Alabama football has adopted a new mantra this season, and it might be a reason for the No. 4 Crimson Tide (12-1, 8-0 SEC) sneaking into the College Football Playoff, despite an early-season loss to No. 3 Texas.

In the offseason, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and defensive back Terrion Arnold came up with a term that has come to define this Crimson Tide team and its 2023 run to the CFP: "Let All Naysayers Know." The phrase has stayed with the Crimson Tide all throughout the season and into the playoff, where it will take on No. 1 Michigan (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) in the Rose Bowl on Monday.

Milroe and Arnold, who are close friends and two of Alabama's most impactful players, have even launched LANK merch, which benefit their respective name, image and likeness (NIL) brands. Recently, LANK gear has been released at Alabama-sponsored merch stores and has been sent out to multiple Crimson Tide alums in the NFL, including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

REQUIRED READING: Why Rose Bowl means more to Tommy Rees, the Alabama football offensive coordinator

Alabama will certainly attempt to "Let All Naysayers Know" with what would be an upset win over the Wolverines on Monday. Here's an explanation on LANK, including what it means and how it started:

What does Alabama's LANK mean?

LANK stands for "Let All Naysayers Know." It's a mantra created by Milroe and Arnold before the season.

“LANK was something we built in the offseason,” Milroe told reporters in September. “We came in as one unit to think of a motto to push our team. There was a lot of doubt throughout the offseason. We came together and made that our motto this year.”

On Dec. 21, Alabama announced all players on the roster have the ability to profit off their NIL in conjunction with LANK, creating merchandise that includes specific players' likeness. There's also an official LANK merch pop-up in Pasadena, California, for the Rose Bowl, which started on Saturday and lasts through Tuesday.

LANK merch is launched through Athlete's Thread, a brand that helps college athletes create NIL merch stores.

More: Jalen Hurts unveils Alabama 'LANK' shirt, picks Crimson Tide to win College Football Playoff

It's well documented that Milroe's idol is former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts, who's now the quarterback for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Hurts — who played three seasons at Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma in 2019 and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl last year — donned Alabama's LANK gear in a video posted by Philadelphia.

Alabama will once again attempt to put its LANK mantra to the test on Monday vs. the Wolverines — and, it hopes, in the CFP national championship game.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What does Alabama's LANK mean? Meaning behind Crimson Tide's 2023 mantra