSU win the West and compete in the SEC championship.
"You've got to block out the outside noise but understand at the same time I take it as extremely disrespectful," Latham said. "... You're basically saying me and my guys aren't good enough and saying that someone out there is better than us. I take that real personal. I know how hard we work. I know we put in countless hours blood, sweat, and tears, literally, to be the best.
"So when someone says that it's like you don't know how hard we're working for this. So I think with this team, we're going to shock the world."
Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry looked at the doubt as "fire power" to "make us work harder, going harder in the weight room, everybody getting in the playbook more."
Outside linebacker Dallas Turner was reminded of the fact that since Saban arrived, no player has gone more than two seasons without winning a national championship. Turner pointed to his ring finger and nodded in acknowledgement.
"You already know," he said. "It's just motivation. Hearing all the critics, all the stuff about not winning national championship, it's all motivation."
Saban lauded new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees as "one of the brightest young guys ... in the business" and noted improvement at several key positions, including receiver and running back.
Although this might be a less experienced roster than last year, Saban said that young players tend to have more enthusiasm, which is helpful to team chemistry.
But Alabama will be without former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young, who was selected No. 1 in the draft. That leaves a QB competition among Tyler Buchner, Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson.
"We have three guys that are competing for that position right now," Saban said. "All of those players are getting better, and it's important for us that all those players get better. I don't think anybody has actually separated themselves yet to this with the and I don't think it's something that we are trying to rush."
Saban used the analogy of baking a cake and how, if you take it out of the over too soon "it will turn to mush."
"So I think we have to sort of let this develop and make sure we let the cake bake until somebody separates themselves," he said. "All the players are working hard. They all have a good attitude. They are all competing well."
The key to determining the winner of the competition, Saban said, will be consistency and leadership.
Whether Saban names a starter before the seasons remains to be seen, however.
Alabama opens up against Middle Tennessee State before a pivotal home game against Texas.
The Longhorns nearly upset the Tide last year in Austin, losing on a field goal with 1:19 left.
"Obviously it was a really close, tough game last year when we played that game," Saban said. "I think they are doing an outstanding job of recruiting and developing the players on their team and it's going to be a real challenging game, no doubt, because they have a lot of starters back and they have a lot of experience coming back and an experienced quarterback.
"So we expect them to have an outstanding team."