LSU quarterback Joe Burrow snatched the Heisman Trophy spotlight with his performance in Saturday's 46-41 victory at Alabama.
What about the other guy?
Crimson Tide counterpart Tua Tagovailoa, the Heisman runner-up last season, may have lost out on college football's top individual award with a first-quarter fumble and a second-quarter interception that helped dig a 33-13 halftime hole for Alabama against the Tigers. Tagovailoa did his best to atone for those mistakes during the second half and finished 21-of-40 passing for 418 yards and four touchdowns.
The 6-foot-1, 218-pound Tagovailoa was playing in his first game since suffering a high-ankle sprain against Tennessee on Oct. 19 and undergoing a procedure the next day.
"He's a little sore, as to be expected," Alabama coach Nick Saban said during his weekly news conference Monday. "We did all the medical research that you could do on him to find out if he did any damage or hurt himself in any way shape or form, and he did not. We'll manage the soreness, and we may give him the day off today and sort of start him back tomorrow a little bit.
"We'll just have to manage it day-to-day, and he should respond each and every week, but the situation he is in is very much expected. He doesn't have any further issues."
Tagovailoa ranks second nationally in passing efficiency heading into this week's game at Mississippi State. The Tide won last year's game 24-0 over the Bulldogs, but Tagovailoa didn't finish that contest due to a knee injury.
Alabama players expressed Monday that they are as confident as ever in their quarterback.
"He played great," junior receiver DeVonta Smith said in a news conference. "We know there are things we could have done better as a group, offensively and defensively, and we're going to correct those things. He's a warrior for what he did."
Viral video
An LSU player took a video of an emotional Ed Orgeron in the locker room Saturday night after the Tigers ended their eight-game losing streak to the Tide. At one point in the video the coac h shouted, "Roll Tide! What?!? (Expletive) you!"
Orgeron was asked about the video going viral during his weekly news conference.
"I wish that wouldn't happen," he said. "That shouldn't happen, and I addressed it with the player who did it, and he felt bad about it. They are so used to having those phones on them all the time. We have pregame meals, and I'll say, 'OK, will you turn your phones off, just for a little bit, so we can say the prayer?' We say the prayer and, boom, they're back on their phones.
"I think that's just the product of today. I don't think it was done with any bad intent. I addressed it the with young man, and I don't think it's going to happen again."
Dressing out
Crimson Tide junior inside linebacker Dylan Moses, who suffered a season-ending knee injury several days before the season opener against Duke, dressed out for Saturday's game.
"Being from Baton Rouge, he came and asked if he could dress for the game," Saban said. "He wanted to be part of the team for that game. We have no intentions of playing him, so that was not any indication that he is ready to come back and start practicing and playing. That's not the case.
"It was just something he wanted to do to be a part of the team."
Tide tidbits
Saban said Alabama missed 25 tackles against LSU. ... Alabama holds an 83-17-3 series lead against Mississippi State, with their 103 meetings the most for the Tide against any opponent. ... Saban on junior defensive lineman LaBryan Ray, who suffered a foot injury at South Carolina and hasn't played in the six games since: "He still hasn't been cleared medically to even start practicing yet. He is in sort of a rehab mode right now."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.