Tide Tidbits - November 6, 2008

Alabama noseguard Terrence Cody getting ready for LSU
Alabama coach Nick Saban expects noseguard Terrence Cody to "be able to play to some degree," Saturday at LSU. "How much he's able to play, what situations in the game? I think that's what we have to determine as he continues to progress this week," Saban said Wednesday. "Part of it is conditioning. Part of it is how much can you sustain after missing a few weeks. But he's done OK. We plan on having some role for him unless something happens between now and then."

2005 team still laments finish
The headline reads "Bama is back." For a while, it was actually true. Alabama's 2005 team was once where this year's top-ranked squad finds itself, 9-0 and in the national title picture heading into Saturday's showdown at LSU. "When you're this close to winning a national championship," said Charlie Peprah, a standout safety three years ago, "you feel like every time you step on the field, it's not, 'Are we going to win?' it is 'How much are we going to win by or how are we going to win today?' You know you're going to win. You've got that swagger about you. "I think they've got that."

SEC Western Division notebook
f nothing else than to be Alabama coach 's bodyguard for his expected chilly welcome on his first college trip back to LSU on Saturday, 'Bama's 365-pound nose tackle, Terrence Cody, is expected to play after sitting out the last two games with a sprained medial collateral knee ligament. Saban said Cody has gotten snaps in practice this week. "I can't wait for Cody to be back," Tide defensive end Brandon Deaderick said. Saban hasn't named Cody the starter yet, waiting to see how effective he is this week during practice.

Saban swears return to LSU not extra special
For Alabama coach Nick Saban, it is just another game. “I know there are going to be a lot of people, who want to talk about this game, and I am going to say it again, this game is not about me,” Saban said Monday at his weekly news conference. “We appreciated our time there. It was very special what we were able to do there. We have great memories and great friends, but my heart is with this team. “This is a very good team and this game should be about the players, on both sides.”

Nick Saban: "A lot of the things I was told about Alabama have not turned out to be so"
"A lot of the things I was told about Alabama have not turned out to be so," Saban said, "in terms of all the positive things have been very positive and some of the negative things haven't really been so. Everybody says what a hard place it is to coach. I don't see that at all. I appreciate the interest. It wouldn't be a very good thing if there weren't expectations, as long as they're realistic. It comes with the kind of program that people would like to have."

Roll Tide!