Gene Chizik is here for his weekly informal meeting with reporters. Here's what he's had to say so far:
- "This rivalry is what makes college football great."
- On the off week: "You hope that just mentally as well as physically it was a good time to escape from all this craziness here. It came at a time we could use it."
- There isn't school this week. That helps. "They don't have as many things on their mind, as far as class and things of that nature," he said. Chizik said they'll stick to the same schedule that they have during the year. Extra work will be voluntary.
- "We're to the point of the year where there's not anything new that we're going to do (in practice)."
- On Alabama's defense: "No. 1, they're very talented and obviously they're very well-coached. They're very disciplined. They've got the defense running about exactly like you want it run. You can tell they've been running it for three years."
- On Terrence Cody: "You're going to have to take two people to block him."
- Chizik said it's imperative in a 3-4 scheme to have a nose tackle that commands the double team.
- Eltoro Freeman has made some good gains this weekend. Chizik said they'll run him around some tonight to see how he does. Chizik assumes the answer will be "day-by-day" up until gametime.
- Chizik was impressed with Alabama's offense across the board. He's most impressed with how the running game sets up everything else. "They're going to run the ball. They're going to try to be physical."
- He didn't think there was any chippiness in the rivalry. "I think there's a great deal of respect for all involved," he said. "In any rivalry, when you get on the field, that's where it gets physical and it's one of those games where the toughest and roughest and most physical team wins the game. But I don't think it's an unhealthy rivalry at all. I think there's too much respect on both sides."
- On if you can take the team to another level: "It's how you prepare. They have to prepare the way they need to prepare to be able to play this game next Friday. In my opinion, your chances of winning a huge rivalry game are in direct correlation to how you prepare for it."
- On the 2004 Iron Bowl: "I just remember that it was one of those physical games, it was at their place. It was hard-hitting, a field position game. And it was close. And it didn't matter at the time how many Alabama had won or lost. They were going to fight and they were going to play physical football."
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