Alabama Crimson Tide

With the start of the 2012 college football season less than two weeks away, let’s take a look at those players in the SEC who have the most to prove.

I’ll kick it off with five players in the West, and Edward will come back later today with five players in the East.

Keep in mind that there are all sorts of reasons why a player may have something to prove. Sometimes, it’s making that jump from a good player to a great player. Other times, it’s going from a hyped freshman to a key contributor, bouncing back from a so-so or injury-plagued season or simply filling some big shoes.

Here are five players in the West to watch. They’re listed alphabetically:

Josh Boyd, DT, Mississippi State: It’s Boyd’s time now to be the enforcer in the middle of that Mississippi State defensive line. He’s been a productive player the last couple of seasons, but with Fletcher Cox leaving early for the NFL, the Bulldogs need Boyd to step his game up more than ever in 2012. He has the physical tools to be an All-SEC player and one of the premier interior defensive linemen in the league.

Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas: There’s still some mystery as to whether Davis is all the way back after missing all of last season with a fractured ankle. The Hogs have held him out of full contact work this preseason in scrimmages, although his teammates say he’s looked like his old self in everything else. Davis led all SEC running backs in rushing in 2010 with 1,322 yards. There’s no doubting his talent, determination and heart. He just has to go show it on the field … again.

Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama: From the day Kouandjio walked onto campus at Alabama, his teammates have raved about his pure physical ability. One of the most heralded prospects in the country two years ago, the 6-foot-6, 311-pound sophomore has been impressive enough that the Crimson Tide moved Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones to center to make room for Kouandjo at left tackle. That’s a lot of pressure for a first-time starter, but the feeling in and around the Alabama program is that he has a lot of game.

Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU: The Tigers were a consistent passing game away from winning the national championship last season. They think Mettenberger is the missing piece to the puzzle. He has a big arm and has been very impressive in both spring practice and preseason camp. He just doesn’t have any meaningful experience in SEC games. Coach Les Miles has said LSU will open up the passing game with Mettenberger at the helm. This is the second chance Mettenberger has been waiting for after getting in trouble at Georgia and being dismissed from the team earlier in his career.

Trovon Reed, WR, Auburn: Injuries have plagued Reed during his first two seasons on the Plains. He arrived with the reputation of being electric in the open field and the kind of player who can turn short passes into big gains. Auburn struggled to get anything going in the passing game a year ago, and with the uncertainty at quarterback going into this season, the Tigers are looking for as many playmakers as they can find on offense. They need Reed healthy and they need him to be the difference-maker everybody was convinced he was when they signed him.

From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 12 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.

AJ McCarron didn't enter the 2011-12 season with high expectations. In fact, many wondered whether he would hold the starting job from start to finish. With the Crimson Tide's stellar defense, it was McCarron's job not to simply not mess things up.

By the end of the season, he was doing more than that. Against LSU, he led the offense to the school's 14th national championship, controlling the game from start to finish.

At the end of it all, McCarron turned in the school's 12th 2,000-yard passing season. He threw for 2,634 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He became only the third sophomore to throw for more than 2,000 yards at Alabama.

Here's the full list of 2,000-yard seasons:

1. Scott Hunter, 1969 (Jr.): 2,236 yards
2. Mike Shula, 1985 (Jr.): 2,131 yards
3. Gary Hollingsworth, 1989 (Jr.): 2,593 yards
4. Freddie Kitchens, 1996 (Jr.): 2,189 yards
5. Brodie Croyle, 2003 (Soph.): 2,303 yards
6. Brodie Croyle, 2005 (Sr.): 2,499 yards
7. John Parker Wilson, 2006 (Soph.): 2,707 yards
8. John Parker Wilson, 2007 (Jr.): 2,846 yards
9. John Parker Wilson, 2008 (Sr.): 2,273 yards
10. Greg McElroy, 2009 (Jr.): 2,507 yards
11. Greg McElroy, 2010 (Sr.): 2,987 yards
12. AJ McCarron, 2011 (Soph.): 2,634 yards

Kirk Herbstreit, Todd Blackledge and Scott Van Pelt preview the SEC conference.

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Not even self-reported secondary violations could slow down the Alabama football program as it went through the second week of fall practice. The report, which detailed 27 violations across the athletic department, grabbed headlines, but lacked the bite likely to draw attention from the NCAA.

What happened was minor by any measure of the word. Secondary violations are a way of life at any program, no matter how large or small. The misdeeds by the football program included a few errant text messages and a misbegotten Facebook friend request -- harmless by today's standards.

The report was a mere blip on the radar as coach Nick Saban's football program inched closer to the start of the season, where the Crimson Tide will rank in the top two in both major polls. But a Week 1 date against Michigan could catapult UA into the top spot.

What we know heading into the showdown against Denard Robinson and the rest of the Wolverines is, in fact, very little, in terms of the actual game plan. And it's meant to be that way. Saban and the staff have kept things close to the vest.

With another week in the books, here's some of what we do know, as well as a few things we're still looking for:

• Barrett Jones wasn't done with college after putting an Outland Trophy on his bedroom dresser. A second BCS Championship couldn't deter him either. The former left tackle turned down the NFL for a fifth year at the Capstone because he felt like there was still work to be done. "It will be there next year," he told TideNation, "Hopefully it will be."
• By all accounts, the move to center has gone well. Former Alabama center William Vlachos said, "There's not a better guy in the world to handle it than Barrett." The two remain close friends even with Vlachos in camp with the Tennessee Titans.

(Read full post)

From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 13 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.

From the moment the Alabama coaching staff laid eyes on defensive back Deion Belue, they liked what they saw. The Tuscumbia, Ala., native signed with the Crimson Tide in 2010, but couldn't make it to campus that year. Like so many others, he took the junior college route to Tuscsaloosa.

The extra seasoning at Northeast Mississippi Community College seems to have paid off.

From the minute the 5-foot-11, 179-pound cornerback enrolled in February, coach Nick Saban has spoken highly of him. Through the spring and into the fall, Belue has made his mark and appears ready to step into a starting role for the Crimson Tide.

"We thought Deion was a really good player in high school," Saban said in early April. "Obviously, had to go to junior college. He certainly has matured in terms of his junior college experience. He has done a nice job of developing this spring. He’s a really good man-to-man cover guy. At times, gets a little bit unsure of himself in terms of what he’s supposed to do. But I think he’s definitely going to be a player that contributes and has the potential to be a starter on our team next year."

With the exit of Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie, it's up to Belue and others to step into the secondary and keep up what defensive coordinator Kirby Smart referred to as the "Alabama standard."

"Any time you come into camp after losing basically two cores who were both drafted and Phelon Jones, who was a good player for us, three guys we lost there, you've got to find new guys," Smart said. "For us, we've got great wideouts, we've got good wideouts to compete with every day and challenge those guys. We want Deion Belue to keep progressing. Jabriel, Bradley Sylve both keep progressing. Geno Smith, one of our new guys, is going to be able to help us. Travell Dixon has done a good job. We have the bodies there, we have the body types we want, we just have to give those guys some experience. Thank goodness with the way we practice and this camp we have, they'll have plenty of opportunities to play some ball and do some things we've got to do."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The wear and tear of fall camp caught up with the University of Alabama on Saturday, as coach Nick Saban announced that starting running back Eddie Lacy is day-to-day with a sprained ankle and knee.

"Eddie sprained his ankle and his knee a little bit," Saban said after Saturday's scrimmage. "It's not a serious thing. He's probably going to be day-to-day and probably be a little bit slow next week, but I think in 5-6 days he'll be ready to go."

Lacy missed all of spring practice recovering from surgery to resolve his season-long battle with turf toe. The junior running back played 12 games last season, racking up 694 yards and 7 touchdowns on 95 carries. He finished in the top 15 nationally in yards per carry.

With Trent Richardson gone to the NFL, Lacy figures to be the starting running back when the season opens against Michigan. Junior Jalston Fowler is the No. 2 back in front of freshmen Dee Hart, T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake.

The news of Lacy's sprain comes on the heels of another injury to freshman standout Amari Cooper, who is day-to-day with a toe injury. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver has drawn rave reviews from the coaching staff since enrolling in February and figures to play a role in the wide receiver rotation right away.

"It's not a bad thing," Saban said. "He's probably going to be day-to-day when we start the week next week. It may be a few days before he can get back out there."

(Read full post)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama will start the season No. 2 in two major college football polls, but is it only a matter of weeks before the Crimson Tide are No. 1?

Alabama, which came in at No. 2 in The Associated Press and USA Today coaches' preseason polls, will put its ranking to the test in Week 1 against No. 8 Michigan. A strong showing against the Wolverines could be enough to unseat No. 1 USC.

The Trojans received eight more first-place votes than the Tide, and are separated by just 34 points. USC opens the season against unranked Hawaii. The difference in strength of schedule could be enough to sway voters after just one weekend of play.

Whether it's Week 1 or Week 12, Alabama will have its shot at rising up the rankings. Three preseason top-10 teams are on the Crimson Tide's schedule -- No. 3 LSU, No. 10 Arkansas, and Michigan.

The rankings in the USA Today poll differ, with LSU voted No. 1 prior to the news that Tyrann Mathieu had been dismissed from the team. Auburn, which was ranked No. 25 in the coaches' poll but did not appear in the AP poll, also was dealt a blow this week when running back Jovon Robinson was ruled ineligible because of falsified high school transcripts.

The No. 2 ranking for Alabama is a sign of high expectations for a team in transition. Alabama lost three-quarters of its starters on defense, as well as the top four pass-catchers on offense, including Heisman Trophy finalist Trent Richardson.

There is reason for the optimism, however. Quarterback AJ McCarron returns for his second season as the starter, and his weapons at receiver appear more talented and numerous than a season ago. The offensive line, with four returning starters and defending Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones, could be among the best in the country. Eddie Lacy, who finished in the top 15 nationally in yards per carry last season, returns as the feature running back.

On defense, the picture is less rosy. Alabama lost six eventual NFL draft picks, three taken in the first round. A bevy of four- and five-star athletes are poised to step in, though. Vinnie Sunseri and Ha'Sean Clint0n-Dix will fill in for Mark Barron at safety, and junior Dee Milliner and transfer Deion Belue step in at cornerback for Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie. Junior cornerback John Fulton fits into that equation as well. Adrian Hubbard, Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley, Trey DePriest and Xzavier Dickson are among the top candidates at linebacker.

One thing is certain: Talent is not the question concerning the Crimson Tide. How it translates to quality players and wins is. Week 1 against Michigan, the world will find out whether Alabama is worthy of being the No. 2 team in the country -- or possibly No. 1.

From now until kickoff in Arlington, Texas, we'll be counting down the days before Alabama and Michigan get the season started. Today, we move to No. 14 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.

Year after year under coach Nick Saban, the University of Alabama celebrates on Feb. 2. National signing day has become a holiday in Tuscaloosa, Ala., since 2008. The Crimson Tide have finished with a top-3 recruiting class every year since Saban arrived.

Over the years, Alabama has landed top-flight recruits like Julio Jones, Trent Richardson and Dre Kirkpatrick. UA has also hit on some lesser known quantities in Dont'a Hightower and Chance Warmack.

Consistently, the Tide have pulled in the country's best talent, and this year appears to be no different. Still six months removed from signing day, Alabama already has 14 four-star athletes committed with quite a few more still considering.

Since 2010, Alabama has made hay with four- and five-star recruits. Here's a complete breakdown, as ranked by ESPN:

• Five-star: 3
• Four-star: 42
• Three-star: 27
• Unranked (JUCO): 8

Edward Aschoff discusses the best/worst case scenarios for Alabama.