Jumbo Package: Nick Saban speaks to reporters for the first time this fall

Happy Friday, everyone. Nick Saban spoke to reporters for the first time this fall, and he had plenty to say. In general, he seems pleased with where the team is.

“I think we’ve had a good offseason. I think we’ve had a good summer. That’s something we want to continue to build on. I don’t really care what you do in the summer — when you put a helmet on, when you put spider pads on, things are different. When we put shells on, things are going to be different. So this is a process that players have to go through. I think the key to the drill is, can you continue to stay focused, pay attention to detail, sustain when you don’t feel 100 percent, when you don’t feel great, when you get a little sore, when you get a little tired, because you’ve got to twist yourself so you can get to the next level and that’s what we try to get our players to be able to stay focused on. We certainly have the kind of circumstances to help them do that. The kind of conditions we had out there today — it’s something that will test your mettle a little bit. And that’s probably a good thing at this time of the year.

“From a personnel standpoint, Thaiu Jones-Bell had some medical issues. So he’s on a medical this year. I think everybody worked together, except Jamarion Miller will be out for a couple days. He’s got a strained quad.

Jones-Bell does not appear on the roster at all. Hope all is well with him.

Saban answered the QB question before he got it.

“You’re gonna ask me about the quarterbacks every day,” Saban said to assembled media after the first practice.”Every day I’ll tell you the same thing. Everybody’s getting reps at the position, somebody’s got to take the bull by the horns.

“You’re gonna ask me about the quarterbacks every day,” Saban said to assembled media after the first practice.”Every day I’ll tell you the same thing. Everybody’s getting reps at the position, somebody’s got to take the bull by the horns.

Nothing was going to happen by now to separate any of the three from the others. All we can do is hope that one of them lives up to their potential. Stay tuned.

Malik Benson and Justin Jefferson are both likely to play big roles.

“I think both guys are sort of developing nicely but I think the biggest issue with most guys is understanding what to do so they can go play fast all the time,” said Saban on Thursday about the pair. “I think there’s still a little apprehension - and Malik is probably a little further along than Justin because at least on offense, I know what I’m supposed to do. On defense, you’re reacting to something. So not to be able to understand what your assignment is and how to react to that, I think, takes a little longer. But I think both of those two guys can make a contribution to our team.”

Benson is a guy who many are excited about.

If you are so inclined, you can check out all of Nick’s comments below.

Last, the Big Ten may deliver the kill shot to This the Pac 12.

The Big Ten is reportedly interested in Oregon, Washington, Stanford, and Cal if they decide to jump to 20 teams. However, they have decided to take some sort of moral high ground and don’t want to be the reason the Pac-12 dies. As if they didn’t get the ball rolling by poaching USC and UCLA. If the Big Ten does add any of the Pac-12 schools, they will come in at discount. However, that discount would be in the range of about $50-65 million according to Wetzel which is double the number we recently saw for the Pac-12.

A bill was filed in the Washington state legislature back in January that is aimed at keeping the two Washington schools in the same conference, and a similar bill was filed in Oregon.

Guess we’ll see how it all plays out.

That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.

Roll Tide.