Last year during this time, Alabama's team chemistry took a hit when its juniors received feedback from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, according to Nick Saban, and ultimately the Crimson Tide fell short to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

Now, second-ranked Alabama is in the same position and will face No. 3 Michigan State in the second-ever, four-team College Football Playoff less than a month after it claimed its 25th SEC Championship. That time period is when off-field distractions proved too much for UA last year, and on Wednesday night, the coach was asked his team's prep after last season's loss.

"This team seems to really be focused on the opportunity that they have," Saban said. "I didn't feel like this team was as committed at this point last year, and we obviously didn't show that in how we prepared and how we played in the game."

The Crimson Tide fell to the Buckeyes by a score of 42-35 in New Orleans a season ago, and Alabama will face another Big Ten team in its Cotton Bowl semifinal matchup in Arlington, Texas, on New Year's Eve. The players returned to the practice field Wednesday, and there was a different feeling in the air, one that can probably be attributed to the leadership on campus.

"I think our leadership this year is a big part of that," left tackle Cameron Robinson said of the team's mindset. "The leaders that we have are a great group of guys. They lead by example as well as they're great vocal leaders as well."

Alabama's players and coaches will be back on the practice field Thursday and will continue its prep for the Spartans until the 23rd, when it will break for the Christmas holiday. And only after one day, Saban can see a difference, too.

"We certainly didn't do a good job last year," Saban said. "I felt like our players did not approach the game like a playoff game. They approached it more like a bowl game, which was obviously not our intention, not what we tried to sell to them as far as what they needed to do. I think they felt a little entitled when they won the SEC championship.

"Look this is a new season. So when you get into a new season, what you've done in the past doesn't have anything to do with what you'll do moving forward. It's hard to carry the momentum of the season into a game that's 3.5-4 weeks from the last time you played. So the players need to refocus. They can be happy about what they've accomplished, but they also can't be satisfied.

"I asked the players, 'Are you satisfied? And not only are you not satisfied, are you willing to do the work you need to do to play really good teams like we're going to have to play in playoffs?' There's no easy way to do that. Based on how they started out today, I would say that part of their attitude is a lot better."

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Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @Charlie_Potter