Now Alabama has an extra day

AUBURN, Ala. -- Alabama football coach Nick Saban felt uneasy the past several days due to the abbreviated preparation his Crimson Tide had for rival Auburn.

Yet he knew there was an upside, too.

"I didn't like it that we had a short week this week, but I like it now that we have an extra day," Saban said after Friday's 26-21 win over the Tigers. "It was hard to get our players back last year after a very emotional game the last game of the season and then go right into the SEC championship for another big emotional game."

While SEC title-game foe Florida was matching Alabama's 12-0 regular season Saturday with a win over Florida State, Saban was giving his players the day off. He has scheduled light conditioning for today, and even that is optional.

Tide players were not only celebrating a second consecutive state championship, which increased Alabama's series edge over Auburn to 40-33-1, but eyeing the opportunity to get horizontal in front of the tube.

"As a Cowboys fan, I've always kind of followed Thanksgiving games," junior quarterback Greg McElroy said. "The extra couple of days at this point of the season is fantastic. We're going to get off our feet. I think a lot of us are going to go and watch some college football for once."

Senior linebacker Cory Reamer said Florida presents yet another spread system to which his defense must adjust. The Crimson Tide closed out a second consecutive 8-0 league schedule, becoming the first team since Florida in 1995-96 to do so, by facing the spread offenses of Mississippi State and Auburn.

While Alabama's win at Jordan-Hare Stadium will forever be remembered for the 15-play, 79-yard drive that culminated with McElroy's 4-yard touchdown pass to Roy Upchurch, Saban was quick to praise his defense. The Tide allowed 138 yards on Auburn's first two possessions but 194 the rest of the way, with 72 coming on Chris Todd's 72-yard pass to Darvin Adams that put the Tigers up 21-14 early in the third quarter.

Junior linebacker Rolando McClain tallied 12 tackles, a sack and the deflection of Todd's desperation heave as time expired in what might have been his final Iron Bowl.

"Only the strong survive, but the strong still get their (rear end) whipped," Saban said. "That was my message to the team. We did survive because of our character and resiliency. You've got to win games like that, and I'm proud of the team for the way they did it."