Nick Saban has to be excited about his team playing the Ole Ball Coach and his South Carolina Gamecocks this week for Homecoming.
It is the perfect scenario for Saban and his coaching staff.
Homecoming week is typically filled with tons of off-field distractions, and usually this leads to teams playing whichever high school is available at the time. However for a team like this year’s Alabama team, the No. 22 Gamecocks are a much better date.
This Alabama team is about bettering themselves every week, playing to be the best, and staying focused. That mentality is better suited to have a ranked conference opponent as a homecoming date instead of an FCS opponent.
For more reasons than just staying focused, having a Steve Spurrier team to play for homecoming is a very good thing.
Steve may not be the same guy that was funning and gunning his way through the SEC in the '90s, but he still garners national attention. His South Carolina team is more than capable of pulling the upset if Alabama takes them lightly, and everyone is well aware of this.
More importantly, this game is a recruiting dream come true. To have a nationally televised game for homecoming will be an atmosphere like none other.
John Fulton is the only big uncommitted recruit coming this week, but he is still enough to make this a recruiting dream. To have a top-level recruit on campus for homecoming to witness Alabama destroy a ranked South Carolina team that is Alabama's only real competition for his signature has to make Nick smile.
Every game day atmosphere across the SEC is special, but homecoming at Tuscaloosa is a whole different animal. Joe Namath, Ozzie Newsome, Leroy Jordan, Bart Starr, and Gene Stallings are all regulars on homecoming week. Imagine having that lineup to show off to recruits and a nationally televised audience.
This will be a special game for Alabama as it still fights for recognition and to come out of the shadow of Florida, so to have Steve Spurrier as your date who can still turn some heads and draw you attention is the hottest date in town.
So stay focused, Crimson Tide, and play a complete game—Steve is one date that you don't want to get lucky!
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In a day gone by this matchup between Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban would have been a classic showdown between two coaches at the top of their game.
For all intents and purposes, Steve Spurrier was the Nick Saban of the 1990s. He was one of the hottest names in college football, and he and his Florida Gators terrorized the SEC for most of a decade.
When he arrived in Gainesville to take over the reins at the University of Florida, there really wasn't much hoopla from the rest of the SEC. Spurrier was known for running some kinda gadget offense call, Fun and Gun?
It sounded like something from another planet to SEC fans, and everyone was sure the Fun and Gun would just be one and done in the SEC.
It wasn't long before SEC fans realized just how wrong they had been. Within a few years Florida was making the rest of the teams in the SEC look like they were running in slow motion.
| Championships | |
|---|---|
| 1996 National Championship 1989 ACC Championship 1991 SEC Championship 1993 SEC Championship 1994 SEC Championship 1995 SEC Championship 1996 SEC Championship 2000 SEC Championship |
|
| Awards | |
| As a Coach 1988 ACC Coach of the Year 1989 ACC Coach of the Year 1990 SEC Coach of the Year 1991 SEC Coach of the Year 1994 SEC Coach of the Year 1995 SEC Coach of the Year 1996 SEC Coach of the Year 2005 SEC Coach of the Year |
|
Spurrier and his Gators won the SEC championship in his second year. He then proceeded to win five out of six SEC Championships.
The Gators actually won the SEC Championship in Spurrier's first year as well, but were ineligible due to NCAA sanctions.
His only miss in the following five years was in 1992 when the soon to be National Champions, Alabama Crimson Tide, edged out the Gators in the inaugural SEC Championship Game that was, at that time, held in Birmingham, Al.
That was just a bump in the road for Spurrier as the Gators went on to win the next four in a row, which culminated with Florida winning its first National Championship in 1996.
Spurrier was arrogant and cocky back then, but he could back up almost everything he said on the football field on Saturday. He was probably the most hated rival coach in NCAA football.
Nick Saban splashed on the SEC scene in much the same way Spurrier did some 10 years earlier.
Saban came to LSU form Michigan State, and pretty much took the SEC by storm the same way Spurrier did at Florida. The only difference was that it only took Saban three years to win his first National Championship, instead of taking six years like Spurrier.
Spurrier and Nick Saban have something else in common, they both left their successful situations to try their hand in the NFL. Both men's formula for success in college football did not translate to success in professional football.
You see, their real talent was in convincing great athletes to come and play for them, and in the NFL your hands are tied and someone else decides who plays on your team, not you.
Spurrier had been one of the hottest names since he returned to NCAA football. He was rumored to be courted by almost every team in the SEC, at one time or another, after he left the Washington Redskins in 2003.
He chose the University of South Carolina for his return to greatness, and after almost five years, he now seems to be only a shadow of his former self.
He was voted the SEC Coach of the Year in 2005, but failed to capitalize on that as the Gamecocks show little sign of improvement in the years to follow.
Spurrier's Gamecocks have lost at least five games every season under Spurrier, and have a less than impressive 15-17 record in SEC play.
The one thing Spurrier has done at USC is upset some pretty good teams.
He has upset almost every decent team in the SEC at one time or another, and now his sites are set on No.2 Alabama.
Nick Saban's story has been completely the opposite of Spurrier's since his return to college football in 2006.
He has taken the Alabama Crimson Tide from the outhouse to the penthouse in three short years, and is now staring straight down his sites at his second possible National Championship.
He also was named National Coach of the Year, and has parlayed that into a back to back No. 1 recruiting classes, and a football program that is now on the verge of greatness.
Saban has acquired the affectionate nickname the "Sabanator" by some Alabama fans, due to his unintentional knack of ending many former SEC coaches coaching careers.
Saban's next obstacle between him and his Alabama team's shot at history is Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Head Ball Coach will square off with the "Sabanator" at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 17 at 6:30 CST in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
It will be Spurrier's offense against Saban's defense.
It will be Spurrier's knack for being a giant killer, against Saban's ability keep his team focused and on an even keel.
South Carolina is 5-1 with their only loss to Georgia coming in the last minutes of the game.
Alabama is 6-0 but hasn't faced a team with a better defense than South Carolina's.
The key to this game, in my opinion, is whether Alabama's defense can hold the Gamecocks offense under 20 points.
This will be key, because I expect the Gamecocks to try and limit Alabama's offense to less than 30 points.
Turnovers will be important, and the winner of the turnover battle should win this game.
Touchdowns will be hard to come by due to both teams great defenses.
South Carolina's passing defense is ranked No. 6 in the country, and Alabama's defense in ranked No. 2 in the nation in total defense.
To give you an idea of just how good the Gamecocks' passing defense is, they are ranked ahead of Alabama's passing defense, and the Crimson Tides' pass defense ain't bad!
With all that said:
I know Alabama must be getting tired, but they have to find a way to dig deep enough to beat the Gamecocks if they intend to continue their march to Atlanta and play in the SECCG.
No.2 Alabama 30
South Carolina 20
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I'm from Texas and I wear Texas orange and white just like all the rest of you who are utterly disgusted by my article's title.
However, I'm a sportswriter first and as a sportswriter, I have to agree with Texas being placed at number three in the rankings. I'm not surprised by the flipping of Alabama and Texas at all.
First off, who has Texas beaten worth mentioning? Texas Tech? Please, they should have rubbed it in by 20 points. Tech didn't have Michael Crabtree or Graham Harrell attacking Texas this time. Texas didn't truly avenge the last second loss of last year in my eyes.
UTEP, Louisiana-Monroe, Colorado, and Wyoming?
I'm sorry. I must have dozed off for a minute. What was I talking about?
What else is there? Hmmm... how about the fact that the Longhorns aren't showing the same spark as last year.
Just watching Colt McCoy last year was wonderful. He had eight interceptions over the entire year, but he already has six this year.
The Longhorns are winning little games with big errors along the way. How is a team that is supposed to win the National Championship supposed to play?
The return game is excellent, defense is great, but offensively, I don't see anyone who is really being a star other than Jordan Shipley.
Off the top of my head, the only offensive player the Longhorns lost was Quan Cosby. I'm sorry, but this team should be lazy because of his absence.
I said it and I mean it. They almost look lazy out there at times. They act as if the National Championship will be handed to them, and I expected the exact opposite. I expected them to come out with a chip on their shoulders the size of Mount Rushmore.
They haven't impressed me this season. Maybe they can really show how good they are against the Sooners this Saturday.
Now, what about Alabama?
The Tide is as high as a tsunami, and I think it won't crash very soon. This Alabama team is just amazing. Nick Saban knows how to play college football, and he's good at teaching it.
The Tide, in the first week of the season, took out Virginia Tech with a score of 34-24. Now, ten points in Texas' case was not a lot, but in Alabama's it was because Virginia Tech is still ranked fourth in the nation, and Alabama beat them week one.
Again, week one! The first week of the season is supposed to be tune-up games for big schools. They want to put their team against an inferior group, and blow them out of the water to build confidence in the players and to see what errors need to be corrected before they face the big competition.
Oklahoma decided to be cocky and took on Brigham Young and lost Sam Bradford and the game in the process because they weren't gelling.
However, Nick Saban had his team better prepared than Bob Stoops, and despite having a brand new quarterback and running back, the Tide still defeated a very good team.
Then, this past Saturday, the Tide really impressed me. I finally had one of their games come on my TV, and I made sure to watch it.
Alabama versus Ole Miss. Supposed to be a great game with great rivals. The Rebels had lost the previous five meetings by a combined total of 13 points.
The idea was that this would be the year they got it done because eventually Alabama is going to lose of those close games. All Ole Miss needed in those situations were a first down here, a stop here or a little more time on the clock. They were those kind of games, so I sat down and waited.
The first quarter was almost up before the Tide scored on a 25 yard field goal. It was a game where you were constantly wondering when the big play was going to happen.
This is college ball, the big play is supposed to happen. The ridiculous 89 yard touchdown run or the great inbounds catch by the wide receiver. The game looked almost like an NFL game for a bit because of how hard it looked for the offenses to get anything going.
Greg McElroy looked okay, but he was inaccurate and inconsistent at times. Mark Ingram was the offense, and you can't win a game with a running back alone. You need help from the defense or quarterback.
The Tide defense was incredible; holding Ole Miss to negative rushing yards in the first half. Ole Miss's lead rusher was the quarterback Jevan Snead with 44 yards.
How sad is that?
The Tide dominated the Rebels from start to finish, and held them to three points in a 22-3 win.
So much for those close game predictions.
Ole Miss is a very good team, and the Tide won it easily in the end with five turnovers, four interceptions and a fumble recovery.
My eyes don't deceive me nor does the fact that I was born a Texan blind me. The Tide is a better football team than Texas right now. Texas needs to step up and show its true might against Oklahoma, who will be out to ruin their season since they have no real chance at the National Title.
Until then, Alabama deserves its number two ranking, and if Florida had not beaten LSU, but some other medium team, I'd want Alabama at number one.
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Houston Nutt's coaching career has been an enigma.
He is one of those coaches that always seem on the brink of greatness, but never quite reaches his potential.
He is known for great upsets like beating the No.1 Florida Gators at home, and last year's biggest surprise in the BCS Bowl Series when he took his Rebels to the Cotton Bowl and upset the highly regarded Texas Tech Red Raiders.
He is also known for losing important games like the one with unranked South Carolina just when No. 4 Ole' Miss Rebels were on the brink of finally getting nationwide recognition.
Nutt seems to thrive most when he and his teams are an underdog but always seems to struggle just when he and his teams are on the verge of real success.
This has always been the case for the former Arkansas Razorback quarterback.
Houston Nutt was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and was the last player ever recruited by the great Frank Broyles just before he retired as Coach of the Razorbacks in 1976.
Nutt only played one year at Arkansas and transferred to Oklahoma State when Lou Holtz brought the option offense to Fayetteville in 1977.
Nutt graduated from Oklahoma State in 1981 and from there went straight into coaching becoming an assistant coach at Oklahoma State as the receivers coach for the Cowboys.
After several other coaching stop that included Boise State he was hired as the Head Coach at Arkansas Razorbacks in 1987.
He immediately began improving the struggling Razorback football program that had only appeared in two bowl games in the previous eight years.
Nutt preceded to take Arkansas to new heights as the Razorbacks appeared in three New Year's Day bowl games over the next five years.
Still Nutt was never able to get Arkansas to reach its full potential that he was expecting and Arkansas fans were demanding.
Houston Nutt's finally wore out his welcome in 2007 after several off the field controversies that had been swirling around the Razorback football program finally lead to his resignation on Nov. 26, 2007.
He wasn't unemployed long though and was hired by the Ole Miss Rebels the very next day.
Nutt had an immediate impact on Ole Miss football and led the Rebels to their best season in since Eli Manning lead the Rebels to a 10-3 season in 2003 going 9-4 and accepting a bid to the Cotton Bowl where his Rebels defeated Texas Tech in a shocker.
Going into 2009 the Rebels held their highest preseason national ranking in Ole Miss. history. It was short lived though as the No. 4 Rebels were beaten in Columbia, SC by the unranked Gamecocks in their third game of the season.
This brings us to today and to Oct.10, 2009 where the Ole Miss is set to play the No. 3 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at 3:30 EST on CBS.
This is exactly the type of game that Houston Nutt lives for because he is at his best when things are at their worst. Nutt is one of the best underdog coaches in America.
He relishes the underdog role and can motivate his teams to accomplish miraculous things when the chips are down. He excels the most when he and his team are overlooked and he is able to inspire his team to play their very best game when things look almost hopeless.
I believe he will have his Rebels convinced that Saturday's game against No. 3 Alabama is Ole Miss's chance to show the nation that they really are a Top 10 and deserved the preseason No. 4 ranking.
He will have his team chomping at the bit to redeem themselves and earn back the respect and ranking they deserve.
He will tell them that this is their opportunity to get right back in the SEC and BCS National Title race and they will believe every word he says.
He will tell them they have everything to win and nothing to lose and that will make them a very dangerous team.
Alabama had better show up expecting to play for the SEC and National Title on Saturday because Alabama will face a team will be convinced that is exactly what they are playing for and that is exactly what is at stake.
Houston Nutt has shown the trait of not being able to handle success, but he has also shown the ability to be very dangerous when backed into a corner.
I look for Ole Miss to play their very best in this game and Alabama will have to use every weapon at their disposal to leave Oxford with their undefeated record still intact.
I predict this will be a classic SEC battle and the outcome could be determined in the final minutes of the game. Remember Alabama hasn't beaten Ole Miss by more than 4 points in the last four meetings.
One thing is for sure, this is Houston Nutt's kind of game and Saban will need all of his experience and wisdom if he expects to continue The Crimson Tides march to Atlanta and beyond.
The reason for my warning is simple, Houston Nutt will be a "Rebel With A Cause" when the he and Saban meet and only one team will still control their destiny as the final seconds tick off the clock in Oxford Saturday night.
This game has been circled on both teams schedule all year and for those Alabama fans that are discounting Ole Miss's chances this weekend I say this, hang on to your Houndstooth hats, it's going to be a rough ride!
I feel certain that Ole Miss will approach this game in the same way they approached the Florida game at this time last year. They will feel confident that a win against Alabama would turn their season around and will turn heads in the polls as well.
It will be up to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide to see that they do not achieve the same results they had in Gainesville, Fla.
Should Alabama be upset in this game it would make the road ahead and the return to Atlanta look very difficult indeed.
There is something about this game that makes me very uncomfortable, and unless you are drinking way too much Crimson Kool-Aid you should be feeling that way too.
Alabama should beat Ole Miss Saturday, but only if they play up to their full potential, anything less could cost Alabama big time.
Coach Saban knows very well what is at stake and it is up to him to get it across to this team that Ole Miss means business.
Alabama needs to arrive in Oxford, Miss. with malice in their hearts and total domination on their minds. If that happens then Alabama fans and the Crimson Tide football team should wake up Sunday still undefeated with destiny in hand.
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If you're not an Alabama Crimson Tide fan or an SEC fan period, then you may have no idea who this man is, yet he is just as good as, if not better than, anyone else in the nation.
His name is Greg McElroy.
The University of Alabama has been doing well over the past few years, and many can say it is because of Nick Saban. But while Saban is a good coach, and has really helped out the team, the players still have to go out there and play.
Which means we need to highlight certain individuals who are doing well, and McElroy is undoubtedly among them.
This is his first year starting in college and that made many people wonder, "Can he do well in a place like the SEC, especially in a place like Alabama where fans put a lot of pressure on players to do well?"
Usually we see people struggle during their first year, especially in the SEC, mainly because the defenses are so great. The top defenses in the nation in any given year usually come from the SEC, and this year is no different. In fact, Alabama's D is considered the best.
In Alabama, people like to talk early about awards. Fans here think Rolando McClain will be the defensive player of the year, and that Julio Jones will be the receiver of the year. And you'd be surprised at how convincing the arguments are for those two.
But McElroy is a person no one expected to do as well as he is doing, and, in my opinion, he is a dark horse in the Heisman race.
He is on par with or better than anyone in the nation right now. If you think I'm nuts, check out his numbers: McElroy has completed 78 of 119 passes for a 65.5 completion percentage, 1086 passing yards, 9 TDs, and only 1 INT, and a 165.5 QB Rating.
That is as good as or better than Tebow, Bradford, and even McCoy.
Sure, the numbers for all three will increase when they return from injury, but McElroy will also keep getting better. When you are on par with the big three in the nation, and have better numbers than each of them, you should be considered on the Heisman race with all three.
When the season started, people thought Bradford would repeat or Tebow would come out and win another. Some even thought McCoy was due, and would have a great season ending up with a Heisman Trophy.
While I think McCoy will still have a great season, McElroy faces some of the best defenses in the nation and still gets things done.
Some people are going to say that McElroy struggles in games sometimes, especially at the start of them. But the great part about him is that he is finishing games strong. And unlike McCoy, Tebow, or Bradford, he has a great running game to open up the passing for him.
Alabama is the only team that has four running backs playing every game, where all get at least five or six carries. And the feature back, Ingram, doesn't always get the most carries. The ball goes to the one who is hot at the time. If that is Ingram, then he gets the bulk of the carries.
All of the backs are getting their numbers, and there is complete selflessness there. The question mark at the beginning of the season was not the running game but the O-line, and, as I mentioned before, the QB position.
Both are doing well, which is surprising. McElroy took over for a QB in John Parker Wilson who was good but not great. The O-line had to replace Caldwell and Smith, two of the best O-linemen in the nation last year.
The absence of Smith in the Utah game last year showed, as the team had to do four line changes, which is more than they had done all year during a game. 'Bama ended up losing, despite many believing the Tide was the better team.
This year, the line is holding up well and blocking as good as any in the nation right now. McElroy gets plenty of time to throw and he has some nice guys there to throw to in Jones, Maze, Hanks, and others.
Not to mention, the backs are not back there to run all of the time. Ingram has the most receptions on the team right now, and he is the feature back! It is just a pure "team" with McElroy running the offense.
With the team scoring 30-plus points a game, his numbers will continue to rise. He may even lead them to a National Title.
His numbers speak for themselves, and while he may not be considered the best as far as pure ability is concerned, he is still getting the job done, well, better than others.
The dark horse in this Heisman race is McElroy, and we should not be surprised to see him in New York later in the year if he keeps up the great play.
If he does take the award, he'd be the first in University of Alabama history.
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Alabama coach Nick Saban said junior Terry Grant will be an option at tailback and wide receiver, where he moved in practice this week.
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Nick Saban, you are just a mean, mean man. How dare you talk to the media that way!
It would seem that Nick Saban being voted as one of the most hated sports figures in the country has had no effect on his dealings with the press. He is up to his old tricks again and giving the media hell at a recent press conference.
The Alabama sports media is up in arms because Saban laid down the law to its members again. It seems as though some sports writers have been trying to fill in the blanks on Alabama's starting lineup for 2009.
Yes, some writers are posting the starting lineup as though they know it for a fact.
Saban, in his usual straightforward manner, let them know that that sort of speculation was causing problems on his team. This was due to fact that players were reading in the media that this player or that player was being named by the media as a starter.
Saban said, "I have players coming up to me asking if another player will be starting."
I believe Saban has a point; listing or posting starting lineups in a way that seems official is not fair to the players. One player may think he has won a spot that he hasn't won yet, and another may think he has lost his chance based on false information.
Saban said in so many words, either respect this request, or I will close practice.
Saban has every right to close practice if he chooses. The media is there only at Coach Saban's pleasure. Yet the media seems to feel it is their right to attend practices. They had to be reminded again that is not the case, and Saban was just the man for that job.
All that aside, what is up with the media getting their feelings hurt because Saban is being mean to them? Why is okay for the media to push a coach back in a corner, but it is not okay for the coach to push back?
I know Saban can be abrasive, but if you want to interview coaches like Saban then you had better grow a pair or maybe you should just stay at the office where it's safe.
Every time this happens I get a good chuckle when these media types run to their laptops and microphones to tell the public about mean ol' Nick Saban raising his voice at them. My God, this is football, not figure-skating. Be a man, don't wet yourself and come running to us every time he hurts your feelings.
The only difference between a coach like Saban and these media types is they aren't brave enough to confront him until they are safely back at the office or the studio. Then they get on their radio shows and write their columns and say the things they could have said to his face if they just had the courage.
There is a pack mentality among sports writers, if you dare stand up to one of them, then they all go on the attack. If coaches or players in the sports world do not give them what they want, the way they want it, when they want it, they all go nuts.
They expect sports figures to answer the question and then say, "Thank you sir, may I have another," or they all get their panties in a wad. If the coach refuses then they spend the next few days whining and crying to anyone who will listen or taking them to task for daring to not cooperate with them.
What the media fails to see is that this is Nick Saban's football program, and he runs it the way he sees fit. They are allowed some insight into its inner sanctum to write their reports and give their opinions, but it is not their job to name the starting lineup.
That is Saban's job, and he let the media know that without a doubt that anyone who wants to do his job will be cut out of the inner-circle and if that means closing practice, he would do just that.
Keep in mind Saban's history with the media. It has been a nightmare of an experience for him. Every time he has relaxed and tried to be open with the media they have cut him off at the knees. Going all the way back to Saban leaving LSU and later leaving Miami for the Alabama job, he has been mercilessly hounded and vilified by the sports media.
Remember, it was the media that hounded Saban for an answer in south Florida, and when he didn't give them an answer they continued to hound him until he was forced to say, "if you want me to say I am not going to Alabama then I will say it, I am not going to Alabama." Think about it, what else could he say? "Look guys, I am considering the Alabama job, so bag up the footballs, the season is over?"
His job at that time was coaching the Miami Dolphins and he was doing that job when he told the press what they wanted to hear in order to not distract his team from the task at hand.
Then, when he did make the decision to leave he was called a liar and a phony by the same writers who had forced that answer out of him in the first place.
There is an old saying: "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."
Saban learned the hard way that the media is his friend only long enough for him to drop his guard, and then he is fair game and an easy target.
I don't blame Saban one bit for his demeanor when dealing with these media hyenas. In fact, if the media were to take a poll they would find out that most Alabama fans love it when he gives it back to them.
I know I do.
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Though no game goes as expected, it is sure easier to pick winners and losers than the things most fans won't expect to see, but here's this author's feeble attempt.
The things that will surprise Virginia Tech are:
1. "Boy, that QB doesn't look like a first game starter." John Parker Wilson was a game manager; Greg McElroy is a game changer. Look for some deep balls and quick scores.
Though Nick Saban will go to the grind-it-out game at times, he's going to let coach Jim McElwain loose for a few good plays that will scare the rest of the teams on our schedule to death.
2. "I thought Bama wasn't supposed to have a pass rush." Uh-oh, Tech, Nick brought over one of the best sack coaches from the NFL to work with the defensive line this year, and boy, is it showing up in practice now.
Sal Sunseri, a former linebacker himself in college and the pros, spent the last six years with the Carolina Panthers and helped develop the NFL's best sacker.
Known for his intensity and great on-field coaching ability, he'll have the Tide causing Tyrod Taylor all kinds of problems.
3. "Alabama's offensive line wasn't supposed to be this good this year." Despite the fact that many thought last year's line was one of the best, Saban says this one has more potential.
Not only that, but he says it may actually be more physical. Uh-oh, Tech, somebody didn't get the memo on this one.
But before you think it's all one-sided, I think the Tide fans should hear the following warnings about Virginia Tech:
1. "I thought this quarterback was an interception machine." Frank Beamer is one of the smartest coaches on a sideline today. Yes, Taylor threw a lot of picks last year, but he won a lot of games too.
Beamer lets him loose in games he feels he can overcome a pick or two. In this game, Taylor will stick to safer throws and one-on-one coverages. I don't think you'll see him try to force anything into two-deep coverage.
Plus, he's a year older and a little wiser now. I think his numbers in the INT category will settle down, and he could surprise Bama with a long one or two himself.
2. "Hey, I thought this was going to be another ACC defense." Virginia Tech will bring a SEC-type defense that can muscle with the best of them.
Alabama's best hope of consistently cracking that line with their running backs may be for McElroy to live up to surprise No. 1 on the Bama list and make them respect the pass.
3. "What just happened? I thought they lost their best running back with an injury!" Well, they did lose their most experienced, but maybe not their best.
Ryan Williams is lightning in a bottle, and if he gets a step on the outside, Alabama better pray that Javier Arenas has an angle on him.
Plus, they have sophomore Josh Oglesby, who is similar to injured star Darren Evans. He's a little less physical but maybe a step faster.
In all, Tech has a good stable of backs and plenty of time to prepare them.
So one can only hope your game isn't spoiled with giving all the surprises away beforehand. Tell your friends what's going to happen and take credit for being so "in the know," and if it doesn't happen, then we'll all be surprised together.
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Gone is running back Glen Coffee and his 2,458 yards and 16 touchdowns. Gone is quarterback J.P. Wilson, the record holder in almost every single University of Alabama passing category. Gone is left tackle Andre Smith, the All-American, Outland Trophy winner.
The Alabama offense has some huge holes to fill in 2009 if the team has any hopes of a repeat trip to Atlanta to play in the SEC championship game.
Quarterback
Redshirt junior Greg McElroy surprised many when he grabbed the starting job and didn't look back. McElroy has been solid through the spring and in the beginning of fall camp.
McElroy showed flashes of his potential last season. His 34-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Maze in the annual Iron Bowl game against Auburn ignited the excitement of Alabama fans everywhere.
In McElroy's first season as a starter at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas, he threw for 4,636 yards and 56 touchdowns. Clearly, he knows how to pass the football.
McElroy is a very accurate passer and a student of the game. He's a very smart player who has put in extra work in the film room.
Redshirt freshman Star Jackson, blue chip freshman A.J. McCarron, and walk-on Thomas Darrah have battled for the No. 2 position on the team.
Jackson, an athletic, mobile player, has struggled to completely pick up on some aspects of the offensive schemes. Still, coach Nick Saban has praised the quarterback in recent days for his leadership, effort, and athletic ability.
McCarron, a true freshman with a strong arm, is a bit undersized and needs to bulk up to take the pounding of a full SEC schedule. Reports out of spring and fall camp have indicated McCarron has been very impressive in his passing ability. He's displayed a strong arm and nice accuracy.
Darrah, a walk-on player, has a really strong arm, but has struggled with consistency.
Jackson appears to be the leader for the number two position, while coaches hope McCarron can have a redshirt year to learn the offense and have a year under the strength and conditioning program to add some size to his 6'4" frame.
Running Back
Freshman All-American Mark Ingram returns for his sophomore season as the starting running back. Last season, Ingram gained 728 yards with 12 touchdowns as Coffee's back up. Ingram is a 230-pound bruising runner who can run quite effectively between the tackles.
Senior Roy Upchurch, a quick, shifty runner, has shown the potential of game-breaking ability in the past. Last season, Upchurch battled with a neck injury but appears to be healthy now. In limited action, Upchurch tallied 350 yards and four touchdowns.
Junior Terry Grant, a fast scatback, has re-established himself this fall as a potential playmaker in 'Bama's offense.
Grant rushed for 890 yards with eight touchdowns in 2007. In 2008, nagging injuries and some inconsistency kept him off the field. Now Grant has returned healthy and been impressive in practice.
Heralded incoming freshmen Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy are both big, powerful backs. Both have shown ability and impressed in fall camp, but both will need to fight hard for playing time with the three veterans in front of them playing well.
Alabama is extremely deep at the running back position, and early playing time there will be hard to come by barring injuries.
Wide Receiver/Tight Ends
Freshman All-American Julio Jones returns for his sophomore season as the biggest play threat on the Tide offense.
In his first season at 'Bama, Jones caught 58 passes for 924 yards with four touchdowns and displayed the ability to make big catches at critical times.
This season, Saban has indicated that Jones will be moved around to make covering him more difficult for opposing defenses.
Coaches have hoped someone else would step up opposite Jones to take some pressure off of him. The leading candidate through fall camp seems to be redshirt sophomore Marquis Maze.
Maze showed flashes of his potential last year. The speedster has the ability to stretch the field and be the perfect complement to Jones' more physical receiving style. Maze was very impressive during the spring and has received praise from Saban in fall camp as a player who can be a playmaker for the Tide.
Senior Mike McCoy, sophomore Darius Hanks, junior Earl Alexander and true freshman Kevin Norwood have been battling for playing time as well.
Norwood has been impressive and caught three passes for 60 yards in the most recent scrimmage. Hanks has had an impressive fall camp and showed flashes of potential last season.
McCoy has been inconsistent in the past, and has worked hard to improve this summer. Alexander has battled some injuries that have prevented him from contributing as much as he would like, but appears healthy now.
Senior transfer Colin Peek, a former Georgia Tech tight end, was very impressive last season in fall camp. Peek unsuccessfully petitioned the NCAA to not have to sit the 2008 season out.
Peek is a receiving threat and should excel in a Jim McElwain offense. At 6'6", 260 pounds, Peek has the size to take advantage of certain personnel groupings he will face on defense. Peek has battled a fracture on his foot but expects to be ready by the opening game. Peek has emerged as the No. 1 tight end.
About midway through the 2008 season, freshman Brad Smelley worked his way into the playing rotation at tight end. He went on to catch seven passes for 98 yards in limited action.
Smelley had a knack for big catches on third down. At 6'3", 218 pounds, Smelley will likely be utilized as he was last season, as a situational player on passing downs.
Junior Preston Dial, a 6'3", 245-pound tight end, notched one catch last season. Like Smelley, Dial is thought more of as a hybrid, situational player.
Redshirt freshman Michael Williams, a 6'6", 270-pound tight end, emerges as the most likely blocking tight end to replace Travis McCall. Williams is a very strong player with the size to be quite effective as a run blocker.
Offensive Line
Juco transfer James Carpenter steps into the LT position formerly held by Outland trophy winner Andre Smith. Carpenter has been solid through spring and fall camp and impressed coaches through both. Alabama DC Kirby Smart stated that Carpenter was a solid, SEC caliber lineman.
Carpenter has been impressive enough that heralded freshman DJ Fluker has been working with the second administrative grouping at RT.
Fluker reported to fall camp in less than excellent condition. Coaches weren't pleased by his offseason efforts in that department and have since had him in a strict conditioning program. Fluker has shown the potential that he was recruited for, but needs time in the program to mature and get to the proper conditioning levels.
Junior William Vlachos, a weight room warrior, has taken over the starting position at center. Vlachos has performed well in camp and has a solid hold on the position.
Right guard is the position that is still unsettled on the line. Redshirt freshman Barrett Jones has now emerged as the leader for the RG spot. Jones manned the spot in the Tide's first scrimmage of fall camp and held onto to it after the coaches analyzed the film.
In a press conference held after the scrimmage, Saban was asked about Jones by media representatives from al.com and responded:
"He has been doing the best job today, to this point," Saban said of Jones after the scrimmage, "but we've got a lot of competition at a lot of positions."
Sophomore Alfred McCullough had also been battling for the position and spent some time with the first grouping, but was inconsistent.
LG Mike Johnson returns as does RT Drew Davis. Both are solid, SEC linemen.
The keys for the Alabama offense this season clearly rest upon how effective Greg McElroy and the new starters are on the offensive line.
With the exception of RG, most of those positions have been solid in fall camp and coaches hope Jones will be the final piece to the puzzle on the offensive line.
Alabama will continue to try and establish the running game and utilize a short to mid-range passing attack. If Alabama is able to receive serviceable play at quarterback and the offensive line gels, look for the Tide to contend for an SEC title and be a player in the national title hunt as well.
Related posts
If you follow the talking heads of college football, all the experts believe that Alabama will be taking a step back this season. They say that a nine or 10 win season is to be expected barring a complete meltdown.
CFN even goes so far as to say that one of ‘Bama’s losses will be in the Iron Bowl (laughable).
Here is a list of Alabama’s supposed short-comings, the three key games for the Tide this season, and why they will once again run the table.
Yes, I am an Alabama fan. This article is filled with bias. Deal.
Alabama’s Short-Comings
Quarterback
Junior QB Greg McElroy takes over for three-year starter John Parker Wilson. McElroy is used to waiting his turn to shine. He backed up former Missouri QB Chase Daniel while at Southlake Carroll High School.
During Alabama spring camp, McElroy was the clear choice for the No. 1 signal caller and performed admirably in the A-Day game.
He picked right back up where he left off when fall camp started, prompting coach Nick Saban to say that McElroy is ahead of where they hoped he would be at this point in practice.
He has also continued to put up impressive numbers during team scrimmages this fall. And keep in mind that he practices every day against one of the best defenses in the nation.
Bottom line: McElroy will be a fine replacement for Wilson. He will be an improvement in the passing game with his arm, accuracy, touch, and decision-making abilities. However (knocking on wood), if McElroy goes down…
Running Back
This one is actually quite funny to me. I mean, are the “experts” serious? If nowhere else, the one position at which Alabama is stacked is tailback.
Three of the returning guys at this position have seen considerable time on the field (Ingram, Upchurch, and Grant) with two of them (Ingram and Grant) having been starters before.
Add to this list Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy (Rivals No. 2 and No. 13 RBs, respectively) and you have a deep, young, talented group.
Many of the pundits list this area as a weakness since Alabama doesn’t have a returning starter after having lost Glen Coffee to the NFL draft. I include Mark Ingram as a returning starter simply because he split time with Coffee in many of the games and even started a couple last season.
If Tyrod Taylor of VT can be considered a returning starter after sharing time with Sean Glennon, then Mark Ingram is also a returning starter.
Bottom Line: Alabama has a stable of talented running backs that is as deep as any in the country. Any team would be lucky to have these guys.
Offensive Line
This is the one area that concerns experts and fans alike, perhaps with good reason, after losing two All-Americans and another two-year starter. They do, however, return senior LG Mike Johnson and RT Drew Davis.
Once again, Nick Saban managed to pull in a slew of top recruits in 2009. One area of focus was the offensive line. Alabama took seven total linemen, including Rivals No. 1 DJ Fluker and Rivals No. 32 (No. 4 JUCO OL) James Carpenter, who is also a junior college All-American.
Both of these players have had an immediate impact in fall camp. It is reported that Carpenter has been dominant at the left tackle spot vacated by Andre Smith.
Fluker has not only been solid as an incoming freshman, but he has also shown his versatility by practicing both at tackle and guard.
William Vlachos, the strongest member of the Tide football team, looks to have locked down the center position. He practices every day against the best NT in the country in Terrance Cody.
Word out of fall camp is that he has been able to hold his own against Cody, so he should be just fine.
John Michael Boswell and Barrett Jones appear to also be doing very well in practice. Both have played sparingly in the past, but should be able to step in and contribute right away.
Bottom Line: According to Nick Saban, no position on the offensive line is set in stone. But the guys getting looks at each spot appear to be filling in quite nicely.
Practice is a far cry from real games, so we will see just how effective this line will be when they go up against the talented Hokie pass rush.
After having carefully watched spring and fall camps thus far, it is my opinion that the Alabama O-Line will be ready to go by the start of the season.
Three Key Games
Virginia Tech Hokies
I have done an article breaking down each team unit by unit already. In the end, I give Alabama the edge by a score of four units to one, with a couple washes mixed in.
While I believe both teams' defenses will be outstanding, I doubt Tech’s ability to move the football effectively either through the air or on the ground. Tyrod Taylor has never shown any indication that he can throw the ball. And with Darren Evans out, I am not sure how effective the Hokie rushing attack can be.
I do believe that because Alabama will be filling in their perceived holes, they will be able to move the football down the field consistently. As long as the Tide can establish the run—and I think they will—they will win this game.
Ole Miss Rebels
Get on the bandwagon while you can, folks. Everyone—and I mean everyone—is raving about the Rebels. Will they live up to the hype? We will have to wait and see.
Ole Miss has a very good QB in Jevan Snead; there is no denying that. What is being overlooked is that they, too, are replacing a couple of offensive linemen, including All-American LT Michael Oher.
If this is a weakness for Alabama, then it is a weakness for Ole Miss. The Rebels are, however, talented on the offensive side of the ball. They can run and they can pass.
Can Alabama’s defense slow them down enough to win? Well, they did last year. Expectations are that this year’s version of the Alabama defense will be much better.
As for the Rebel defense, they were good against the run. They are replacing a lineman here, too, and pass rush specialist Greg Hardy is going to be hobbled after having a rod inserted into his ankle to correct an injury from last year that was aggravated in a car accident in July.
Ole Miss had serious issues defending against the pass already—finishing dead last in the conference in 2008—so Hardy’s injury can’t help if his pass rush ability is affected.
In the end, I think the Tide matches up with talent level and experience all over the field.
The Alabama defense will be the deciding factor in this game. If the secondary does its job against Snead and company and doesn’t let him beat them with his arm, Alabama wins this game.
LSU Tigers
The Tigers will be an improved bunch this season. This game will boil down to whether or not the LSU defense has greatly improved over last year. With the addition of John Chavis as defensive coordinator, this may very well be the case.
LSU’s offense will once again feature tailback Charles Scott. He is a beast to bring down. Jordan Jefferson looks to have won the starting job at QB and will be an improvement over Jarrett Lee.
This offense is as talented as any in the SEC.
The Tiger defense of 2008 was not typical of past units. Enter Chavis.
He can flat out coach. LSU should be a much better team in 2009 and will once again be a force in the SEC. Nick Saban turned this team from an SEC also-ran into a national champion by making them a defensive juggernaut.
Les Miles didn’t really continue this trend but looks to have learned his lesson by bringing in Chavis.
Alabama matches up well on both sides of the ball with LSU. Since I believe that this is the game that will ultimately decide the SEC West, it will come down to which team wants it more.
I believe that Alabama has some unfinished business with Tim Tebow and the Gators, and that will be the motivation they need to get past the Tigers.
Why Alabama Runs the Table
The remaining nine games should be wins for the Tide. I’m not overlooking any of them but UT, MSU, and Auburn are breaking in new coaches, the Hogs have no defense, Kentucky and South Carolina have no offense, and the out of conference slate aside from VT is weak.
If Alabama wins the three key games on their schedule, an undefeated regular season is almost a sure thing.
Of course, all of this is contingent upon Alabama avoiding the injury bug to major players. This is a better-conditioned, better-prepared, and stronger team, so hopefully they will be just as injury free as last season. Once again, knocking on wood…
So that’s my take on the 2009 Alabama football season. I welcome all comments and look forward to the discussions. If there is one thing I enjoy, it is talking SEC football.
Good luck to all on the season—until you face Alabama, that is.
Roll Tide!
