Ray Glier

Nick Saban doesn’t have to blow the horn to get the attention of the polls. He’s No. 1, you’re not.

He can go about his business as the Grinch and he doesn’t have to care what you think. Saban is delighted to be No. 1, not just because it is No. 1, but because he can stay out of the political fray of the BCS and who beat whom and who has the better resume.

Nobody hates melodrama more than Nick Saban. Go ahead, talk about the BCS all you want. He doesn’t have to this week.

If Alabama wins modestly at No. 15 LSU on Saturday and stays unbeaten in the regular season, then takes down Florida in the SEC championship game, the Crimson Tide will be in Miami to play for the national championship. Win big? Who needs it?

The one-loss behemoths — Florida, Oklahoma, Southern California, and Texas — need it. That’s why the teams in the path of the Gators, Sooners, Trojans, and Longhorns should shudder because the big boys need some credit-worthiness to get into the national title game. So, 45-7, or worse, is coming at you Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Cal, Baylor.

Meanwhile, the teams in the path of No. 1 Alabama — well, maybe not you Auburn — should rest easier. Saban can settle for a 10-7 win.

Alabama is the guy in the Hummer hogging two lanes. You can’t get around him if he doesn’t blow a tire. He broke off his rear view mirror to make sure he doesn’t look at you.

Everybody else is in a sweat … and they are in the rear view mirror. Texas Tech plays Oklahoma State, Oklahoma looms, and the Red Raiders are trying to hold off Penn State for No. 2 in the BCS.

The Nittany Lions are No. 3 in the BCS and have this ball-and-chain fixed to their ankle called the Big Ten and a soft schedule. Their defense is really, really good, but if the one-loss teams need to win 45-7 to get some glam votes, Penn State needs to win 63-7.

Unless Alabama and Texas Tech lose, there is reason to panic in Happy Valley because even if Penn State goes unbeaten and gets as high as No. 2, a one-loss Oklahoma or one-loss Florida could jump them with enough voters behind them.

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Alabama and Nick Saban have none of that to worry about. They just need to win; that’s it, that’s all. They have the computers and the polls on their side.

Nobody seems to have as much disdain for the blather of the computers and the polls than Saban. He is all worry and work. The talk of Saban’s return to LSU this week is bouncing off the Alabama coach, just like the boos that will cascade down on him from the stands in Tiger Stadium on Saturday.

It’s all background noise to this guy. He padlocks the gates to keep parade floats out better than any coach.

There are three reasons why Alabama looks recession-proof. Saban is one. The offensive line is another.

Glen Coffee is a good back averaging 99 yards a game rushing. John Parker Wilson is a good quarterback completing 60 percent of his passes.

They both owe a lot to an offensive line led by All-American left tackle Andre Smith and two All-SEC teammates, left guard Mike Johnson and center Antoine Caldwell.

The third reason Alabama looks immune to a letdown is the defense. The Crimson Tide give up 65 yards rushing per game. Their 3-4 defense allows them more flexibility on the blitz with the extra linebacker and they put teams in bad plays on third down, which is why they lead the SEC in opponent’s third down conversion (25.2 percent).

Some voters are still trying to explain Alabama and its 9-0 record. The 17-14 victory over Kentucky looks perplexing, but UK was still a nasty defense Oct. 4 and a healthy team. The Crimson Tide beat Ole Miss by just six, but you have to remember the Rebels won on the road at Florida.

Alabama seemed to get its cred back with a 29-9 victory over Tennessee, then shut out Arkansas State, 35-0.

The best clues to how all this is going to end should start with these defensive performances late in the season by Alabama and Florida.

The Gators had Tim Tebow in 2007 and were a four-loss team. They had no defense.

Now look at Florida. Defense all over the field and they look like one of the two best teams in the country.

Look at Alabama. The Crimson Tide will plow you with the run, but they also keep you from being comfortable with anything you run on offense. How many teams can cover the run with four (Terrence Cody is actually two people) and smother your skill players with seven.

They are the two best teams in college football, and Penn State is right there with its defense. Why the Nittany Lions left all their offensive gadgetry at home when they went to Columbus is beyond me; it could cost them.

That’s a debate, for sure, but Nick Saban doesn’t have to participate if he doesn’t want to. He holds the wheel.

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