TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Given the freedom of its lone weekend away from the football field this fall, Alabama football players and coaches did what they could to escape the pressure-packed bubble in Tuscaloosa.
Most players got out of town to spend time with family. Even coach Nick Saban took a few days to retreat from it all even if he took a computer to sneak in a little film work.
By Saturday, he spent his 58th birthday living the life of an average college football fan
“I really watched some football games and some baseball games on Saturday and really sort of enjoyed seeing what everybody in the world goes through on Saturday, rather than what I go through, which is to watch a whole bunch of games, flip back and forth on the channels have three or four games going at the same time, and a baseball game.
“And my wife yelling at me the whole time because we’re not watching what she wants to watch, so I understand. That’s the first time that’s happened all year or for many years that I can remember.”
Quarterback Greg McElroy got back to his hometown of Dallas to catch a Cowboys game and running back Mark Ingram got up to Flint, Mich.
“Everybody was real supportive,” said Ingram, the conference’s leading rusher with 1,004 yards. “Everybody just proud, but nobody really bothered me with much football cause everybody back home, they expect that from me and they want the best for me. It was really just trying to catch up with me, hang out with me, just chilling.”
A few Alabama players are still dealing with bumps and bruises after the week off.
The only one dealing with issues that could have a major effect on the game plan Saturday is tight end Colin Peek. The left knee injury suffered in the pregame warm-ups of the Tennessee win Oct. 24 limited his ability to practice last week.
By Sunday, he was running in the pool and he was on the practice field Monday afternoon. Wearing a brace on the knee, Peek participated in drills during the media-viewing period of the workout. He was able to get in and out of a three-point stance and jog during pass-catching drills.
Saban still listed his status as “day to day.” Peek had been the team’s leading receiver with 19 catches for 213 yards before missing the Tennessee game.
Backups Dre Kirkpatrick and Terry Grant are also dealing with muscle pulls, Saban said. Kirkpatrick, a special teams player and reserve cornerback, rode the exercise bike in Monday’s practice. Grant, a running back, wore a black non-contact jersey but practiced with his unit Monday.
ESPN or ESPN2?
That’s the only mystery remaining for Alabama’s Nov. 14 road game at Mississippi State.
Regardless of which network televises the SEC West matchup, the game will kick off at 6 p.m. CST. The Auburn/Georgia game is the other still in limbo for the television assignment Nov. 14.
ESPN will decide which game is played on which network following this Saturday’s games.
MICHAEL CASAGRANDE,
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
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