Pessimism seems to be the attitude this week in Baton Rougeafter LSU was officially eliminated from the SoutheasternConference Championship game, LSU coach Nick Saban said at hisTuesday press conference.
“I walked in to vote today and the guy said ‘Hang inthere coach,'” Saban said. “I looked at him like‘for what.’ There’s nothing wrong with me.I’m fine.”
“Nobody’s got to feel bad about me or tell me tokeep my head up. My head ain’t down. It ain’t ever beendown.”
Saban said the players are not looking at the rest of the seasonin a negative light either.
“Losing a tough game to Auburn early in the year and maybenot being in the race now takes a lot of resiliency on their partto still be able to play for what we’ve got to be able toplay for,” Saban said.
Plenty is left for the Tigers to play for with a 10-win seasonand a New Year’s Day bowl on the line in the Tigers’final three games, Saban said.
The Tigers could also win 23 games in a two-season stretch.
“I think we can probably win more games in two years thananybody’s ever won around here in a two-year stretch,”Saban said. “There’s a lot of things this team can do.The legacy of this team will be remembered by the way they finishthis season.”
Continuing improvement of team chemistry is vital to the Tigersstrong finish, and Saban said he feels encouraged with the team inthat area, especially after three straight wins.
“When this [bye week] is over we have a three-gameseason,” Saban said. “Everything about this team isgoing to be determined by how we play in the last three games.We’re going to do the best we can to continue to improve. Iwas encouraged by the players’ attitude toward trying to dothat as well.”
Saban said the special teams unit’s performance in theTigers’ 24-7 win over Vanderbilt also encourages him comingdown the final stretch of the season.
“It’s the best game we had all year on special teamsin terms of making a big play for a touchdown, blocking a fieldgoal and having some other returns that gave us some decent fieldposition,” Saban said. “I felt like it was the firsttime this year on special teams that we really controlled fieldposition.”
Notes: With Ben Wilkerson sidelined for the rest of the seasonafter a knee injury in the Vanderbilt game, Rudy Niswanger willmost likely take over at the center position, Saban said.
Niswanger already has started at three other positions —right tackle, right guard and right center — on the offensiveline during his college career.
Saban said he visited the injured Wilkerson in his hospital roomSunday night.
“His spirits were good,” Saban said.”He’s very positive. He wants to be involved with whatthe offensive line is doing.”
The offensive line wants to wear a decal on its helmet intribute to Wilkerson’s 41 starts during his career atLSU.
Strong safety Jessie Daniels also sustained an injury inSaturday’s game and will miss practice this week with a pinin his left wrist, Saban said. Daniels should be able to playagainst Alabama.