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Alabama fans wait for autographs about two hours before Nick Saban and players are scheduled to arrive fof the SEC Media Days 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham - The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala., Thursday July 18, 2013. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

-- The Alabama fans have been in the Wynfrey Hotel lobby for hours.

Now, it's time for the Crimson Tide's version of the Main Event.

Alabama coach

Nick Saban

will be making his annual "State of the Tide" address here at SEC Media Days around the 11 a.m. hour. This will be the place for instant updates.

After Saban, quarterback

AJ McCarron

, right guard

Anthony Steen

and linebacker

C.J. Mosley

will field 30 minutes worth of questions.

By the end of Saban's time at the podium, this page will be lengthy, so make sure to keep refreshing.

-- Saban says he had a great vacation. Refers to media as "1,200 of his closest friends."

-- Saban thanks the various folks from "top to bottom" that help the Alabama football team. Starts with chancellor Dr.

Robert Witt

and goes from there.

-- He brings up Alabama's player development programs, focusing on off-field things that allow them to leave a better person.

-- "We want to help develop football players that can actually represent our institution and be a source of pride."

-- "It's a challenge each year to reinvent your team ... it creates new opportunities for other players who may not have the same experience."

-- "We're obviously of what our team was able to accomplish last year and the year before." He then dives into the five or six plays over the past couple of years that could have affected path to national titles.

-- "Two or three plays can affect the outcome of a game."

-- Saban addresses media predictions: "It seems a little bit crazy to try to predict what's going to happen in the season."

-- "In the last 21 seasons, you in the media have only picked the right team four times."

-- "If I was 4-17, I'd be back in West Virginia pumping gas at my daddy's gas station."

-- Addressing the team, talks up

AJ McCarron

, large amount of skill players, some question marks on offensive line and defense. "We may have a different type of team."

-- Saban acknowledges that Alabama got off to a rough start in offseason (player arrests), had a sloppy spring game, but cites it as learning experience.

-- "Obviously, we start out with a very difficult opening schedule."

-- "Certainly appreciate the challenges and have a tremendous amount of respect for the competition in the SEC."

On to the questions...

-- One of the concerns on this year's team is leadership, but it always is, Saban says. LB

C.J. Mosley

is a good one but needs to be more on defense.

-- On improving against no-huddle: "We obviously need to practice that way more often." Need to have a better grasp of terminology beyond game weeks. It's a goal of the offseason to improve in that area.

-- On potential rule change for no-huddle: "We are focused on trying to prepare our team to play against it ... I don't know if there will ever be any rule changes that affect it."

-- Saban wonders if increased plays put players at risk, but admits he doesn't know if it does. This differs from

Bret Bielema's

stance a bit.

-- Saban says Clearinghouse did not originally accept one of WR

Robert Foster's

classes, but he's retaking it now. Will be with the team if he passes.

-- On scheduling dilemma: Says no one can have exact same path to the championship. Brings up his belief in a nine-game conference schedule. "I understand where

Les Miles

is coming from. I coached at LSU and we played Florida every year, too."

-- On importance of neutral-site, non-conference game: Says it's good for program, good for exposure, makes scheduling more convenient because arranging home-and-home games isn't easy.

-- Influence of his coaches on him: "Everything that we do that I know, I've been fortunate to have great mentors and have had the opportunity to learn from them." Goes all the way back to high school coach.

-- On LSU/Alabama rivalry: "I just think LSU has a great program. Les has done a fantastic job there ... there's a lot of good players in Louisiana and they have a lot of talent on their team."

-- On responsibility coaches have on disciplining players: "I think we have a responsibility to create the best atmosphere for the players to have a chance to be successful in." Mentions that this is something Alabama has been "at the forefront on." Lists Alabama's various personal development programs.

-- "It's a tremendous responsibility to get young people to have the right guidance."

-- "Human behavior is not an exact science."

-- Interaction with former players: "We have a lot." Saban mentions he talked with

Rolando McClain

throughout process of retiring from NFL. "We pride ourselves on the fact that our players come back a lot."

-- On if he'll continue to play FCS schools: Says he'd be fine with not playing FCS opponents, but says it would be a challenge unless it's arranged to play teams within certain conferences. Says it's very difficult to schedule games against 10 quality opponents.

-- Saban ends time at podium by thanking the media.