TIDE, TAKE THREE
1. Alabama is 36-2-1 lifetime against Kentucky, losing only in 1922 and 1997.2. The Crimson Tide are 4-0 this season, winning by the average score of 47-15.3. Alabama’s defense leads the nation with 32 three-and-outs (8.0 per game).
There is a new dean of Southeastern Conference football coaches, and this one doesn't have anything close to "hot seat" status.
Alabama's Nick Saban, who has guided the Crimson Tide to four national championships in the past seven seasons, became the dean of the league Sunday afternoon when LSU coach Les Miles was fired four games into his 12th year in Baton Rouge. Saban lost three of his first five head-to-head meetings against the Miles-led Tigers, but Alabama routed LSU 21-0 in New Orleans to win the 2011 national championship in New Orleans and has won all four meetings since.
"Les Miles is one of the most respected colleagues in terms of the rivalry that we've had and the competition that we've had," Saban said Monday afternoon in his weekly news conference. "I kind of hate it that a man wins a national championship and wins two SEC titles and doesn't make it through the season. It is what it is, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for what Les Miles was able to accomplish there and the wins he had."
Saban is four games into his 10th season in Tuscaloosa, with the 4-0 Tide set to host Kentucky on Saturday night. Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is in his eighth season in Starkville and is next in league longevity, with Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin and Hugh Freeze of Ole Miss each working in his fifth year.
The abrupt ouster of Miles leaves Saban as the only league coach to win a national championship. In 2008, there were five: Saban, Miles, Phillip Fulmer, Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier.
"This is very similar to Georgia firing Mark Richt when he's averaging 10 wins a season," Saban said. "I guess this is the time we live in, but it doesn't minimize to any degree the amount of respect that we have for the job Les Miles did at LSU and the competitive teams he had there for a long, long time."
Miles is the only SEC coach to defeat the Saban-coached Crimson Tide three times, accomplishing that in 2007, 2010 and 2011. The 2011 meeting took place in Tuscaloosa, with the Tigers topping the Tide 9-6 in overtime, but when the two teams met again several weeks later, the Tigers didn't cross midfield until midway through the fourth quarter.
Auburn also has three wins over the Saban-coached Tide but with three different coaches: Tommy Tuberville (2007), Gene Chizik (2010) and Gus Malzahn (2013). Tuberville resigned in 2008 after a 36-0 loss to Alabama, while Chizik was fired after a 49-0 loss to the Tide in 2012.
Saban was asked Monday whether his dominance - Alabama is 102-12 since the start of the 2008 season - has led to expectations at other schools that aren't being met.
"That's really not for me to say one way or the other," he said. "We feel fortunate to have the kind of team here that we have at Alabama that's created an atmosphere and environment where our players have the chance to be successful personally, academically and athletically. It's not just about who the head coach is.
"The challenge for us is to continue to try to be successful, and I can't really comment on anybody else's standard for what they want to try to accomplish."
The firing of Miles came up Monday more than this week's foe. Kentucky started 0-2 this season, which included a 45-7 hammering at Florida, but has bounced back the past two weeks to defeat New Mexico State (62-42) and South Carolina (17-10).
Saturday is homecoming at Alabama, and the Tide have won 15 straight homecoming games since a loss to Central Florida in 2000.
"Kentucky has played its best in the last two games that they've played," Saban said. "Mark Stoops has done a really good job of finding out who they are and how they want to play."
Said linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton: "Each year they've improved. They have a dual-threat quarterback (Stephen Johnson) and a lot of talent on that side of the ball."
Tide tidbits
Saban said junior cornerback Tony Brown is no longer serving an NCAA suspension and is eligible.... Freshman right tackle Jonah Williams graded out at 86 percent in Saturday's 48-0 win over Kent State, the highest among the offensive linemen.... CBS is using a six-day option for its Oct. 8 telecast and will choose either Alabama at Arkansas or Tennessee at Texas A&M.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.