 "Photo: Butch Dill/The Associated Press")
Alabama ended last season with a nasty taste in its mouth. No, it wasn’t another loss to Auburn but it was a loss — two of them in a row, actually — to the eventual national champs and the team that finished right behind them in the final Associated Press poll.
After an abysmal first year under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide were riding high for a good part of last season, sitting atop the polls for five straight weeks. That sweet ride ended, though, in the SEC Championship game against Florida. After changing their luggage from beach wear to Mardi Gras beads, the team headed to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl against undefeated Utah. Only they forgot their best player, Andre Smith, and maybe even how to play football altogether, as they were rolled by the Utes.
Now this season, they’ve got to continue to play without Smith, who left school early for the draft, and without three-year starter John Parker Wilson under center. But what they do have returning on offense is arguably the nation’s best receiver, Julio Jones.
Jones will catch passes from Greg McElroy. The junior quarterback has only 16 completions in college, and may not have much more if his young offensive line can’t protect him. Along with the loss of Smith, Alabama loses an All-SEC center and its starting right guard — making the offensive line, and subsequently the offense as a whole, the team’s weakest link.
What’s keeping Alabama alive, aside from outstanding recruiting and one of the nation’s best coaches in Saban, is its defense. This squad ranked seventh overall in the nation and has one of the nation’s best linebacking crews, led by junior Rolando McClain. While it looks like the NFL is in his future, his head coach has some questions about his role as a leader on the team.
“[McClain] needs to affect other people on the defense in a positive way,” Saban said. “It’s something we’re lacking from a leadership standpoint. Can he be that guy? Can he make that impact on others?”
Leadership aside, McClain and his fellow linebackers’ jobs will be made much easier by the men in the trenches. The defensive front is anchored by senior Terrence Cody, a 365-pound giant who is expected to be picked in the first round of next year’s NFL Draft. Despite only one year of experience, Cody should be a run-stuffing threat that will make teams try and pass the ball instead, which may be where teams will find the most success.
Florida’s Tim Tebow and Utah’s Brian Johnson exposed the Alabama secondary at the end of last season, and the loss of Rashad Johnson doesn’t help anything. The defense will depend on senior Javier Arenas to hold down the secondary and round out what should be one of the country’s best defenses.
The Crimson Tide will open their season against a strong Virginia Tech team in Atlanta. for the second annual Chick-fil-A kickoff classic. Other than that game, the rest of the non-conference season should be a cakewalk. The Crimson Tide are expected to win the SEC West and face Florida again for the SEC championship, but they have to get by Ole Miss first.
Team name: Alabama Crimson Tide
Head coach: Nick Saban
Conference: SEC
2008 record: 12-2
Players to watch:
- Julio Jones — Sophomore — WR
2008: 58 rec. / 924 yds / 4 TDs
The highly touted recruit lived up to the expectations in 2008, and looks to be one of the few sure things on Alabama’s offense. - Terrence Cody — Senior — DL
2008: 24 tackles / 4.5 TFL
Despite only having one year of experience as a starter, Cody should be the leader of both the defensive line and the team as a whole.
Game to watch: Oct. 10 at Ole Miss.
If the Crimson Tide want to make it back to the SEC Championship game, they’ll have to get through this road game first. In the last three seasons, Alabama has only beaten the Rebels by 10 points.
The word on Alabama: Expectations are always high in Tuscaloosa, and Alabama’s breakout season last year only raised the bar. The Crimson Tide will rely on their defense to keep them in the game while their offense matures. Alabama expects to be back in the SEC championship game against Florida where the Crimson Tide faithful hope revenge awaits.
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