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Alabama is 10-0 for the second straight season. Given that this week's opponent is from the Football Championship Subdivision, a second consecutive 11-0 start appears almost certain.
Coach Nick Saban seeks the best effort yet from the second-ranked Crimson Tide on Saturday when they host Chattanooga in their final non-conference matchup before bowl season.
The Tide improved to 7-0 in SEC play last Saturday with a 31-3 romp at Mississippi State. Alabama is assured of facing Florida in the league championship game for the second straight year, as the Gators and Crimson Tide have already clinched the SEC's East and West divisions, respectively. If Saban's club posts victories in this contest and a visit on Nov. 27 to Auburn for the annual Iron Bowl, it will also take a 12-0 record into the SEC title game in consecutive seasons.
Despite his team's glowing resume, Saban believes Alabama has yet to play its best football.
"Our focus for this game is to continue to improve as a team," he said. "I think our best game is somewhere out there, still and we need to keep working toward that. Every game has significance. There won't be one thing that anybody ever remembers about this season if we didn't have success against a team like this."
Success is expected in Tuscaloosa. The Tide have reached the 10-win plateau 30 times in 115 seasons - including four this decade - a mark second only to Oklahoma's 31.
The hallmark of Alabama's offense is a relentless ground game which averages 216.9 yards, led by sophomore running back Mark Ingram's 1,297 yards, 10 touchdowns and 6.7 yards per carry. Last week, though, junior quarterback Greg McElroy was also a big factor, throwing for TDs of 48 and 45 yards.
"Three yards and a cloud of dust is pretty much the staple of our offense," said McElroy, who was 13 for 18 for 192 yards and no interceptions. "But we have the ability to break it for a big play."
Big plays have been the norm for Alabama in non-conference play. The Tide have put 127 points on the board in three wins outside the SEC this season, including 34-24 at then-No. 7 Virginia Tech in the Sept. 5 season opener.
The sporadic series against Chattanooga has been entirely one-sided. The schools have met 10 times since 1908, with eight games in Tuscaloosa. The Tide have won all 10 by a combined margin of 369-88. The last meeting was a 42-13 victory Sept. 3, 1994.
At least publicly, Saban is not overlooking first-year coach Russ Huesman and his Mocs.
"We respect the team," Saban said. "They've got good players. Their coach has done a great job there. They are 6-4 this year and they have made a tremendous amount of improvement from last year. Every game is significant and this is the most important game that we are playing and it's the only game that we are going to talk about. So, that's the way it is."
No matter what happens in the season finale against Alabama, Huesman's debut season in Chattanooga (6-4) has been a success. He's already engineered the biggest single-season turnaround at the school since 1951, having improved the Mocs from their 1-11 finish in 2008.
Last Saturday, sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman completed 39 of 61 passes for 356 yards - all career highs - and three touchdowns to rally Chattanooga from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat The Citadel 31-28 at home.
With the victory, the Mocs clinched their first winning season since 2005.
"It is great for these guys, it meant a lot to them to get this win," Huesman said. "For me, I wasn't going to judge this season based on five or six wins. I was not judging this season rather we won five, six or even seven that is not how you judge a program.
"I told them all we couldn't figure out who to give a game ball to. So I am buying game balls for every senior and have something for each of them."
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