BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
The expectations for Alabama headed into this season are as varied as they've ever been in the Nick Saban era.
There are those like oddsmaker Danny Sheridan who have Alabama as the favorite to win the SEC. On the flip side there is SEC Network's Peter Burns who made headlineslast week when he predicted the Tide would go 8-5. The reason for the mixed opinions is all the unanswered questions, particularly at quarterback, the Crimson Tide have headed into 2015, according to CBS analyst Gary Danielson.
"I think they are one of the biggest question marks in the room," Danielson told AL.com. "I've felt they had a schedule that works well for them, but this year, boy they've got a tough schedule. They play big games back-to-back and they have them in every month. They are going to have a little taste of what Auburn went through last year."
Alabama has to travel on the road to Georgia, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and caps off its season with a road Iron Bowl at Auburn. The tough road schedule is what prompted Burns' prediction while filling in on the Paul Finebaum Show.
Danielson thinks Alabama has the talent and depth to again atop the SEC standings, but injuries at running back and quarterback could derail the Tide's season. Alabama lost DeSherrius Flowers to an eligibility concern, Bo Scarbrough could miss the entire season with a torn ACL and Kenyan Drake is coming off a season-ending leg injury last October. After presumed starter Derrick Henry, there isn't much certainty at the position.
Alabama has yet to name a starting quarterback though Jacob Coker heads into fall practice as the presumed favorite. Danielson compares Coker to former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who struggled initially but developed into one of the SEC's top quarterbacks. Mettenberger and Coker are both bigger quarterbacks known for their strong arms.
The CBS analyst admits that Coker disappointed him the first time he saw him last spring -- "He was throwing flat-footed and looked out of his element," Danielson says -- but that a late season practice changed his opinion.
"At the end of the year when I watched practice, you could see the potential and you could see in the right system he could be one of those gun-slinger-type guys," Danielson said. "If he takes the next step, that could be huge for Alabama."
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There are those like oddsmaker Danny Sheridan who have Alabama as the favorite to win the SEC. On the flip side there is SEC Network's Peter Burns who made headlineslast week when he predicted the Tide would go 8-5. The reason for the mixed opinions is all the unanswered questions, particularly at quarterback, the Crimson Tide have headed into 2015, according to CBS analyst Gary Danielson.
"I think they are one of the biggest question marks in the room," Danielson told AL.com. "I've felt they had a schedule that works well for them, but this year, boy they've got a tough schedule. They play big games back-to-back and they have them in every month. They are going to have a little taste of what Auburn went through last year."
Alabama has to travel on the road to Georgia, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and caps off its season with a road Iron Bowl at Auburn. The tough road schedule is what prompted Burns' prediction while filling in on the Paul Finebaum Show.
Danielson thinks Alabama has the talent and depth to again atop the SEC standings, but injuries at running back and quarterback could derail the Tide's season. Alabama lost DeSherrius Flowers to an eligibility concern, Bo Scarbrough could miss the entire season with a torn ACL and Kenyan Drake is coming off a season-ending leg injury last October. After presumed starter Derrick Henry, there isn't much certainty at the position.
Alabama has yet to name a starting quarterback though Jacob Coker heads into fall practice as the presumed favorite. Danielson compares Coker to former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who struggled initially but developed into one of the SEC's top quarterbacks. Mettenberger and Coker are both bigger quarterbacks known for their strong arms.
The CBS analyst admits that Coker disappointed him the first time he saw him last spring -- "He was throwing flat-footed and looked out of his element," Danielson says -- but that a late season practice changed his opinion.
"At the end of the year when I watched practice, you could see the potential and you could see in the right system he could be one of those gun-slinger-type guys," Danielson said. "If he takes the next step, that could be huge for Alabama."
Continue reading...
