There was no look ahead in Tuscaloosa this weekend as top-ranked Alabama took care of business Saturday night and destroyed Arkansas 48-7. The final score could have been worse but the Tide took their foot off the gas after jumping out to a 41-0 halftime lead.

Following his team’s impressive showing, Nick Saban credited the players for not buying into the “rat poison” as he likes to call it.

“If we had taken any rat poison, we wouldn’t have been focused on this game at all based on everybody in the community and the media and the fans and the questions I get asked on the radio show,” Saban said in his postgame press conference. “I get asked about the next game when we had this game. I was really pleased with the way our players stayed focused on what they had to do in this game so we could improve as a team.”

One of the biggest question marks heading into the Arkansas game for the Crimson Tide was backup quarterback Mac Jones. With Tua Tagovailoa sidelined, Jones earned the first start of his college career on Saturday.

Jones responded by completing 18 of 22 passes for 235 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“I challenged him,” Saban noted.  “‘Mac, you’ve got to be the commander in chief here, you have to run the offense, you have to be the leader, you aren’t a sparring partner anymore.’ Everyone else needs to play well around him so it’s an easier game for him so he can focus on what he needs to do”

On the offensive gameplan with Jones leading the offense for the first time.

“If you can give him some easy completions early in the game, it’s always helpful — confidence-wise, but we do that with Tua,” Saban said. “We weren’t afraid to do anything that we would normally do with Mac, I thought he did a really good job in the game, played within himself and made good decisions.”

Finally, on Terrell Lewis, Saban offered up these comments.

“Terrell has played really well,” Saban continued. “I thought he pressured the passer a couple of times and did a good job of laying his position. When we have him and Anfernee (Jennings) out there, it really helps our edges, helps our pass rush, I never know until I watch the film but I thought he had a good game.”