TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Even though all through the summer University of Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran constantly tells his players “The heat is your friend” while conditioning, the Crimson Tide had enough of it Wednesday.

So for the final practice of the week in full pads it worked inside the Hank Crisp Facility on Wednesday.

“It’s just been so hot last week and this week, that when you start having guys that need IVs after practice, several guys every day … I just think that this is a time where you can get your team wore down and dehydrated,” Coach Nick Saban said. “We wanted to get the practice reps that we needed to get, but not wear the players out and come out of practice with three or four guys who are zapped out this close to the game.”

Even though it’s mid-September and snow has already been seen in some parts of the country, the heat index, humidity and dew point have all remained high in Alabama.

Last week sophomore wide receiver Chris Black told reporters after a practice that “Guys were cramping up left and right.”

The forecast for Saturday’s game against Florida (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) is sunny, high in the low 90s and relative humidity of 61 percent.

“You know it’s there but you can’t let it affect how you play,” junior cornerback Cyrus Jones said.