ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The big news off the field this week was Tennessee forcing Phillip Fulmer out after 17 seasons at his alma mater. His emotional news conference on Monday was a reminder that nobody has a lifetime contract in the SEC.

On the field, it figures to be equally emotional at Tiger Stadium on Saturday when Nick Saban returns with his unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Alabama football team. Saban insists this game is not about him. Actually, it has everything to do with him. Just ask any of the LSU fans, who've been counting down the days.

Here's a look at what to watch in the SEC in Week 11:

1. Welcome back, Nick: Saban says he and his wife, Terry, still have many wonderful friends in the state of Louisiana. I wouldn't look for many of them to be in Tiger Stadium on Saturday. They will boo him when he arrives, boo him when he hits the field for the first time and boo him when he leaves. Let's hope that's all they do.

2. Bama's OL vs. LSU's DL: One of the best matchups of the season right here. The Tigers have the experience, strength and depth up front defensively to hold their own with an Alabama offensive line that has punished teams this season. If you want to have some fun, count the future NFL players in the trenches.

3. How healthy is Cody? It's one thing to recover from a sprained medial collateral ligament in your knee in a couple of weeks. It's another to do it when you're 365 pounds. Terrence Cody returns to the middle of the Alabama defensive line after missing the last two games. How rusty is he?

4. Battle of the behemoths: What happens when a total of 700 pounds line up across from each other? Well, you get Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody vs. LSU offensive guard Herman Johnson. Standing 6-foot-7, Johnson is the lighter of the two. He only goes around 350 pounds.

5. Breaking the drought: Nobody on Alabama's team has ever beaten LSU. That's right, LSU has won five consecutive games in this series. The only SEC team that's won more consecutive games against the Crimson Tide is Auburn, which has won six in a row. Alabama can only take care of one drought at a time.

6. General Lee: A couple of things to note about Jarrett Lee as LSU's starting quarterback are that he tends to look for Brandon LaFell anytime he gets in trouble, a big chunk of his interceptions have come on throws over the middle and he's been especially shaky when teams have blitzed him on his side of the field.

7. Fulmer's farewell: Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer actually has two more home games before he steps aside, but the Wyoming game Saturday at Neyland Stadium will be his first since the announcement that he would step down. Do the Vols play their best football the rest of the way or do they put it on cruise control?

8. Show your gold: Vanderbilt hasn't shown much of anything since getting off to its 5-0 start and mastering the art of finding ways to win. But the Commodores are still looking for that sixth win to make them bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. They've had a week off heading into Saturday's Florida game and have had chances to win two of their last three games against the Gators.

9. Every Dog has his day: It sure wasn't Georgia's day last weekend in Jacksonville. You've got to wonder how the Bulldogs will respond now that they're all but out of the SEC race. The trip to Kentucky is a scary one, too, because the Wildcats are starting to get some of their key defensive players back healthy.

10. Spurrier winning with defense: Because of his penchant for pitching it around the ballpark, people forget that Steve Spurrier had some pretty salty defenses at Florida. But his defense this season at South Carolina is one of the best he's had -- period. The Gamecocks are winning with defense, although you can tell that the Head Ball Coach is still frustrated that his offense has been so hit and miss.