Fans and the media want to talk about how Saban left LSU for the Miami Dolphins and then left the Dolphins after just two seasons to return to coach college football at a SEC Western Division rival.

They want to talk about how 19 of Saban's former players are still playing at LSU, how many Tigers fans are still waiting for LSU coach Les Miles to measure up to Saban's accomplishments and how both coaches have dropped acidic comments in the spicy gumbo this game is becoming.

With both teams having an open date after monumental victories on Oct. 20, the rivalry has two more weeks to bring this game to a boil.

Just don't expect the coaches to cooperate now that the game is actually on the immediate horizon.

"I want to get something straight with everybody out there right now," Saban told the 1st & 10 Club in Mobile on Oct. 22. "This game is about the players. Somebody will probably try to make this game about the coaches, that the coach that is talking to you now used to coach at this certain place, but it's not about that.

"None of our players that we have on our team right now played at LSU. They have some wonderful players and we have a lot of respect for them and their program and what they do. It's our job to get our team the most well-prepared that we possibly can so they have the best opportunity to have success on the field when the game comes in two weeks.

"That's going to be our focus and the game is about the players. It's not really about anything other than that and I hope nobody gets caught up or distracted in that. It's a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous challenge for us. We're happy to be in the position that we're in. We'll see if we can take advantage of the opportunity."

In the meantime, the No. 17 Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-1 SEC) focused its attention on making the most of its first open date of the season.

The week off gave the Tide a chance to build on the positives from the first eight weeks and work on improving the negatives.

On the plus side, the Tide gained 510 yards of offense against Tennessee, its highest total in an SEC game in five years, and shut out the Vols in the second half. Then again, as Saban has been quick to point out, the Tide has work to do in every phase of the game as it prepares to play the third-ranked Tigers.

"We need to get some rest but we also need to make some improvement," Saban said. "I think the biggest thing from the competitive standpoint that's important to all of us is when things go well, we don't get too satisfied in what we're doing and not stay focused on the challenge that we have, which is to be the best. And when things don't go well, we don't get too frustrated and down on ourselves and lose confidence in what we do."

--WR DJ Hall has four regular-season games remaining in his senior season. Already, Hall is the school's all-time leader in both career receptions (177) and receiving yards (2,682). He is tied with Ozzie Newsome for second on the career TD receptions chart with 16, two behind Dennis Homan. Through eight games this season, Hall leads Alabama with 50 catches for 764 yards and five touchdowns.

--CB Simeon Castille remains Alabama's best cover corner. One week after Ole Miss went after Castille, Tennessee didn't play the same game and stayed away from Castille for the most part. Castille, who has two interceptions this season and 12 career interceptions, finished with four tackles, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.

--DE Wallace Gilberry plays an active role in Alabama's new three-man front. After being especially active over the three previous games, Tennessee was able to slow him down a bit, holding him to three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Still, for the season, Gilberry is third on the team with 45 tackles and leads Alabama with 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and 10 hurries.

GAME BALL GOES TO: C Evan Cardwell -- Between injuries, suspensions and family issues, the Alabama offensive line has undergone its share of changes in recent weeks. During this time, Cardwell has gone from a reserve to a solid, dependable starter in the middle of the line.

KEEP AN EYE ON: QB John Parker Wilson -- Wilson has been up and down this season but he was up at the right time against Tennessee, completing 32 of 46 passes for 363 yards with three touchdowns. When Wilson plays well, the Alabama offense is hard to stop.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The next game is the most important game. We have a bye week now, and I think it's important that we give our players some rest. I don't think people realize that (before Saturday, Oct. 20) we had five games in a row that came down to the last play of the game, just about. That's emotionally draining." -- Alabama coach Nick Saban.

LOOKING GOOD: WR DJ Hall -- When Hall is on his game, as he was against Tennessee when he caught 13 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, the Crimson Tide is hard to beat.

PR-KR Javier Arenas -- Arenas is making a habit of producing one game-changing return, with five returns of more than 45 yards this season.

FS Rashad Johnson -- Johnson has emerged as a key player for the Crimson Tide and leads the team with 55 tackles and four interceptions.

STILL NEEDS WORK: RBs Terry Grant, Roy Upchurch and Glen Coffee -- No matter who it is, the Tide needs one or more of these backs to become dependable players.

ILBs Rolando McCain, Darren Mustin and Prince Hall -- The Tide is also looking for more consistency and productivity from the three players who share two inside linebacker spots.

RCB Kareem Jackson, Lionel Mitchell and Marquis Johnson -- The cornerback spot opposite senior Simeon Castille has often been a weak link in Alabama's chain.

ROSTER REPORT: The Alabama athletic department continues to investigate a "violation of institutional policy involving impermissible receipt of textbooks."

An official Alabama release said the problem was discovered on the night of Oct. 18 and action was taken the following day, with five players suspended for the Tennessee game: starting offensive linemen Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis, backup running back Glen Coffee, reserve cornerback Marquis Johnson and special-teamer Chris Rogers. On Oct. 22, the five suspended players learned they will be allowed to practice with the team during their suspensions but the university said through a press release that no length has been determined for the suspensions because the investigation is on-going and has no set timetable at this point. If the players used scholarship funds to obtain textbooks for anyone other than themselves, that is considered a violation of NCAA bylaws. If the "extra benefits" total less than $100, the players can regain their eligibility by repaying that amount to a charity. If the total is more than $100, the punishment could be more severe.

On Oct. 22 at the Monday Morning Quarterback Club in Birmingham, coach Nick Saban admitted the players used "poor judgment" but added a new element to the controversy by insisting the system of textbook distribution for athletes failed the players. "No one at the university wants me to say it but it's true," Saban said. "We had some guys use poor judgment in how they did it. Now, the NCAA might see it as an extra benefit. When we saw it, we reported it. But the system failed the players too. If we call a bad play and it doesn't work, we're responsible."

With Caldwell and Davis out for the Tennessee game, Alabama started junior B.J. Stabler at right guard, sophomore Evan Cardwell started his third straight game at center and senior Justin Britt returned to left guard after missing the Ole Miss game to be with his mother, who is hospitalized in Birmingham following an accident. "(Stabler) played well," Saban said. "The thing with B.J. is can he stay healthy with his (troublesome right) knee? How much can he play with it; how healthy can he stay? Justin did a good job coming back. I thought the offensive line with all the patchwork did a good job, giving us time to do what we needed to do. We're very pleased and happy with it."