No one is giving Tennessee a chance this weekend against top-ranked Alabama, and Nick Saban used Wednesday's media appearance to send his team a message about being ready to play.

"In games like this, it doesn't really matter what your record is or what everybody is saying out there about anything that you've done to this point or that you haven't done to this point, whether it's good bad or indifferent," Saban said. "I think when these kind of games get played, players need to make sure that they're ready to play their best. It's very important to me that everybody buys into the principals and values of the organization."

The theme throughout the press conference was about what each player needs to do to avoid complacency and continue being successful. You'll notice it in a number of answers through the nine-minute appearance.

Here are the topics Saban discussed on Wednesday:

  • What Tennessee does well in the secondary that helps them lead the conference in passing defense.
  • Rashaan Evans return from injury and how much he's been able to help the defense.
  • The pressure Alabama has been able to get on defense.
  • Getting players physical reps versus mental reps during the week at this point in the season.
  • Ronnie Harrison's evolution as a player in Alabama's program.
  • Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III's nose for the endzone.

You can watch the entire press conference in the video above. Pregame coverage gets underway at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday with the Tide Tailgate Show presented by Yuengling live from Rounders on the Strip.

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