I'm not sure if you think I was saying that Saban is lying. If so, I was not. In fact, I was saying that though it may sound contradictory, he was telling the truth in both instances. There are times they have been quick to bury and there are times they praise to high heavens. I was just responding to your original post, that he needed to make up his mind. He's had 2 responses because the media has made 2 arguments which were not true. Bama was neither dead nor unbeatable.Saban isn't lying. What Saban is doing is trying to tell his team that they can only win if they ignore distractions and work hard. The distractions can come from the media, sure. The media can plant positive and negative thoughts in the minds of players. But the reality is simple - the media cannot win or lose games for Alabama. That is 100% on the players and coaches.
So, what is really happening when Saban says these things? He is telling his coaches and players to focus on the job at hand and ignore outside distractions. Complacency comes from within. It is a beast that we all have to fight when we believe that we have "arrived". Complacency is the rat poison here, not words in a paper or on a TV show.
But I certainly agree that his primary audience is his program, though there are other reasons too.