Nick Saban insists 'Missouri is ready' for the SEC

A 42-10 win by the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Missouri Tigers didn't lend much evidence toward the argument that Gary Pinkel's team is ready to compete in the SEC, but Alabama coach Nick Saban did a solid PR job by complimenting his opponent despite the outcome.

From a transcript of the postgame press conference:

"They're very well coached, Gary's done a great job here. They certainly can compete in our league. I don't think we could compete very well if we lost key players in key positions, we're fortunate that we're able to overcome the guys that we lost."

The Tigers have a banged up offensive line, and starting quarterback James Franklin has also dealt with injury. Losing by 32 to the No. 1 team in the nation might not say as much as Missouri sitting at 0-4 in the SEC thus far. However, that's a bit skewed when considering that the other three losses are to Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Mizzou has a chance to regroup with a bye this week followed by a home game against the Kentucky Wildcats, who are currently 1-6 on the year.