Nick Saban is getting his team ready for SEC play. While the media has been all caught up in the noon kickoff debate, the Alabama coach has been preparing for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Saban made his weekly “Hey Coach” radio show appearance Thursday night. Here are three of the most interesting things he had to say:

On South Carolina game:

I think this game is going to come down to will. It’s not going to be coming down to who has the most ability. It’s going to come down to what kind of will do you have to be able to sustain, to be able to execute for 60 minutes in the game, to be able to finish plays?”

Everywhere you look (ESPN Football Power Index, Bill Connelly SP+ rankings, 247Sports Team Talent Composite), Alabama enters Week 3 holding a huge advantage over South Carolina, but Saban knows that no metrics or measure of talent matter once the ball is kicked.

On Alabama’s deeply talented wide receiver corps:

“As a group, this is probably the best that I’ve ever had on a team, collectively. And a really fine group of young men.”

We’ve seen some truly great wide receivers pass through Tuscaloosa during the Saban era, including Julio Jones, Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley, but it’s hard to argue that Saban has ever coached a group as deeply talented as the 2019 corps led by Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III.

Speaking of wide receivers, Saban had high praise for freshman John Metchie, who he called “very mature”:

 “He doesn’t get frustrated, he doesn’t make bad choices and decisions and he’s going to be a really good player for us.”

Metchie was rated a 4-star prospect out of Hightstown, New Jersey.