🏈 Five key questions concerning Alabama football

[BAMANEWSBOT]

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Coming off of its national championship season, the 2010 edition of the Alabama football team will have several questions to answer. Here are the top five to consider during the offseason:

1. How will the defense do with only two starters returning?

Young talent was cultivated and an injured standut is primed for his return. Dont’a Hightower should be back at full strength to bolster the group that lost three All-Americans among the nine departing starters. Up-and-comers such as Marcell Dareus, Dre Kirkpatrick, Tana Patrick and possibly a few true freshmen could make an impact, but experience will be a shortcoming for the defense next season.

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2. What are the chances for a repeat championship? <!-- CLOSE: #mi_story_embedded -->

Coach Nick Saban has said his hardest season of coaching came the year after his LSU team won the national title. Refocusing those who come back will be a new challenge, because the first three Crimson Tide teams Saban has coached didn’t have to deal with the kind of expectations the 2010 will have to address. In spite of heavy losses on defense, several preseason rankings already call for a Crimson Tide repeat.

3. Who leads?

Quarterback Greg McElroy will be a clear leader, but most of the vocal and experienced players from 2009 will have left the program by the time spring practice starts in April. Permanent captains Mike Johnson, Javier Arenas and Rolando McClan made an impact that reached well beyond the games. All were hailed by teammates as teachers in practice and in the film room. This is hardly a new issue. College football teams always deal with attrition. The same questions were asked last January after players such as Antoine Caldwell and Rashad Johnson departed.

4. Who will be the future quarterback?

It’s a question most coaches would love to address: having too many talented quarterbacks. Saban already has an undefeated returning starter in McElroy. Right behind him is rising redshirt freshman AJ McCarron, who impressed coaches all season in practice. He moved past formerly heralded recruit Star Jackson to take the No. 2 spot. Then there is another outstanding prospect, Phillip Sims, who was due to enroll this semester. Rated the nation’s best quarterback recruit by ESPN’s Scouts Inc., Sims will be one to watch in spring and preseason practices.

5. Has a dynasty begun?

It was suggested on the cover of Sports Illustrated, so it’s not a ludicrous idea. So much offensive talent returns, but that typically steady defense becomes an issue — the opposite of last year’s preseason problem. USC had a run in the mid-2000s. Then it was Florida’s turn on top. Now, is it Alabama’s time? That question will be answered in January 2011.

 

[TerryP]

I've got an issue with number 1 on his list (and wonder how often he's seen the team play.)

IF he had said "experienced back-ups on defense," I'd buy his theory.

On the DL, Square is the one that'll likely start with the least experience. Chapman and Dareus have PLENTY of experience.

LB's? Dont'a, Nico and Upshaw.

DB's? Green, Barron plus a HUGE amount of talent (not a lot of experience) with our corners.

Of course, I'm not too concerned with their level of play considering that is Smart's and Saban's area of expertise.

 

[jdpas29]

roger, terry. i'm more concerned with the fact that we may not be able rotate in guys with any experience, but i think the starters will be ok. i don't expect the kind of secondary play we've had this year overall. i think we'll be a little easier to pass on next year, but i think the line and LBs will be very impressive next season.

we will still be very tough against the run.

 

[Duder]

roger, terry. i'm more concerned with the fact that we may not be able rotate in guys with any experience, but i think the starters will be ok. i don't expect the kind of secondary play we've had this year overall. i think we'll be a little easier to pass on next year, but i think the line and LBs will be very impressive next season.

we will still be very tough against the run.

So, from an AU fan's perspective...

Keep in mind when Saban took over there wasn't a ton of experienced guys to rotate in, either. Opening at home with San Jose State next year will give Saban the chance to play some of the young guys before JoePa comes to town. I wouldn't expect your defense to immediately be a top five unit again, but you have to think the young guys picked up on some stuff this year. The secondary will make some mistakes, it is part of having a young group but you do return one starter back there (Barron?).

Your linebackers were the heart and soul of you defense this season and Bama has recruited well.

 

[BigAl]

Who replaces Cody?

 

[alagator]

Who replaces Cody?

Probably Chapman and Murphy - with Sentimore a third choice.

I have always been impressed with Chapman. About 50-pounds lighter than Cody but very good from B-gap to B-gap. Remember when he made a tackle against Auburn in 08 on a screen pass to the flat.

Noticed that Murphy was in the game more than a few plays in the BCS game. Have to think the staff must have confidence if they put him in that contest - not exactly the time to experiment with a doubtful talent I would think.

Regardless of how most everyone seems to be in love with many of our players who have yet to play at all (much less many meaningful snaps) on defense, I think we will see a noticeable decline in our defensive performance. I would think we might still be national Top 25 caliber, but that is a far cry from the dominating units we have fielded the last two seasons.

I keep having visions of Florida circa 2007. A strong offense trying to cover up for a defensive made up almost exclusively of first-time players with great athletic ability but minimal experience. There is a difference between a defense full of four-year players where most have 30-plus starts to a unit where some key contributors (Phelon Jones, BJ Scott, Kirkpatrick, Tana Patrick, Ed Stinson, etc.) have less than 30-plays of combined experience with the game on the line. And probably two of the four best players (Hightower and Square) coming off knee injuries at that.

 

[Argo]

Probably Chapman and Murphy - with Sentimore a third choice.

I have always been impressed with Chapman. About 50-pounds lighter than Cody but very good from B-gap to B-gap. Remember when he made a tackle against Auburn in 08 on a screen pass to the flat.

I get that Cody received a lot of hype from the media, and I'm not saying it wasn't deserved. But had he not signed with Bama in 2008, I really don't think we would have seen much of a difference in the defense with Chapman in there.

Chapman is lighter and stronger. When Cody went down last season, we didn't see the slightest drop off because Chapman silently gets the job done. I remember watching him giving Antoine Caldwell all he could handle in practice before the 2008 A-Day.

I'm not trying to disrespect Cody in any way, but we won't notice him missing next year with Chapman at NT.

 

[Argo]

I've got an issue with number 1 on his list (and wonder how often he's seen the team play.)

IF he had said "experienced back-ups on defense," I'd buy his theory.

On the DL, Square is the one that'll likely start with the least experience. Chapman and Dareus have PLENTY of experience.

LB's? Dont'a, Nico and Upshaw.

DB's? Green, Barron plus a HUGE amount of talent (not a lot of experience) with our corners.

Of course, I'm not too concerned with their level of play considering that is Smart's and Saban's area of expertise.

Agreed 100%. I've already had this discussion with an Auburn fan who tried the only 2 returning starters argument. Dareus, Chapman, Hightower, Johnson, Upshaw, Green and Barron would likely have started on most SEC defenses last fall. These guys have plenty of game experience.

It's nothing as bleak as "only 2 returning starters."

 

[LBS]

I have to wonder how bad things may be for the defense. If CNS wins a Title with a team lead by CMS' players, what can we expect when CNS has "his guys" in "his system" for three years and has 7 more months to work the solution.

Inexperience is not a sentence, it only increases the odds that one makes rookie mistakes. How much weight then do we assign "the Saban Factor" when we place it on the other side of the scale to counter Inexperience?

I trust Coach Saban and Coach Smart to keep the team on track. Its the Special Teams that I am concerned about.

 

[252BAMA]

There should have been a sixth concern. And I do mean six! I know this is being discussed in another thread, but it should have been included here.

Mark my words, if Bama loses a game in 2010, it will be to one of the 6 teams that have an off week prior to their game with Bama. And I wouldn't bet 2 cents on the SEC doing anything about it, although 3 of them could be eliminated very easily.

 

[JoshB]

Who replaces Cody?