Alabama coach Nick Saban watches his team’s practice Tuesday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The team began preparations for the BCS National Championship college football game against Notre Dame on Jan. 7 in Miami.Alabama’s football team practiced for two hours Tuesday, its first workout since the stirring 32-28 win over Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 1.
The No. 2 Crimson Tide will hold five workouts before Christmas in the first stage of preparation for the Jan. 7 BCS championship matchup with No. 1 Notre Dame.
“Everything under the sun has a price,” Tide coach Nick Saban said, “and we need to pay the price right now to play our best football in the game coming up.”
Alabama focused on the basics and did so without All-America senior center Barrett Jones, who has a cast on his left foot stemming from an SEC title-game injury. Saban said Jones can do some conditioning but does not need to practice until the team returns to Tuscaloosa after Christmas.
Junior receiver Kenny Bell, who broke his leg in the 49-0 rout of Auburn on Nov. 24, has been cleared to participate in portions of practice, but Saban said it’s way too early to determine whether he will play against the Irish.