Alabama heeds Saban's call to avoid 'trap,' back in SEC title game - ESPN

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Nick Saban is all business when it comes to any «rat poison» infecting his Alabama football team, especially when he senses a trap game on the horizon.

His No. 8 Crimson Tide didn't take the bait Saturday in a dominant 49-21 road win over Kentucky, clinching an SEC championship game appearance and seeing quarterback Jalen Milroe take his game to another level. He became the first Alabama quarterback to pass for three touchdowns and rush for three scores in a game.

«It's exciting, because you give him time and he's going to work his magic,» Alabama offensive guard Tyler Booker said of Milroe, who has accounted for 10 touchdowns in his past two games.

Alabama (9-1, 7-0 in the SEC) has won eight straight contests after losing at home to Texas in Week 2. And after back-to-back wins over nationally ranked opponents LSU and Tennessee, Saban was leery of this being a trap game for the Tide. So when the players returned to the football complex earlier this week, they found actual rat traps scattered all over the locker room.

«Yeah, we had rat traps in the locker room,» redshirt sophomore cornerback Terrion Arnold said smiling and shaking his head. «We're just going around the facility and not getting caught in them. I mean, think about it. When you look at all this and all the external factors, and coming off two big wins — as Coach Saban says — it's human nature to be happy.»

Arnold, who had an interception and forced fumble in the game, joked he didn't know who was the one putting out all the rat traps, but emphasized they were real «wooden traps… and had a little cheese.»

«I'm kind of, as they would say, like an adventurer, so I put my hand out to see if it really worked for real and it really did.… I got