Alabama football coach Nick Saban can't stop smiling. Alert the armchair psychologists | Toppmeyer

The man sends the internet into overdrive with one flash of the pearly whites. Smile twice in the same preseason, and, oh buddy, now the armchair psychologists are really buzzing.

Nick Saban smiled a few times this preseason. That shouldn’t be breaking news. I’m more interested in what Alabama’s coach says about his quarterback competition than how many times the corners of his mouth rise.

But, when you’re the greatest coach ever, even your smiles go under the microscope. Amateur body language experts sought deeper meaning in Saban’s chuckle and grin after he recounted a story Pete Rose told him recently. He also smiled earlier this month after finishing his first media address of the preseason.

Stop the presses! The GOAT grinned!

The smile-counting oracles can’t seem to agree on whether Saban’s apparently good mood ought to terrify Alabama’s opponents or whether this is the look of a 71-year-old coach who has lost his edge and is smelling the roses in the twilight of his career.

Call me unimaginative, but sometimes a smile is just a smile. Saban thought Rose’s story about Sparky Anderson’s managerial style was humorous. So he grinned. I doubt any higher meaning exists, but it’s nice to see Saban enjoying coaching after he sounded pretty grumpy throughout the offseason, while touching on topics ranging from an SEC-proposed schedule model for Alabama to his dissatisfaction with the state of the sport.

I’m wondering, though, whether Saban has football-inspired reasons to grin.

On the surface, you’d think not. Alabama’s No. 4 preseason AP ranking is its worst since 2009. The Crimson Tide must replace its starting quarterback — and not just any starting quarterback, but the only Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. It must replace an elite defensive player.. Plus, both coordinators changed. The heart of the linebacking corps turned over, too. And a youngster probably will start at left tackle.

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Why smile about all of that?

Well, how about this? Alabama usually enters a season with national championship-or-bust expectations placed on it. In contrast, many wonder whether this team should even be favored to win the SEC West. It’s not often Alabama can play the disrespect card. This team can.

Oh, and the 2009 team I referenced that was ranked preseason No. 5? It went 14-0.

"I love being an underdog," offensive lineman JC Latham said at SEC Media Days. "That fuels me."

Veterans playing with an extra hunger would delight any coach. So would reuniting with a trusted lieutenant.

The Tide’s defense featured some standout performers the past few seasons, but collectively, the unit didn’t play up to Alabama’s standards. UA hasn’t ranked in the top five nationally for total defense since leading the nation in 2017. It allowed a combined 84 points in last season’s losses to Tennessee and LSU.

Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt aren’t walking through that door to revive the defense, but a familiar face is. Saban feels comfort with defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. He coordinated Alabama’s defense in Saban’s initial season in Tuscaloosa, the first of Steele's two stints working for Saban.

“There are some nuances that have changed since I left,” Steele said, “but they primarily still stay conceptually within the base of what we were doing.”

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Coaches are creatures of habit, and the familiarity of a defensive coordinator with Steele’s lengthy résumé could encourage a grin.

So, too, could the return of a run-based offense for which Saban feels an affinity.

Saban’s longevity is a testament to his adaptability, and when Alabama became blessed with great quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young, the Tide geared their offense to the quarterback’s strengths. In 2021, Alabama passed more than it rushed — the only time it has happened during the Saban era. It passed nearly as often as it ran last season.

All things being equal, I think Saban would rather his teams beat opponents by repeatedly popping them in the mouth, while sprinkling in play-action passing with a steady-handed quarterback who elevates his game in the clutch.

Alabama fans affectionately know this brand of offense as “bully ball.” Really, it’s Saban ball.

Maybe, Saban’s been thinking about all of this as he smiles throughout the preseason.

Alternatively, he just thought Rose told a funny.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Nick Saban: Alabama football coach can't stop smiling. Alert the media