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Alabama Crimson Tide (Last Year: 12-2)
2009 College Football Season Preview:
Star Players:
RB Mark Ingram, RB Roy Upchurch, WR Julio Jones, WR Mike McCoy, T Drew Davis, G Mike Johnson, DE Brandon Deadrick, NT Terrence Cody, OLB Cory Reamer, ILB Rolando McClain, ILB Dont’a Hightower, OLB Brandon Fanney, CB/PR Javier Arenas, CB Kareem Jackson, S Justin Woodall.
Draft/Graduation/Transfer Losses:
QB John Parker Wilson, RB Glenn Coffee, TE Nick Walker, TE Travis McCall, T Andre Smith, G Marlon Davis, C Antoine Caldwell, DL Bobby Greenwood, FS Rashad Johnson.
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide Offense:
Probably the biggest loss for this Alabama offense is left tackle who bolted for the NFL Draft. He was an elite run blocker and he will be missed. Let’s not forget about the two other starters on the offensive line in Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis. Certainly, Nick Saban will miss their leadership and athleticism up front.
I still think it all starts up front for Alabama because this is where their season can be won or lost. If they can’t protect their quarterback, then obviously they can’t take advantage of their star receiver, Julio Jones.
It is very unclear who will start at left tackle. JUCO product James Carpenter should be in competition along with Tyler Love and true freshman blue-chip recruit D.J. Fluker. I think this position must be solidified for Alabama to repeat as SEC West Champs.
Mark Ingram is one of the most unhearleded running backs in the country going into his sophomore season, but rest assured he is beast mode. I love watching Ingram’s physicality on film and he has the speed to turn the corner on you. I expect Ingram to put up something close to 1,300 rushing yards next season, but he needs to improve his ability to pick up the blitz and catch the football.
Julio Jones was a superstar recruit who lived up to expectations as a freshman catching 58 balls for 924 yards. Some are comparing him to Calvin Johnson, but I’m not sure if he has Megatron’s speed to go along with his size… we’ll see.
Even though sophomore Greg McElroy beat out redshirt freshman Star Jackson in the spring, I expect the quarterback battle to continue during the season as Nick Saban finds out who “the guy” is.
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide Defense:
Many people say Alabama’s biggest strength defensively is their talent and athleticism. Wrong, because this year it is their experience. Alabama returns 10 of 11 starters and is looking to have the best defense in the country. Not that they made assignment mistakes before, but they will be all but eliminated because of the great experience on this team.
When you combine elite talent and a high amount of experience, a unit can really come together and dominate. I think Alabama will play on a different level next year and it will not shock me if they lead the country in yards per play and scoring defense.
Returning is nose tackle Terrence Cody who can plug three running lanes if he wants to. He is one of the top nose tackles who will be in the 2010 Draft, but there are concerns regarding his stamina and motor for four quarters. If he can answer these questions, he is a likely first-round pick.
The linebacking corps is simply elite. Rolando McClain and Dont’a Hightower have a lot of range and playmaking ability in the middle, and Cody Reamer and Brandon Fanney can get pressure outside. These linebackers keep SEC offensive coordinators up at night.
The defensive backfield will greatly miss Rashad Johnson’s leadership and the ability to change a game, but there is still talent here. Justin Woodall can play in the box and stop the run, but also has range in pass coverage. Javier Arenas and Kareem Jackson allow Nick Saban to run a lot of press man coverage to put the heat on opposing receivers and quarterbacks.
There isn’t much to say about the defense that hasn’t already been said. Alabama has one of the most dominant defenses in the country – period.
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide Schedule and Intangibles:
Javier Arenas is one of the best punt returners in the country with his vision and burst. He averaged 15.9 yards per punt return and he had three return touchdowns in 2008. He needs to step up his game again in 2009 to help the offense maintain good field position.
The punting and place kicking game is pretty average, though Leigh Tiffin needs to step up and be more accurate as a senior.
The schedule is very similar to 2008. The Crimson Tide again takes on the projected best team in the ACC, this year being Virginia Tech on Sept. 5, then also have three creampuffs thrown into the mix to balance their difficult SEC schedule.
The toughest home matchups look to be against Tennessee and LSU back-to-back. The Tennessee defense is one of the best in the country and will be able to get pressure on Alabama. LSU always seems to be good and many expect them to bounce back in 2009.
However, the SEC West title will all come down to the Oct. 10th matchup in Oxford against the Mississippi Rebels. This game could go either way. Alabama has their vaunting defense, but Mississippi has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Jevan Snead and a dominant offensive line. This game should be marked on the calendars of all college football diehards because so much is at stake.
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
Quarterbacks |
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Offensive Line |
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Secondary |
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Running Backs |
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Defensive Line |
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Special Teams |
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Receivers |
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Linebackers |
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Coaching |
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2009 Alabama Crimson Tide Analysis:
The offense all comes down to how well Nick Saban can replace Andre Smith, Marlon Davis and Antoine Caldwell. Greg McElroy or Star Jackson might end up being an upgrade over John Parker Wilson. Alabama fans I am sure are angry because I have them ranked behind Ole Miss, but there is only one reason for that: Ole Miss has Alabama at home. If Alabama had Ole Miss at home, I�d have them as SEC West champs. I think Alabama will embarrass the ACC again in demolishing Virginia Tech, but ultimately I think Mississippi squeaks by in the fourth quarter. I also see probably one more loss in the SEC whether it is to a team like LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina, etc.
Projection: 10-2
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