TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Nick Saban was asked Wednesday about his policy regarding limited access to interviews for quarterback AJ McCarron.

McCarron was made available after a couple of games this season, but has not been made regularly available for additional interviews despite regular requests from reporters.

McCarron competed throughout most of the year with freshman

Phillip Sims

for the starting quarterback job to replace two-year starter

Greg McElroy

, now with the New York Jets.

McCarron and Sims were limited to one 10-minute interview opportunity at Alabama's Fan Day on Aug. 7 until McCarron was again made available after a 27-11 win at Penn State on Sept. 10.

Saban said Monday it was his decision not to make McCarron available for more interviews despite requests. He was asked to clarify his policy Wednesday.

"I'm really concerned with what I think is best for our players at this point in time," Saban said. "AJ has done a really good job of being able to stay focused on what he needs to do to prepare for games. I just feel like one of these days it will be fine for him to speak publicly."

McCarron has started every game this fall essentially winning the competition after the first game. For the season, McCarron is 98-for-150 passing for 1,156 yards and eight touchdowns. He currently has a streak of 127 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.

McCarron also set career-highs in a 34-0 win against Vanderbilt. He finished that game 23-for-30 passing for 237 yards and four touchdowns.

"I'm not trying to penalize you guys," Saban said to reporters. "I'm trying to do what's best for his development as a player so that he can focus on the things that he needs to focus on or minimize what he needs to worry about.

"His maturity has certainly been very, very good this year. This is an area that we'll consider on a week-by-week basis in the future."

Then Saban made a final point referencing Tuesday's move by South Carolina coach

Steve Spurrier

, who

columnist Ron Morris of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., from a press conference for an article he took issue with last spring.

"My sense of it is the more you ask the worse your chances are gonna get," Saban said. "So ask next week and it might be another week. I'm not gonna pull a Steve Spurrier on you.

"The best thing to do is let the sleeping dog - lie."



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