ALABAMA NOTEBOOK: Rested Tide ready to resume season

TUSCALOOSA | Although a number of University of Alabama football players and coaches spent the weekend watching the very thing they were taking a break from, football, the time off seemed to do the Crimson Tide some good.

'Getting rested up,' junior cornerback Javier Arenas said Monday afternoon. 'Clearing your mind and whatnot. Recuperating. It's halftime. The second half of the season is coming up. It's about being well rested.'

The team scattered during the bye weekend, when the student body was enjoying fall break as well. While many simply rested, some of the local players went home to spend time with family.

'I did gain some weight,' Sulligent's Rashad Johnson said about his mother's cooking. 'I had spaghetti, potatoes, casserole, whatever I wanted, she cooked it. I love it. I think I'm going to let her move in with me here.'

A number of players watched Texas vs. Oklahoma, which potentially could have bumped the Crimson Tide up to No. 1 in the polls, and LSU at Florida.

However, like their coach, they really couldn't enjoy the games as fans because their heads were still in season mode.

'I watched them, but it is really hard for me to enjoy watching a game,' Saban said. 'You look at it too much like a coach. They get in a formation, and you say, ‘How would we adjust to it? What would we do for that?' And if you're thinking like that, you might as well go turn the computer on and focus on who we're going to play. Even watching Texas and Oklahoma, I'm adjusting formations and matching patterns... and we don't play any one of them teams. So anyway, it's not as much fun.'

Actually, Alabama will visit LSU next month, and could potentially see the other teams in the postseason.

 Coffee challenging for rushing lead

 With LSU's Charles Scott struggling against Florida, with 35 yards on 12 carries, junior running back Glen Coffee is suddenly in a four-person race for the conference rushing title.

After accumulating a career-high 176 yards on 35 carries at Auburn, Arkansas junior Michael Smith leads the league, averaging 119 yards per game. He's barely ahead of Coffee (118.0), Scott (114.0) and Georgia's Knowshon Moreno (98.3).

Overall, Coffee has the most rushing yards, 708, while Smith (599) has played in one less game.

'I was my biggest critic last year,' Coffee said. 'I know I had the potential to be better, so I'm not surprised at all.'

 Tennessee kickoff time TBD

 CBS exercised its six-day option for the Oct. 25 schedule, with Alabama at Tennessee still being considered for two time slots. 

CBS will select between the Tide-Vols or Georgia at LSU in the 2:30 p.m. time slot, with the other game at 6:45 p.m. on ESPN.

Kentucky at Florida will be the Raycom game at 11:30 a.m., while ESPNU has picked up Middle Tennessee State at Mississippi State at 6 p.m.

CBS will broadcast Saturday's home game against Ole Miss at 2:30 p.m. 

Tide-bits

 Junior left tackle Andre Smith (str

ep throat) returned to practice Monday, but still sported a brace on his left arm to support his sprained elbow. No players wore black, signaling no contact due to injury. 'Physically I think I needed it,' junior nose guard Terrence Cody said. 'I think we were all a little banged up. I feel real good.'

Cody admitted to reporters Monday that while he thought he would make a difference in stopping the run, he didn't expect to make this much of an impact with the Tide this season. 'Yeah, I surprised myself big time,' he said.

Arenas on the rivalry with his brother, Nebraska cornerback Amando Murillo: 'That's the reason that we're here now, it was always competitive. When people lose, they get mad, you have to get over it. It was like someone died. The next day we'd have a hangover from losing. We don't want that feeling any more. Even if it was just throwback tackle, you all know what that is? You get tackled and you have to throw the ball back? We played in glass, grass, sandlot, all of it. No matter what we played in, it made no difference to us.'

Although the SEC only has five teams currently ranked, eight teams have been ranked at one time or another, and all 12 have received votes in the major polls. 

Reach Christopher Walsh at christopher.walsh@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0196.