Alabama Crimson Tide

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. 4 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.

A couple of days ago on the Countdown, we talked about the impact of true freshman receiver Amari Cooper. Today, we'll take a look at another rookie ready to make his presence known from Day 1, No. 4 T.J. Yeldon.

The running back from Daphne, Ala., burst onto the scene with a strong performance at A-Day, earning the Dixie Howell Award given to the game’s most valuable player for his 180-yard performance. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound tailback has shown he's the full package: a strong runner inside and outside the tackles, a good pass-catcher and just the right mix of speed and size.

Here's a sampling of what players have said about Yeldon this year:

• Eddie Lacy on Yeldon's progression: “He did pretty good. He came in and did everything he had to do. He did it very well, too. He took on the role very well.”
• Kenny Bell on the stable of backs: "We've got a few really good backs. Eddie Lacy, Jalston Fowler, Dee Hart and T.J. Yeldon. If they're running the ball good, you just keep feeding the horse until it breaks."
• AJ McCarron on Yeldon: "He’s a hard runner, very smart running back. The kid can play. But it’s definitely different when the lights turn on and you’re playing LSU or South Carolina, whoever we’ve got. We’re definitely going to get a chance to see him. It’s going to be fun."
• Barrett Jones on Yeldon: "He’s good. It’s hard to really tell where he stacks up until we get into a game setting, but he’s definitely very, very talented, and we have high hopes for him."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- In his first week as a starter at Alabama, Kevin Norwood is being forced to sit and watch, impatiently.

The standout receiver from hasn't been benched. Instead, the 6-foot-2 junior finds himself watching television, monitoring weather patterns as Tropical Storm Isaac builds in the Gulf of Mexico. Some projections have the storm headed straight for his hometown of D'Iberville, Miss.

"I’ve been talking to [family] every day since we heard about it," Norwood said. "It’s real scary right now."

The timing couldn't be worse for Norwood as he readies himself for the Crimson Tide's season opener against Michigan. With four of the team's top pass-catchers gone from a year ago, it's Norwood's moment to shine. All he has to do is focus on the task at hand, but with a hurricane on the horizon, it's easier said than done.

"Kind of," Norwood said when asked if the storm has been distracting. "But then again at the same time I know what I've got to do to go out and prepare for this game.

"It is kind of scary because it’s falling on Aug. 29, the same day [Hurricane] Katrina hit the coast."

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama defense is making no bones about it: They plan on knocking the bronze off Denard Robinson's Heisman campaign.

The Crimson Tide want to get to the Michigan Wolverines' indomitable quarterback and make their presence known from the opening snap when the two schools meet in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday.

Defensive end Damion Square already has a plan laid out. He can even tell you the way it will happen.

"Bootleg. Sack. First play," Square said with a smirk. "13-yard loss."

There wasn't any hesitation in Square's voice. It's something he's thought about often.

"No doubt about it," he said.

The Alabama defense will have its hands full with Robinson, who enters the season as a potential candidate to win the Heisman Trophy. The senior quarterback is a play-maker on offense, a threat throwing the ball or tucking it down and taking off in a sprint down the sideline. Last season, Robinson led the team in passing and rushing. He threw for 2,173 yards and rushed for 1,349 more. He combined to score 36 touchdowns.

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This next guy can play anywhere on the offensive line and do so at a high level.

No. 5: Barrett Jones, C, Alabama, Sr.

2011 summary: A starter in 11 games at left tackle, Jones won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football. He was also a consensus All-America selection and Jacobs Trophy winner as the top blocker in the SEC.

Most recent ranking: Ranked No. 7 in the 2011 postseason countdown.

Making the case for Jones: Really, not much of a case needs to be made for Jones. He returns as the most decorated offensive lineman in college football, not to mention the most versatile. He played four different positions on the line last season. The only spot he didn't play was right guard, which is where he made 25 starts during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Jones moves to center this season on what should be the most talented offensive line in the country. Jones is hardly the strongest player on the field, but good luck in finding somebody who blends smarts, technique, work ethic, preparation and competitive fire the way the 6-foot-5, 302-pound Jones does. Alabama coach Nick Saban said the only player he's been around that would compare to Jones in terms of versatility was Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews. Not only is Jones able to slide around and play different positions at a high level, but he's able to make the transition so easily. Jones ended last season by grading out at 90 percent or better in nine of his last 10 games. When you consider the caliber of players that Jones has gone against in the SEC during his career -- both tackles and ends -- it's nothing short of amazing that he's been as consistent as he's been when moving from guard to tackle and now to center.

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Greg Ostendorf talks with Northridge (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) junior Bo Scarbrough about the running back's first game, his goals for the season and which schools he plans to visit this fall.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The time for talk is over. Game week at the University of Alabama has arrived after more than six months of waiting, speculating and pontificating to the point of exhaustion. There wasn't enough air in the room for it to last any longer.

Conjecture and analysis will finally begin to give way to actual evidence and statistics. Practice and scrimmages will surrender to the real thing.

Six days is all that separates the Crimson Tide from the first bout of their title defense. The No. 8 Michigan Wolverines await in Arlington, Texas, for what could be the most hyped season opener Alabama has been a part of since before most college-age students were born.

But the hype, to this point, has been absent in the coaching rhetoric. Nick Saban has mentioned the game in passing. Brady Hoke, too. It's hard to talk match-ups when you don't know who half your starters are on defense, as is the case with Alabama, or which players will return from suspension, as is the case with Michigan.

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We all know that there is more to football than just big dudes smashing into each other.

Sure, they provide most of the entertainment, but you can't have a college football season without some fearless predictions to start the year off with. Yes, us media folk are allowed a little fun and some of the attention.

Last year, fellow SEC blogger Chris Low and I split our predictions up, as we came up with 10 each that can be viewed here and here. This year, we're cleaning things up and creating just one list of 10 SEC predictions for the 2012 season.

We both had are share of hits and misses last year. I only got one of my 10 predictions correct when I said that Chris Rainey would score touchdowns three different ways. I crossed that off Week 1. Some I missed on were predicting that the Heisman trophy would stay in the SEC, Brandon Bolden finally getting 1,000 rushing yards, Zach Mettenberger having more touchdowns than Jarrett Lee and the SEC sending 10 teams bowling.

I was pretty close with my prediction that Morris Claiborne would lead the SEC in interceptions and Tyrann Mathieu would lead in defensive touchdowns. Claiborne was third with six, while Mathieu finished with four total touchdowns with two being defensive.

However, Chris showed his veteran ability and hit on seven of his 10. He really is a showoff. But he did whiff on Spencer Ware rushing for 1,200 yards. Ware only got 707 yards.

Enough of the walk down memory lane, here are our 10 fearless predictions for 2012:

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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. 5 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.

When Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in 2007, he changed the game for the Crimson Tide. The malaise around the program was wiped away as a new era at the University of Alabama began.

In five seasons guiding the Crimson Tide, Saban has built one of the most successful football programs in the country.

Here's a review of some of the things he's accomplished in five seasons:

• One SEC championship
• Two BCS national championships
• Won four of five bowl games
• Won 50 games, lost 12 (five wins vacated in NCAA ruling)
• Won 29 SEC games, lost eight
• Averaged more than 30 points per game
• Surrendered fewer than 14 points per game
• Four consecutive seasons giving up 200 or fewer points in a season
• Produced 24 NFL draft picks, 11 coming in the first round
• Produced 18 first-team All-Americans

The high school football season got underway this weekend in the state of Alabama, and although it was just a jamboree game, Saturday’s matchup between McGill-Toolen and Northridge featured two of the top teams in the state.

McGill-Toolen cruised to an easy 27-0 win, but the best player on the field was Northridge running back Bo Scarbrough. The 2014 prospect rushed for 98 yards on 10 carries in the first half alone.

McGill-Toolen High School

After Scarbrough broke the first carry of the game for 50 yards, McGill-Toolen’s defense clamped down. For a team known for its offensive weapons, it was the Yellow Jackets defense who looked most impressive on a Saturday night. Anchored by safety Jalen Square, an Arkansas State commitment, the defense made a series of big hits and didn’t miss hardly any tackles the whole game. The offense, led by Auburn commitment Jason Smith, had its moments. Smith looked nervous early but still finished 3-of-4 for 60 yards and a touchdown passing, and he added 55 yards on nine carries rushing. Listed as an athlete, Smith hopes to play quarterback at Auburn, but he looks more like a wide receiver or cornerback at the next level. His lone touchdown pass went to Arkansas State commitment Carl Lee for 14 yards. The offense will go as Smith goes, but the defense looked strong enough to carry McGill-Toolen to a solid season and a shot at a state title.

Northridge High School

All eyes were on Scarbrough on Saturday night. The junior running back, considered one of the top recruits nationally, is coming off a torn ACL and wanted to prove to everybody that he was healthy. On the first carry he took off around the right side for 50 yards, and it was clear he was back. After the opening run, he had nine carres for 48 yards, a solid performance but not spectacular. Scarbrough showed the strength and the nasty stiff arm at times but never really broke the big run he’s capable of. He missed a few plays in the second quarter after injuring his hand on a stiff arm to the opponent’s helmet. As long as he stays healthy, the Northride running back will be easily be one of the best backs in the state this year. Wide receiver James Cox, committed to Southern Miss., had a less than impressive day, but it looked more like an issue with the quarterback. If Northridge hopes to contend this year, it needs to give Scarbrough the ball early and often and get Cox more involved in the game.

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. 6 and what it means to UA football. See all the previous editions here.

Who is HaHa? Until about a week ago, not many people knew how No. 6 Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix came to be known at HaHa.

"Just my real name Ha’Sean," he explained. "HaHa, my grandmother has been calling me that since I was a little kid, so just been a little kid thing."

But does he like it?

"I love it," he said. "Coach loves it. Everyone loves it, so HaHa, that’s what I go with."

His name might have been a mystery, but his talent has never been. The sophomore enters the 2012 season as a potential starter at safety, along with Vinnie Suneri.

At Alabama's media day, defensive coordinator Kirby Smart sized up the competition at safety.

“Anytime that you’ve got the back end of your defense, those are the areas that the rest of the world sees," Smart said. "You don’t see a guy mess up at front, you won’t see a linebacker mess up sometimes. When that guy on the back end messes up, and I know as I’ve played back there before, everyone knows your number, everyone knows your name. Those are usually the mistakes that cost you games. As far as those two positions, what you’re telling the corner to do, what you’re telling the linebacker to check to, they are very critical to our defense, and I couldn’t be happier with the two kids we’ve got. In terms of their intelligence level, ability, and Vinnie has done a great job adjusting to that role. He’s not Mark Barron and he’s not trying to be Mark Barron. He’s trying to be Vinnie, and he does that well. He calls us and makes some plays. Robert [Lester] is a very solid player for us and gets us lined up and understands this defense, through playing three or four years in this system, and he can help our defense.”

Kirk Herbstreit, Todd Blackledge and Scott Van Pelt look at some big early season match ups in college football.