Alabama football is back in action this week.

The No. 8 Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) will host No. 13 LSU (6-2, 4-1) with a chance to further its lead in the SEC West. Both UA and the Tigers didn’t play last Saturday, instead focusing on injury management.

Before Saturday night’s kickoff, Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with reporters to discuss how the team’s bye week went along with an early preview of the upcoming primetime showdown on CBS.

–Bye weeks later in the season can be “very beneficial” and Saban believes it was for the 2023 Tide. He reiterated a few players were limited due to injury last week.

–Saban called the Tigers one of the best overall teams in the country and the best offense. Alabama-LSU always happens to be a rivalry game, Saban said, because both teams are often highly ranked heading into this game.

–Saban is going out of his way to name not just LSU QB Jayden Daniels, but other skill position players that’ll present a challenge to the Tide this week.

–The LSU secondary has struggled with injuries, Saban noted, but the unit has still produced explosive plays.

–”He killed us last year. … He’s a really, really good player now,” Saban said of Daniels. He runs LSU’s offense “to perfection” with excellent reads and decision-making, Saban said, noting they were evident in last year’s game against LSU, an overtime UA loss in Baton Rogue, Louisiana.

–Saban said many of Daniels’s long runs last year against the Tide weren’t on predetermined quarterback runs. Instead, UA lost gap control and Daniels took off.

–Kendrick Law is continuing to develop at receiver and is an important special teams player for the Tide, Saban said when asked about Law.

–Saban has said he’s never coached pass-rushers to be “cautious.”

–When asked about a birthday gift, Saban turns 72 on Tuesday, he said his best gift would be a solid team performance on Saturday. Saban joked that when you get older, birthdays that line up near holidays or during football season don’t get as celebrated.

–Left tackle Kadyn Proctor has worked to be more aggressive and not fearful of mistakes, Saban said. There was a “play or two” against Tennessee he would want back, but the freshman has continually improved.

–Saban said it’s hard for him to think of an Alabama-LSU matchup that hasn’t had some significant consequence whether it be postseason play or a rivalry.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].