Alabama survived a trip to Starkville last weekend and have elevated to the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Tide get a breather before hitting the road for Auburn and the annual Iron Bowl showdown.
With so many people pointing toward the Tigers as the hot team in the SEC West, does Nick Saban have Auburn right where he wants them?
Saban was among the first coaches to speak during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. Here’s a summary of what the Alabama coach had to say:
- Opening statements: We have things we need to improve. I was proud of the way we competed but the execution wasn’t where it needed to be. We have all the respect in the world for teams that we play and we respect the team we play this week.
- Thoughts on Alvin Kamara’s NFL season: My memories of him would be his great career at Tennessee. He played well every time he played us. I don’t really get to follow the NFL but it doesn’t surprise me that he’s having success there… He missed some time with an injury with us. It was unfortunate but we are happy everything worked out for him.
- Thoughts on your WR corps development: We are pleased with the development of that unit. Cam Sims has played really well. The young guys have contributed and made some plays. We hope they continue to improve.
- How is Calvin Ridley so successful? He is a hard guy to cover. We move him around a lot. He has great hands and plays with toughness. He runs well when he has the ball. It’s our intention to get him the ball.
- Thoughts on Dylan Moses: He’s done a really good job. He’s had added reps due to injuries and we hope to play him more. That should help his development. We don’t have much depth there so we’ll need him. We have confidence in his ability.
- Thoughts on Nick Fitzgerald: We have respect for Mississippi State and their offense and defense. They’ve played well. Fitzgerald is a guy that’s been more confident this season. He’s tough to tackle. Their OL is much improved. He can run or pass. I think they are a really good offensive team that he contributes to greatly.
- On his senior class and their final game in Tuscaloosa: This group has made a tremendous impact on this program, on and off the field. They provide leadership with the younger guys. Very few issues with this group. They have won a ton of games.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
