Nick Saban found himself in an uncomfortable position Saturday as he sat outside Bryant-Denny Stadium on a balmy January afternoon.
The coach who refuses to peer into the rearview mirror was forced to reflect and revisit the past.
Alabama was celebrating its 17th national title and the fifth the Tide has won with Saban at the helm.
"We are in the memory business," College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock crowed at one point during a speech commemorating the Crimson Tide's achievement.
Saban decidedly is not.
He is constantly spinning it forward, bracing for the next challenge that lies ahead.