Nick Saban's daughter Kristen Saban has an uplifting message to Alabama players - "You win some, you lose some"

In a keenly contested Rose Bowl matchup on Monday, Alabama lost to Michigan 27-20 in overtime, marking the end of Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban's quest for his eighth national title. The No. 4 Tide were looking to win their record seventeenth national championship and seventh under the long-serving coach.

While the College Football Playoff semifinal ended in disappointment for Alabama, the team is receiving some motivation from a likely source. Kristen Saban, the daughter of Nick Saban, has a word of encouragement for the players after the bowl game loss to No. 1 Michigan.

Kristen has been one of the program’s biggest supporters throughout the season, turning up at games to cheer for the team. The event manager was also at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to offer the Crimson Tide her support.

In a video on her Instagram story, she said:

“Role Tide! Thanks to the people who are checking out. I’m fine. I’m just more sad for the guys than I am for myself. Lost my voice, but it’s fine. You win some, you lose some.

“Somebody had to win this game, it just wasn’t us, and that’s okay. I’m totally at peace with that cause this team is my favorite in the last sixteen years I’ve been here, and I’m so proud of them, you should be too.”

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Nick Saban believes Alabama’s loss was a combination of several things

Nick Saban at the Rose Bowl Game - Alabama vs. Michigan

One of the flaws that led to Alabama's loss on Monday was the offensive line woes, which saw Jalen Milroe sacked six times by Michigan. However, Nick Saban believes the unit doesn't shoulder the blame alone:

"It was a combination of several things. I thought we did a better job in the second half, but we didn't give Jalen an opportunity to make some plays, nor our receivers to make some plays down the field, which was a big part of this game."

The coach further noted that the team did not perform well on the defensive side against the Wolverines when they needed to, and it cost them the game:

“If you really analyze the game, one of the biggest things is we didn't play well enough on defense when we needed to, and the second thing is we had too many drive-stopping plays on offense. I mean, we shot ourselves in the foot.”

With the playoff now expanded to 12 teams from next season, Alabama is expected to be a regular participant in the postseason tournament for the next couple of years. The Crimson Tide will be back to challenge for the title once again.