Reporter (with a smirk): “Coach, every Alabama fan out there is acting like they just won the National Championship tonight. Isn’t that a bit of an overreaction for a regular-season win over the Missouri Tigers?” The room went silent. Reporters shuffled in their seats. Cameras tightened their focus. Nick Saban didn’t move — he leaned back, eyes locked on the reporter, the silence stretching long enough to make everyone uneasy. Then, with that familiar calm and steel in his tone, he leaned toward the mic. Nick Saban: “You call that an overreaction? I call it belief. I call it pride. And if it feels like a championship, that’s because these players — and this fan base — understand what it means to fight for something bigger than the scoreboard. They’ve been waiting to see this kind of heart again. So if it bothers you… good. Because this — this is just the beginning.” The press room froze. Not a sound. Not a breath. Cameras kept rolling. For a moment, it didn’t feel like a postgame press conference — it felt like a warning to the entire NCAA: Alabama is back.