Oh, you were on the sidelines and privy to the strategy employed by the coaches, especially Sabin.Bama only did as much as it needed to beat Cincy. Why takes risks when after securing a lead all you have to do is run out the clock to make it to the NC game?
The answer to your question is because players wanna play, and the competitive spirit burns brightly in athletes specially, highly skilled competitive athletes, it’s in their DNA
Slacking off is also how football players can get injured