TUSCALOOSA — Both hands fixed above his head, Alabama offensive lineman Mike Johnson showed a form of sign language to remind the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd where he was headed.

His 6-foot-5, 303-pound frame shrieked with the excitement of a lottery winner. Instead of an oversized novelty check, Johnson held up a symbol for the letter A.

Michael Casagrande Inside Alabama

First, however, he’s going to Starkville and Auburn. Neither trip can derail the Crimson Tide from returning to Atlanta on Dec. 5 for the SEC Championship Game, because Alabama clinched the Western Division title in Saturday’s 24-15 win over LSU.

Ignoring the distraction of the most anticipated game in football for three weeks can’t be easy, though. Ranked No. 2 in the BCS standings, Alabama will face No. 1-ranked Florida.

Questions no doubt will linger as November fades into December with a spot in the BCS title game hanging in the balance.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban dodged the first such opportunity Saturday night when asked if he were ready to talk about Atlanta.

“No,” he said frankly. “We still have three games to play.”

Reporters took their first shot at Florida-oriented questions.

There were several good swings, but nothing but misses resulted. His players held the company line.

The notorious quote machine inside Javier Arenas wasn’t even taking the bait.

Is there any talk of Florida in the locker room?

“Nothing,” he said. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

What about Tim Tebow? Someone had to mention getting another crack at the Florida quarterback, right?

Of course not.

“We’ll have to see when it comes up,” he said.

Regardless of how jubilant the post-LSU celebration was on the field, the players and Saban carried themselves no differently in the postgame interviews than they did after beating North Texas or Florida International.

It’s business as usual, SEC West championship or not.

BCS flip-flop: Since Alabama’s spot in what amounts to a national semifinal already is assured, Sunday’s edition of the Bowl Championship Series standings didn’t make big news in the land of Alabama football. But several scenarios remain, including one that could have a favorable effect for both Alabama and Florida.

The Tide leaped back over Texas for the No. 2 spot in the BCS standings although both the USA Today and Harris polls had Alabama third by slim margins. The ambiguous computer rankings pushed the Tide back into second where it was two weeks ago before last Saturday’s off-week.

It will be interesting to see how the “humans” were to vote if Alabama and Florida remain undefeated going into the conference title game, but Texas loses. Could it be a rematch in Pasadena or would the voters prevent that? The fun is just beginning.

French Quarter or Sunset Strip: Nothing is certain, but one of two bowl possibilities have emerged as the two leading favorites. Of course, the outcome of the SEC Championship Game will ultimately make the decision.

A win would mean a trip to the Rose Bowl Stadium for the BCS title game Jan. 7. A loss likely means a second straight New Year’s in New Orleans.

Bengal Tigers’ MASH unit: The LSU training staff kept busy Saturday afternoon and evening as the physical nature of the game had quite an impact on some of the Tigers’ standouts.

According to Louisiana newspaper reports, quarterback Jordan Jefferson suffered a sprained ankle on the intentional grounding/sack made by Nico Johnson. The diagnosis was worse for leading rusher Charles Scott, who left in the second half and never returned. An LSU spokesman said Sunday that Scott suffered a fractured collarbone.

Alabama quick review

Three points for Alabama to remember after its 24-15 victory over LSU:

Message pending: Head coach Nick Saban has said he uses news conferences to send messages to his players. His Monday chats with reporters are typically the venue for such spirited answers. Get ready to duck if anyone asks about looking ahead to No. 1 Florida and the SEC Championship Game. The last thing Saban wants is his players overlooking Mississippi State, Chattanooga and Auburn. If he needs to rant and rave at an unsuspecting reporter to get that message across, that’s just what Saban will do.

No Holliday: The explosive speed of LSU kick returner Trindon Holliday combined with Alabama’s struggles in kickoff coverage was a potential difference-maker heading into Saturday. The breakdown, however, never happened. Holliday averaged 29 yards on his four returns, none of which appeared threatening at any point.

Expect more Julio: Saturday’s game had its ups and downs for Julio Jones. There were a few drops and that illegal substitution penalty, but he had his speed back. (See 73-yard touchdown reception.) Saban said Jones “looked like his old self” again after dealing with nagging injuries for a good chunk of the season. If the Alabama offense plans to test the corners and stretch the field more in the future, it will need Jones at full speed.

MICHAEL CASAGRANDE