Saban’s comments criticized War analogies long have been part of football with references to throwing bombs and winning in the trenches.

But Alabama Coach Nick Saban took it too far in a lot of people’s minds when he compared the Crimson Tide’s 21-14 loss Louisiana-Monroe to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001.

Those truly are days that will live in infamy, as President Franklin Roosevelt said after Pearl Harbor, not a college football afternoon on which a Sun Belt Conference team upset an SEC team.

“Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event,” Saban said Monday at his weekly news conference. “It may be 9 / 11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to a catastrophic event. Pearl Harbor got us ready for World War II or whatever, and that was a catastrophic event.

“ And I don’t think anyone in this room would’ve bet that we would lose back-to-back games to Mississippi State or ULM, no disrespect to either one of those teams.” Those comments have drawn a lot of criticism from columnists, including Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.

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“That’s right. The head football coach at Alabama included the lost lives in New York, Washington, D. C., Pennsylvania and Hawaii with the lost games against Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe in his very serious discussion of ‘catastrophic events,’” Scarbinsky wrote. “What historical tragedy will he reference Saturday when Alabama loses a sixth straight game to Auburn ? The Holocaust ?” But not everyone disagrees with Saban. According to a poll on ESPN. com, 61. 5 percent of those voting said they weren’t offended by Saban’s comments.

“I think it’s getting blown a little bit too much out of proportion,” Crimson Tide safety Rashad Johnson told the Huntsville Times in reference to Saban’s comments. “When it was brought up to us, he was basically having a speech about adversity.

“ It is an adverse time right now and [he was ] just giving us examples, something to build off of, and it really is getting blown a little more out of the way than the way we took it.” Preparing for Auburn If Alabama loses to Auburn for the sixth consecutive time, it will be the second year in a row the Tide finishes the regular season at 6-6 and with a three-game losing streak. “That’s what makes the game so big, especially with how crazy this football season has been this year,” Alabama senior wide receiver Matt Caddell told the Mobile Press Register. “If we win [against Auburn ], it’s worth like three or four games. It would be tremendous on our part.” Added Tide linebacker Darren Mustin, “I don’t think there is a person on this team who doesn’t know how big this is for us, how we need this game for our future, for our present, for everything.” Muschamp vs. Saban Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp worked for Alabama Coach Nick Saban at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins. “There’s probably a little bit of carryover in terms of coaching against somebody you might have coached on a team with before,” Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville told the Mobile Press Register. “But when you go into a game like this, there are going to be changes. There are different matchups. No one game is coached the same.” Tuberville and the other Auburn assistants have discussed Saban’s methods with Muschamp. “We’ve sat down and talked to Will about some things they’ve possibly done, or how they did it down at LSU when he was there,” Tuberville said. “But Nick knows Will very well. It’s probably going to be a pretty good tradeoff there.” LSU Miles torn Les Miles has a 32-5 record as LSU’s coach and a No. 1 ranking going into Friday’s game against Arkansas, but this could be his last season in Baton Rouge. Michigan has an opening with Lloyd Carr’s retirement announcement and Miles seems an obvious choice to replace him because of strong ties to the Wolverines. Miles was a player and assistant coach at Michigan for Bo Schembechler. “I feel for him because I know he’s torn,” said former Michigan quarterback John Wangler, who lived with Miles when both were graduate assistants in the early 1980 s. “I know Les loves Michigan, and he loves LSU. “ If Michigan were to offer, I’m sure he’d have to strongly consider it. If it happens, it’s going to be an extremely difficult decision for him. Les is a very loyal guy. That LSU team means everything to him. He and his family are having the time of their life at LSU, but he loves Michigan, too.” SOUTH CAROLINA Wardrobe malfunction South Carolina’s players had been asking Coach Steve Spurrier to let them wear all-black uniforms. Spurrier let them do it against Florida, which beat the Gamecocks 51-31. “It helps if you can block and tackle,” Spurrier said. “But since those are two areas we’re really not all that good in, I don’t think the uniforms have much to do with it.” Spurrier said the Gamecocks will return to wearing garnet jerseys and white pants for Saturday’s game against Clemson. GEORGIA Moreno rolling Georgia redshirt freshman tailback Knowshon Moreno has rushed for 100 or more yards in five consecutive games, the first Bulldog to do that since Herschel Walker in 1982. In the past five games, Moreno has rushed for 766 yards and nine touchdowns. Walker ended his career with 11 consecutive 100-yard games and surpassed the mark 30 times in 36 games overall. “It’s humbling to be put on that type of level, but it’s always been about the team,” Moreno said. “I’m not the only one doing hard work out there.” TENNESSEE Big comeback Tennessee’s 25-24 victory over Vanderbilt after trailing 24-9 is the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback ever for the Volunteers. The Vols overcame a 17-point deficit on Sept. 26, 2005, to beat LSU in overtime, 30-27.

FLORIDA Harvin back Florida sophomore receiver Percy Harvin looks ready to play against Florida State after missing the past two games because of severe migraine headaches. Information for this report was contributed by other SEC beat writers Game of the week NO. 18 TENNESSEE AT KENTUCKY 12: 30 p.m. SATURDAY, CBS If the Vols win, they will share the East title with Georgia and play LSU in the SEC Championship Game thanks to beating the Bulldogs 35-14 earlier this season. If Kentucky wins and ends a 22-game losing streak to the Vols, then Georgia will play in the SEC Championship Game. The Wildcats have lost three of their past four games, but are a slight favorite at home. Tennessee is 1-3 on the road this season, with its only victory at Mississippi State. By the numbers 7-0 Tennessee’s home record this season, its first perfect run at Neyland Stadium since 1999. 666 666 Dollars per victory Alabama will have paid Coach Nick Saban this season if the Crimson Tide loses to Auburn. OVERHEARD “Just looking at the scoreboard, seeing Louisiana-Monroe 21, University of Alabama 14... Kind of crazy. Real crazy.” — Crimson Tide WR Matt Caddell