Alabama Football Preview
Saban Has Made the Tide a Top Team in the Nation Once Again
They have a good reason to feel this way with Nick Saban’s team holding the number one spot in the AP polls for five weeks last season.
Alabama lost a lot of good players last year, but should be able to stay competitive with the recruiting classes that Saban keeps bringing in.
Alabama players that went into the NFL Draft this year include offensive tackle Andre Smith, running back Glen Coffee, safety Rashad Johnson, and center Antoine Caldwell.
There were also five players from the Tide that went undrafted, but signed contracts for NFL teams as free agents. One of the five is John Parker Wilson, who was the starting quarterback last year.
Offense
The quarterback position will be filled by Greg McElroy, who has backed up John Parker Wilson throughout the start of his collegiate career. McElroy has performed well throughout the spring and has established himself as a team leader.
Alabama also has Star Jackson on the bench, who is a very talented quarterback; however, he has not yet made the transition from the spread offense he ran in high school to the pro-style offense of the Crimson Tide.
Alabama’s receivers should make it easier for McElroy this season. Julio Jones is one of the most talented receivers in the country and will look to be very productive on offense in his second season at Alabama.
Jones underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia during the offseason, but it should not affect his playing on the field. There is also a solid rotation of receivers around Jones including Mike McCoy, Marquis Maze, and Darius Hanks.
The running game for the Tide will need some work after losing Glen Coffee, but Mark Ingram was able to get 728 yards and 12 touchdowns last season as a true freshman.
Terry Grant and Trent Richardson, the highly recruited incoming freshman, should be able to step in and help the running game.
Alabama had arguably the SEC’s best run blocking line last season, but will not be as effective this season after losing three key starters.
The offensive line seems to be the biggest question mark for the Tide. If the offensive line matures quickly then Alabama may be able to contend for the SEC title.
Defense
Alabama’s team looks to be ready for the upcoming season, and even with the loss of these players should be competitive enough to make a run for the SEC championship.
The Tide defense is deep and is possibly one of the best in the nation. Last year they were the third-rated scoring defense, and could be even better this year.
The defensive line looks to be very strong starting with Terrance Cody, who is the concrete and steel for Alabama’s three-man front.
Cody dropped from 380 pounds to around 350 so that he will be able to play as an every-down lineman. This defense is one of the nation’s best against the run.
The team looks to be set at linebacker for years to come with the great recruiting by Saban.
Right now the four- and five-star recruits will have to wait for playing time since the Tide have Rolando McClain, Cory Reamer, Don’ta Hightower, and Brandon Fanney all returning.
In secondary the Tide have second-team All-SEC player Javier Arenas returning as well as Kareem Jackson. Robby Green emerged in the spring as the leader to replace Rashad Johnson at free safety.
Special Teams
The special teams should not be a problem with Javier Arenas coming back, who ranked as second in punt returns and fifth in kickoff returns last year.
Punter P.J. Fitzgerald should play well enough and has an average punt length of 41.1 yards.
Leigh Tiffin is an experience kicker, who made 106 points last season ranking as sixth in scoring in the SEC.
Alabama’s Schedule
The Tide is very deep after having back-to-back recruiting classes that ranked at or near the top in the country. If the offensive line can play well then Alabama may be able to be a top team again this year.
The opener against No. 7 Virginia Tech should be a huge sign as to how the Tide’s season will go, just as their blowout over Clemson was last year.
Other tough games on Alabama’s schedule are No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 11 LSU. Even though Tennessee and Auburn do not look as talented as the Tide, these rivals will be sure to put up a fight.
The main problem is that after going 12-0 in the regular season, Alabama will not be able to sneak up on opponents this year.
The only way for Saban’s team to improve from last season would be to win the SEC title, and that is a hard task with them most likely meeting Florida again if they make it to the championship.
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