No surprise from Tuscaloosa but Alabama is 8-0 once again under Nick Saban following the Crimson Tide’s 45-7 win over Tennessee last week. The Tide are now on a bye week before the final four games of the season, which begins with a home game vs. LSU.

The Alabama coach was among the first coaches to speak during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference. Here’s a summary of what he said during the call:

  • Opening statement: “We try to use the open date to get guys healthy and focus on improvement with our players, especially with the teams we have coming up. We also try to give younger players an opportunity.”
  • On Levi Wallace, how much have you seen in his development? “I think the key to Levi’s success is his focus… He played for us as a third corner, he played quite a bit for us. This year competed for a starting spot and won that job.”
  • Have you ever had a walk-on contribute as much as him? “We’ve had a number of walk-ons that have contributed over the years, Levi’s probably done it better than any of them.”
  • What jumps out to you on Matt Canada at LSU? “They have been very effective running the ball, making explosive plays. They have shifts and motions that cause problems for the defense. I think it’s a very challenging offense, great running back and very effective in what they want to do.”
  • Do you go back to see what he ran before being at LSU? “We go back and study and try and get a good feel for what we will see, but now we are more focused on what they are doing right now (at LSU).”
  • When you evaluate a QB in recruiting, are there some qualities that you look for? “I don’t know for sure that you know when a guy is ready to play… We always talk about two things: you have the ability to show the ball or make plays but you have to have ‘it’ as well. Making the right reads and calls. Those things are intangibles that are tough to evaluate.”