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The Florida Atlantic Owls travel to Tuscaloosa for the unenviable task of facing the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Owls, 1-2 so far, are coming off a 56-20 loss at the hands of then-No. 7 Georgia.
They face not just the No. 1 team in the nation, but one that has won each of their games in a supremely dominant fashion. The Tide has outscore their first three opponents 128-14.
FAU head coach Carl Pelini knows what a challenge his team faces, and he's keeping his advice to his team simple and classic. After his team played even with Georgia for a quarter and a half, Pelini had this to say:
"My biggest message to our players is it doesn't matter what `they' do, it matters what we do. That's something I can point to. Look what happens when we do what we're supposed to do, we can be pretty good. Anytime you can have that success against a good team, it's a good learning lesson for our guys. But by no means should they be satisfied."
Another learning lesson might be a good goal for the Owls on Saturday. At the very least, they should aim to leave Alabama with a bit of dignity and pride.
Game Time: 5 p.m. ET
Television Coverage: ESPN3 / Gameplan
Odds: Alabama is favored by 49-1/2 points.
Stick with SB Nation Tampa Bay for more coverage of the Owls. For more on Tide football, visit Alabama blog Roll Bama Roll, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.