Jimbo Fisher not trying to hype up Alabama too much for Texas A&M

It's a big game anytime you see Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide show up on your schedule. Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher knows that, and he knows his team is likely to be amped for their afternoon kick against the Crimson Tide this Saturday at Kyle Field.

With that said, it's also just another game on the schedule for A&M. At 4-1 (2-0 SEC), every game means the world — especially considering the expectations in College Station.

To that point, Fisher's guys can't overhype themselves for Alabama. In a way, it has to be business as usual for the Aggies. That's how great teams do it. They just do their job. 

Saban's been preaching that for years.

“You worry about beating Alabama, you know who they are. But, I mean, I don’t mean any disrespect to them but, at the same time, that’s your next opponent,” Fisher said in a recent news conference (h/t On3). “You’ve got to get ready to play.”

For big-time college football players, getting ready to play can be a bit monotonous and tedious. It involves constant work on the field, in the weight room and in the film room. For the truly great players and teams, the preparation is the same for No. 11 Alabama as it is for Abilene.

That's what Fisher is trying to teach his players this week.

“Our guys are learning to understand that. All you can control is yourself — how you prepare, how you think, the self-talk you tell yourself. What you see on film, how you prepare, and the intensity and focus you come to practice with,” said Fisher. “As I say, you can go through the motions and sometimes you’re not there. You’ve got to be there in practice, you’ve got to be invested.

“It’s like the old Michael Jordan saying that every play for him in practice was for the NBA title. That’s why he could do what he did at the end of games,” said Fisher. “You’ve got to buy into that, that mentality, and how important it is.”

Consistency is key, and against a Saban-coached Alabama squad, that's what it's going to take for Texas A&M to come away with a victory.