FI Who: Nick Saban Says No Letdown Or Oversight Here.

Want to ask a question that will launch Nick Saban into a tirade,and characterize you as a typical fan. Here it is.

The interview takes place on the Monday press conference, following the opening victory over Virginia Tech.

REPORTER: How confident are you that your players, this program, can stay on an even keel and not have any kind of a letdown when you go from, like, an opening game against Virginia Tech to an FIU?

Saban's response was lengthy, initially under control, and instructional regarding the coaching staff's mental and physical approach to preparing the players for any opponent. For any opponent the approach is the same.

Paraphrase is mine:

"I don't have confidence in anything. We just have to prepare our players to be the best they can be. Be prepared to be the best you can be for every play. The average play lasts about six seconds. The measure of greatness is to play every down to the best of your ability.

"Consider that each play has a history and life of it's own. Use every ounce of effort, toughness and discipline to execute with good technique and exercise these qualities to the best of your ability on every play."

Then it got personal, the tone became harsh, the arms and hands got active, and the criticism directed to the reporter became very pointed.

"I want to say in no uncertain terms that you are a typical fan. You have a right to be a typical fan but I choose not to be. As a typical fan, you create a perception that is not real.

"I choose to respect my opponent and my expectations are different than yours and I want my players to respect their opponent. So whatever you perception is of what they oughta be, I don't think it's that

"As fans, you can think that as much as you want. And you create that perception which just creates more problems for me 'cause the players read the paper too."

End of press conference.

Therefore, I, as an atypical fan, I am doing my research and sharing with you what I glean from my time reading and observing who is FIU.

First off, the university is located in Miami, Florida. The school was chartered in 1965 and began enrollment in 1972. The student body has grown from an initial enrollment of less than 6,000 students to an enrollment today of 39,146. FIU is one of the 25 largest universities in the Nation.

The inaugural season for football at FIU was 2002. The first head coach was Don Strock. Strock added immediate prestige to the program and began recruiting in the hot bed of high school talent, the state of Florida.

In their inaugural season, the team finished 4-5. They sport an all time record of 21-57 (.270) and have yet to achieve a post season bowl appearance.

This is a Sunbelt Conference team. They made the transition from D1-FCS to D1-FBS in 2005. The Golden Panthers play their home games on turf in a newly renovated stadium that seats 20,000. By the year 2013, expansion will continue to reach a capacity of 45,000. They are serious about their football and the alumni love their football team.

The current Head Coach of the Golden Panthers is 38 year-old Mario Cristobal. He was hired in 2006 to advance the FIU football program in order to meet the expectations of the fan base and board of trustees.

His pedigree is elite, having played at the University of Miami from 1988-1992, lettering all four years and was named First Team All-Big East Conference as an offensive tackle.

He has National Championship rings from service on the 1989 and 1991 Hurricane teams, losing a championship in his senior year in the title game against the University of Alabama in 1992.

Cristobal has coached at Miami under Larry Coker and at Rutgers University under the tutelage of Greg Schiano. Like Cristobal, the FIU staff is young, hungry and all have been developed under successful head coaches at very respectable programs.

The 2009 Panther team is composed of 16 returning starters. On the offense, 27 returning letter man, 26 letter man return to the defensive side of the ball.

This team is well balanced with 23 seniors (three red shirts), 18 juniors (one red shirt), 14 true sophomores and 15 red shirts in the sophomore class. The freshman class is composed of 21 true freshman and 12 red shirts.

The starting quarterback at FIU is senior, Paul McCall. Last year, McCall passed for 2332 yards. averaging 194 yards/game. He threw for 15 TD and had nine interceptions on the year. McCall's completion percentage of 52.7 (167/317) yielded an efficiency rating of 124.41.

Snapping the ball is Center, Brad Serini. The junior from Highland, N.Y. has started all 24 games in his career at FIU and is named on the Remmington Award Pre-season Watch List.

Tight ends will have a bigger role in the 2009 FIU offense, according to Coach Cristobal. He has expressed confidence in utilizing both of the starting tight ends in any situation. Senior Eric Kirchenberg and sophomore Jonathan Faucher will bracket the offensive line.

Quarterback McCall's favorite target is Wide Receiver T.Y Hilton. Hilton gained just over 1000 yds on 41 receptions and crossed the goal line for seven touchdowns in 2008. He averaged just under 25 yards per catch and 85 yd/game. Hilton did this as a true freshman.

The "Hilton Heave" is one of the many highlights of his freshman campaign as a Golden Panther. In a game against Western Kentucky, in addition to setting a school record with 199 receiving yards, Hilton threw a 38yard touchdown pass, that resulted in the game winning score.

Hilton has scored touchdowns as a receiver, quarterback, kick returner and punt returner. On his first touch of the ball in his freshman year, Hilton returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown against Kansas.

Later in the year, he returned a kickoff 90 yds for a touchdown against LA Lafayette. As quarterback (wild panther) he threw for a touchdown in a victory over Arkansas State (score 22-21).

Hilton reached elite status, finishing the year ranked third in the nation in all-purpose yards, averaging 180.25 yards/game, ninth in punt returns (14.8 yd/game), 33rd in total receiving yards (1013), and 26th in receiving yards per game (84.4).

Saban considers the high-octane freshman a better athlete than any of the players we faced in the season opening victory against the Virginia Tech Hokies. That includes the agile Tyrod Taylor, the speedy Dyrell Roberts, as well as the powerful, gutty Ryan Williams.

Wide Receiver Greg Ellingson is second in receiving on the Golden Panthers. Ellingson scored three touchdowns and had 573 yards receiving for the year.

The rushing attack will be lead by sophomore Darriet Perry. Although game time experience is minimal, as a true freshman, against FAU, Perry rushed for 115 yard on 16 carries and scored two touchdowns.

Seniors Daunte Owens and John Ellis will also play a role in the FIU rushing attack. Both players were hampered by injuries during their junior year. The rushing attack has yet to be tested with the new battery of athletes but the fall camp yielded better results than expected by Cristobal.

Senior Armond Willis will anchor the defensive line. He spotted 31 tackles, 2.5 TFL and one sack in 2008. He is joined at the other end by sophomore Kambriel Willis (12 tackles, 1.5 TFL). In the center of the line is senior Jonas Murrell (12 tackles, 0.5 TFL).

Murrell's 6ft 2in stature supports 340 lbs of beef for the middle of the defensive line, very close in build to our own Mt. Cody. The shorter center of gravity will be a tough assignment for Alabama Center William Vlachos.

The 4-3 Panther defense is backed by returning senior letter-men MLB Tyler Clawson and SLB Scott Bryant. Winston Fraser is listed first on the depth chart as the WLB. The 6ft 2in, 225 lb red shirt freshman has made an impression on defensive coaching staff, winning the starting position.

The Golden Panther secondary returns four starters to the secondary. The star is CB Anthony Gaitor (five Int/175yards).

At only 5ft 10in, 175 lbs, this miniature Gaitor has a big bite. Gaitor led the Sun Belt conference during the regular season with four interceptions and nine breakups. He returned two picks for touchdowns, the longest a 78 yard scamper.

Last year, the Golden Panther secondary had a total of 15 pics for a total of 245 return yards.

So, as Coach Saban says, the Crimson Tide will have their hands full when they take the field on Bryant Denny turf, Saturday, September 12th. No team can be taken for granted.

This FIU team has their share of play makers who intend to send a message to future opponents and their fan base. FIU has full intention to compete in this game and they have the collective goal of winning the Sun Belt Conference Crown.

Nothing short of a bowl berth will satisfy their appetite, these might be lofty aspirations, but their season has just begun.

It is up to the men in Crimson to send a message of their own to the college football audience. Alabama will not overlook an opponent and will play to their full potential in each and every game on the schedule for the 2009 season.

If they do this, they will surely compete for the conference crown. In years past, the conference champion has been awarded a shot at the BCS championship.

Roll Tide Roll.