Alabama coach Nick Saban is in the thick of preparation mode for Saturday's season-opener against USC. But if you watched ESPN on Sunday morning, you'd think he's as cool as a cucumber.

Part of Sunday's SportsCenter was a pre-shot feature with Marty Smith and Tim Tebow interviewing Nick Saban at the coach's house on Lake Burton. The trio took a spin on Saban's boat, hung out around the lake and even did some fully-clothed diving.

Since Smith and Tebow both know Saban well, the conversation was engaging and revealing. They discussed complacency as the biggest potential downfall for anyone. Saban described how his drive for perfection was formed at a young age thanks to his father.

"When I was a kid growing up, my dad was a perfectionist. He had high expectations, not just for how we played football or baseball, he had high expectations for how we treated other people, what kind of compassion we had for other people, how we helped other people," Saban said.

"When I washed and it had streaks in this side, he'd say wash it again. So I grew up learning that if you didn't do it right there were going to be consequences that you had to deal with, so it was much better to do it right the first time."

Of course, there were some hijinks. If you saw Saban's interview with Charles Barkley, you know that the lake is a place where Saban can find some calm. He was so laid back, the five-time national champion was willing to jump off his boat house, fully clothed, with Tebow and Marty Smith into the water.