LSU vs. Alabama: How good is A.J. McCarron?

In the week of preparation leading up to the massive meeting with the LSU Tigers this Saturday, Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron was asked, according to a report by Andrew Gribble of Al.com on Wednesday, what the label of "game manager" -- a role sometimes associated with McCarron -- means to him.

"A game manager can be anything. I mean, he can throw nine touchdowns in one game, but he still managed the game," McCarron said in the report. "He could hand the ball off 47 times, but still manage the game. I think coach, in that aspect, is saying, he's taking what the defense is giving him and he's not making any real bonehead mistakes. And that's the biggest thing."

In the report, head coach Nick Saban referred to the "game manager" term as the "ultimate compliment" a quarterback can receive.

This season, McCarron has thrown for 1,684 yards -- completing 68.9 percent of his passes -- with 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

No. 1 Alabama visits No. 5 LSU at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday night.