Nick Saban reveals how he handles Alabama coaching staff in pressure situations and close encounters: "You gotta stay aggressive"

Alabama coach Nick Saban has built several successful teams over the years as a coach at Michigan State and LSU and most recently in Tuscaloosa. He has done so not only with a host of talented players but with top-notch assistants as well.

Before the clash against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, while on "The Pat McAfee Show," Saban outlined how he approaches his relationship with his coaching staff in pressure situations.

"Absolutely, you wanna stay aggressive in the game," Saban said. "Until the circumstances in the game change, like it's four minutes at the end of the game. Like, we did a good job of keeping the ball at the end of the game and not giving it back to Arkansas (in Saturday's 24-21 win).

"That situation kind of changes what you do and how you go about what you're doing, but the rest of the game, you wanna stay aggressive and let the players play and do what you prepared them to do."

Can Nick Saban solve Alabama's offensive struggles?

No. 11 Alabama (6-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) has improved markedly over the past few weeks after a sluggish start to the season that saw Nick Saban and the Tide written off in many quarters.

The only blemish during the winning run after the Texas loss has been an offense that hasn't yet caught fire in any game so far.

On "Always College Football," ESPN analyst Greg McElroy discussed Alabama's biggest problem.

“The offense, still, is a little bit herky-jerky," McElroy said. "It’s very big-play reliant. It has been hard to kind of wrap your head around the inefficiencies of the offense.

"They've given up a ton of sacks – currently they’re 103th in sacks given up. A handful of those will go to the offensive line. But a handful also needs to rest on the quarterback’s shoulders as well. Jalen Milroe has held the ball a little too long. As a result, they’ve gotten behind the sticks more than you would like. They’re currently 58th in college football with just 30 points per game scored.”

While speaking to the media before the game against the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers (5-1, 2-1), Nick Saban addressed the Crimson Tide's offensive struggles, outlining his plan to streamline it.

“So, it still all comes back to fundamental execution," Saban said. "When everybody fundamentally executes, then you have a much better chance to have successful plays and have consistency in what you’re doing. So, if you can go fast and do that, I think it can put the defense on its heels. But the first thing you gotta do is execute.

“I think when you go up-tempo, you only get a rhythm if the up-tempo is helping you have successful plays. But the successful plays still come from execution.”

Whether or not Nick Saban can sort out the issues plaguing Alabama's offense before the important part of the season rolls in, starting with the clash against Tennessee, will be interesting to observe.