Nick Saban Sees Potential Pitfalls Playing Non-SEC Team So Late in Season

The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide takes on Chattanooga this weekend in the final game in Tuscaloosa this year. The Mocs are 7-3 this year and currently second in the Southern Conference of college football's FCS division. UTC's lost close games with Furman and Western Carolina but have wins over The Citadel and Samford to be proud of.

"This is a good offensive team. They’re one of the best teams in their division offensively," said Saban on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. "Their defense is very disruptive and aggressive and play hard. So always got to technically look at the challenge that you’ve got and get prepared the right way for it.”

The annual cupcake game before the Iron Bowl has brought Chattanooga to Bryant-Denny Stadium before. In fact the Mocs have been to Tuscaloosa three times in the Nick Saban-era, losing all three 125-3.

"I remember a lot of these games we play at the 11th game of the year after you’ve been playing seven SEC games and how difficult it is to get your players to stay focused on this particular game and not something that’s going to happen in the future, and that’s what we’ve tried to do with our players for this game," said Saban. "But it is challenging, and I think our players do have respect for this team and what they’ve been able to accomplish, what they’ve been able to do because they’ve got a great offensive team and they really play good defense. So it’s always a challenge.”

This is the Crimson Tide's third 11 a.m. kickoff of the year, having bested both Arkansas and Kentucky in the first window of the day. Against the Razorbacks the Tide looked lackadaisical but against Kentucky the Tide rolled handily.

“We played at 11 o’clock last week at Kentucky, so I think whatever time you play, you’ve got to get ready to play. If it’s a night game, day game, morning game, you’ve just got to get ready to play. You know what the circumstance is, and that’s something that we need to do a good job of as coaches to get the guys ready to play whenever the game starts,” said Saban.

The Crimson Tide has already claimed the SEC West division crown but losing to UTC this weekend would have devastating effects on Alabama's playoff chances. As of Wednesday the Vegas insiders consider the Tide a 45.5 point favorite, according to FanDuel.