Tuberville speaks, 11/24

We are live blogging Tommy Tuberville's weekly press conference.

• Here we go ...
  
  
• "Happy Thanksgiving, everybody."
  
  
• "We've had good practices. Everything has gone well. By the time we get to the end of the week, we should be in good shape. The players -- they're into it. We'll probably be a huge underdog. We have a lot of work to do just to get into this game."
  
  
• "Their offensive coordinator has done an outstanding job of taking what they had and molding it."
  
  
• "They don't live off the pass; they live off the run. They look like what we've looked like in the past."
  
  
• "Defensively? Speed. They have played very good team football all year long. Just watching them on film, you can tell they have a lot of confidence."
  
  
• "They're a complete football team."
  
  
• "It's a rival game like no other. Obviously, there is a lot riding on this game for Alabama with them being No. 1. We've been there. We understand that."
  
  (EDITOR'S NOTE: When was Tuberville No. 1?)
  
  
• On the BCS: "Somebody is going to be left out. Different people complain every year. When they get their foot in the door, they get very involved."
  
  
• On Terrence Cody: "We thought about dressing out Coach Dunn and putting him out there (for practice purposes). You just challenge your center and two guards and play the game. Everybody has big guys in the middle. It's just unusual that you have a big guy who is this talent. He's a big reason they're sitting where they're sitting in the polls."
  
  
• Motivations: "We haven't talked about the streak. We haven't talked about a bowl. We're talking about playing for those seniors. The one thing we talk about all week long is poise. They'll go back when they're 50 or 60 years old and tell their kids and grandkids about the week of the Iron Bowl."
  
  
• Six is good?: "It's satisfying, obviously. This is one game you've got to win. You want to give your fans the opportunity to have that ability to walk into a restaurant, walk into Wal-Mart or their places of business, and brag about the game. It's not the end of the world win or lose. Fans enjoy it a lot more than the players and coaches."
  
  
• Value of this game: "When you get to the last game of the year, you forget about what has happened. I'm seeing a lot of smiles on their faces. It's nice to see them relax a little bit. I want them to relax and enjoy this week no matter what has happened. For us, this year, it's pride. The only thing we can control is this game."
  
  
• On Wes Byrum: "Sometimes you come back with some confidence. When you lose it, it's hard to get it back. Wesley has done very well for us in the past. It hasn't been a great year for him -- as it has for everybody. Me included, quarterbacks."
  
  
• "Every season is a 13-game playoff."
  
  
• "They've had their bad moments, but they've been able to overcome them."
  
  
• On John Parker Wilson: "He has more confidence in everyone around him. The running game has helped, but it all starts with those five offensive linemen."
  
  END OF INTERVIEW
  
  

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

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