Nick Saban still has strong feelings for his 17 former players at LSU. He recruited them. He coached them. Of course, he also left them to coach the NFL's Miami Dolphins, and when he decided he wanted to return to the college game, he took a job at a rival school -- in the same division no less.

He wants those former players to be successful in football and life. He just doesn't want them to win on Nov. 3, when they play Saban's Alabama team in Tuscaloosa.

"I'm on this side of the fence now," Saban said.

In the same press conference, he admitted winning a share of the national championship with LSU in 2003 is "the greatest thrill of my coaching career."

"No one will ever take that away no matter what they do," Saban said. "So there's a great mutual respect and admiration, but at the same time, I'm the coach of this team."

The challenge for Saban will be separating his emotions regarding his former players from his devotion he owes to his players. Considering his almost-obsessive focus on the task at hand and the "process" he preaches about so frequently, Saban should be up to the challenge.

"It doesn't affect my commitment to our team," Saban said. "The emotion for me is to help our team do well against an outstanding team. That's basically it."

That seems to be what his Alabama players expect from him this week.

"He's going to be the same guy every week," free safety Rashad Johnson said. "He's going to push you to the limit at practice. It doesn't matter if we're playing Louisiana-Monroe or we're playing LSU. That's only going to make us better as players."

It remains to be seen who actually has the overall better players. The general consensus favors LSU, beginning with the 17 starters who played for Saban and will likely play significant roles for the third-ranked Tigers (7-1, 4-1 SEC). Saban has been looking for a complete effort from his 17th-ranked Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-1 SEC) and got one two weeks ago in a 41-17 home win over Tennessee.

The Crimson Tide will have its hands full against the Tigers but Saban's players insist his connection to LSU won't have anything to do with their performance. Saban said he wants nothing to do with the players rallying around him to win the game for their coach and they seem to be getting the message.

"The buzz around town is it's coach Saban against his old team," quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "But in the locker room and on the practice field, it's going to be just another week for us. This isn't the game of the year for us by any means."

It could be. If the Tide wins this game, it will control its own destiny in the SEC West. For Alabama, the only thing that could be more perfect than beating LSU and winning the West at this point would be adding a victory over Auburn to the mix.

"When it's all said and done, nobody's going to care who's the coach of who. They just want to know who won the game," linebacker Darren Mustin said. "He's here now and their coach is there now. There's nothing we can do about changing the coaching situation, but we can do something about who becomes the leader in the West of the SEC."

--With four regular-season games remaining in his senior season, WR DJ 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.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The offense has been up and down most of the season but came together in the Tennessee game when QB John Parker Wilson and Hall teamed up for a huge game. Despite lineup changes on the offensive line over the past month, forced by injuries, personal issues and suspensions, Alabama has been able to establish an effective balance with 243.63 passing yards, 170 rushing yards per game and 31.5 points per game. Alabama has also helped itself by committing only nine turnovers in eight games.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Coach Nick Saban knew depth and experience would be concerns for the defense this season and the Tide has struggled at times, allowing 355 yards per game (eighth in the SEC), but the defense took a big step two weeks ago by shutting out Tennessee in the second half. Alabama has helped itself by forcing 17 turnovers and allowing 131.5 rushing yards per game but needs to do a better job with its pass pressure and red-zone defense.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We've got a bunch of games left and this isn't the end of the season for us. If we win this game, we're not done. If we lose it, we're not finished. We just have to take this as the next SEC game like we would any other SEC game." -- Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: LSU at Alabama, Nov. 3 -- LSU and Alabama fans have been talking about this game since former LSU coach Nick Saban became Alabama's coach on Jan. 3. As much as LSU coach Les Miles and Saban insist this game is about the players, it's hard to ignore the attention that will surround this game because Miles is still trying to prove himself in a job Saban used to hold. The team that handles all those potential distractions will increase its chances of winning but the Tide must be able to slow LSU's running game and the Tigers will have to limit Alabama's passing game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB John Parker Wilson -- Wilson has been up and down this season but he was up at the right time two weeks ago against Tennessee, completing 32 of 46 passes for 363 yards with three touchdowns. When Wilson plays well, the Alabama offense is hard to stop. He enters the LSU game ranked fourth in the SEC with 234.5 yards per game, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 57.9 percent of his passes.

WR DJ Hall -- Hall was also at his best against Tennessee, catching 13 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns and rising to first in the SEC with 95.5 receiving yards per game and second in the conference with 6.25 receptions per game.

ILBs Rolando McCain, Darren Mustin and Prince Hall -- The Tide is looking for more consistency and productivity from the three players who share two inside linebacker spots. With LSU's ability to run the ball and make the most of its depth and versatility in the backfield, the linebackers will have to be at their best.

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 and will be tested by LSU's improving passing game now that WR Early Doucet is back from an injury.

ROSTER REPORT: The status of offensive line starters Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis, immediate backup Glen Coffee and Marquis Johnson and special teams contributor Chris Rogers remains uncertain as the Crimson Tide prepares for LSU. All five were suspended for the Tennessee game on Oct. 20 and were allowed to practice last week during the open date while Alabama continues to investigate possible NCAA violations regarding textbook receipt for scholarship athletes.

The school offered no updates on the investigation through the weekend. During practice early this week, the five players practiced but Coffee, Johnson and Rogers wore scout-team jerseys and Caldwell and Davis served as defensive practice players against the primary offensive linemen.

OLB Ezekial Knight has returned from a sprained right ankle and is back practicing with the starters in preparation for the LSU game. TB-KR Jonathan Lowe also returned to practice after missing the past two games with a right ankle sprain. With Coffee on the scout team, Lowe moved up from the scout team and practiced as the third tailback.