When the whole team is made up of guys who have been "The Man" their whole life, it is not that easy to get all 11 guys you put out on the field to perform well as a team. We hear our coaches talk about "Do your 1/11th" and that would be even more critical when you have all these really high performing players, who have even higher expectations themselves and from the fanbase/media.

Talent can make up for a lot of failings in scheme/coaching but just look at the lack of discipline from ASU the other night. A very talent laden team when you look at recruiting rankings, and a very experienced team (all the D were seniors I think I read), but there were less than 50% of the plays where they looked like they were really playing team ball.

That's why Saban in my opinion is the GOAT. He is great at setting expectations and holding guys and coaches accountable. I guess he has so many high rated recruits that he has the luxury of being able to change one out anytime he wants, but to get that many blue blood players to perform as a team is not that easy. Otherwise, USC and UT would be vying for playoff annually.