Notebook: 'Out of body' experiences for Saban

HOOVER, Ala. - Despite a throng of Alabama fans waiting in the lobby of the Wynfrey Hotel for a glimpse, Nick Saban is something of a reluctant public figure.

At least when the event doesn't take place in a football stadium.

This offseason, Saban spent time filming a scene for the upcoming movie "The Blind Side," based on Bruce Feldman's book about the recruitment of former Ole Miss star Michael Oher. He was also grand marshal for a NASCAR race at Talladega in April. Neither was exactly comfortable for the third-year Alabama coach.

"Those two experiences were sort of out of body for me, both of them," Saban said.

Several current and former SEC coaches have cameos in the film, including Tennessee's Ed Orgeron, who ultimately signed Oher while head coach at Ole Miss. As part of the film, Saban donned an LSU shirt, something he hopes fans understood.

"I'm hopeful all of our fans will understand that the movie is a historical event," he said. "When this happened and it occurred, that was part of history where I was."

As for the stir that accompanies his appearance here, Saban doesn't mind that so much.

"My daddy always says you only have a problem if no one's asking for your autograph," he said. "So when there's not a stir downstairs, I got problems."

Tipping the Cap: Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt had a good line when asked about a new SEC rule that prohibits coaches from signing more than 28 players in any recruiting class.

"Was that because of the number I signed?" Nutt joked.

Most schools oversign prospects knowing some won't qualify. But the Rebels went to another level in February, signing 39 prospects.

Nutt pointed out that signing prospects who clearly won't qualify allows the Rebels to maintain a relationship with those prospects in junior college. But ultimately, Nutt said, he knew that only 25 of those prospects would be on campus this fall.

"Every year I knew one thing: You got to be at 25," Nutt said. "Our numbers are going to work out. If anybody wants to know, our numbers are going to be at 25 by the time we start."

Another Blackout? Lane Kiffin isn't the only one getting questions about black jerseys these days.

Georgia coach Mark Richt had an interesting take when asked if he was planning another "black out" this season, where fans and the team all dress in black.

"The one thing about the black out is that the fans don't buy into it, it's no good," Richt said. "After what happened at Alabama last year, I'm not sure everybody would wear black."

Tennessee 'The' Game: Give Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens some diplomacy points when asked about Tennessee.

Even with huge rivalry games like Florida and Georgia Tech as well as marquee non-conference games like Oklahoma State and Arizona State, Owens said the UT game always stands out.

"The rush in the Tennessee is intense," Owens said. "No matter what else is on the schedule, it is the game."

Shy Spikes: Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes became the week's first no-show. Turns out, talking to the media isn't exactly his deal.

"When he heard about this room and heard about the whole deal and the cameras and all that, he started squiggling his way out of this thing," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "Nothing's wrong with Brandon Spikes. He's just shy, I guess."

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.