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Saban Is Just Misunderstood

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By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2008

It's far from a college football secret that Alabama coach Nick Saban is not - how do we say this? - considered a warm and fuzzy guy.

He has a reputation as an in-your-face tough guy.

When Saban was hired at Alabama before last season, a Crimson Tide booster acknowledged that "Yeah, he's a real SOB, but now he's our SOB."

Well, with a 12-0, No. 1-ranked football team under his direction, Saban, more than anything else, is popular with the Crimson Tide.

And his players think he is a bit misunderstood.

"I do sometimes," Alabama captain and C Antoine Caldwell said. "He'll tell you sometimes he's responsible for that. That's just how he is. He's not willing to change, and he's been successful everywhere he's been. That's the media's job, to portray him any way they want to.

"Coach does what he does, and we're just following behind him."

Saban, to no one's surprise, could not care less.

"Most people who know me don't have that feeling," Saban said of his reputation. "So the relationships that I have are important to me. We have compassion for other people and respect for what they do. And try to do things the right way, and set a good example for our players in our program and that have played for us in the past and have always tried to help those guys and provide opportunity to develop, you know, good people, support students, develop players, and help those guys launch their career.

"You know, I don't think that many of the people that know me or have played for me would have that feeling. I think those are the most important people to me."

HARVIN'S STATUS

The Percy Harvin watch continues.

Harvin did not participate in Thursday's practice session, but he is out of his walking boot. The Gators are hoping he can resume workouts today.

"He wasn't out there today, but we got him in the pool so we're hoping for something today," Coach Urban Meyer said. "That was kind of the target."

RB Chris Rainey was also seen limping off the field after practice, and Meyer confirmed he was battling a groin injury that could require surgery in the offseason but won't keep him out of Saturday's SEC Championship Game.

"It won't affect him in this game; he's had it for about five weeks now," Meyer said.

Mick Elliott,

Karl Hyppolite

TOUGH RUNNING

In Alabama, the Gators will be facing the nation's second-ranked defense against the rush. Alabama opponents are averaging 73.6 yards per game and 2.72 yards per attempt this season. The Crimson Tide defense has allowed just two opponents to rush for more than 100 yards, and six teams have been held to fewer than 60.

ALABAMA CAN PASS

Alabama's offense is built around a bullish and big offensive line that clears the way for junior RB Glen Coffee (1,235 total yards).

QB John Parker Wilson, however, ranks fourth in the SEC in passing efficiency and has shown a knack for the timely completion.

"The thing that impresses me the most is when he does get out of the pocket, he'll stay behind the line of scrimmage and let his receivers just keep working around, and sometime the DBs will come up like he already passed the line of scrimmage and he'll make plays like that," Gators DB Joe Haden said. "That's one thing that I'll really watch about him is he knows exactly where the line of scrimmage is and he waits until the last second to make a decision."

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