The University of Alabama took the extraordinary step of using helicopters to dry the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium ahead of the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide's home game against in-state rival Auburn on Saturday. On Saturday morning, athletic director Greg Byrne tweeted a photo of the so-called "drying" process, which included two different helicopters flying into the stadium and hovering above the grass surface. The field in Tuscaloosa was in rough shape just a week earlier when Alabama hosted The Citadel, causing several players to lose footing and slip. On Wednesday, coach Nick Saban said there was a plan in place to improve the conditions. It rained across much of central Alabama on Friday night, soaking the field further. "I'm sure they'll do everything they can," Saban said. "But I also think that players have to learn how to play on those conditions. I played on a lot worse fields than that." Alabama survived that game against The Citadel. After...