Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- With a month of practice now in the books, a clear theme has emerged at the University of Alabama. It’s one you’ll find at nearly every college football program around the country in the months of March and April, and it’s quite simple: get better every day.

With just 15 practices to work with, roughly two hours each, there’s not a second to waste. When the Crimson Tide suited up for their second scrimmage of the spring on Friday, coach Nick Saban had a question for all of his players.

“Are you going to be able to go out there and play better today than you did the last opportunity you had?” he asked.

And, according to Saban, some players did.

Jalston Fowler, who ran for just 27 yards during last Saturday’s scrimmage, went off on Friday, carrying the ball 22 times for 151 yards and three touchdowns. He picked up 68 of those yards on a situational drill.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- A strange thing happened at Sewell-Thomas Stadium over the weekend: The Crimson Tide played fearless baseball.

Sweeping No. 23 Auburn with a 6-2 win on Sunday, the University of Alabama played a confident, undaunted brand of baseball. In short, they played nothing like the team that entered the series nine games below .500, in search of its second SEC victory of the year.

Against Auburn, the Tide swung freely at the plate, rounded wide on the base paths and attacked the ball on defense. There were spectacular double plays, double steals and run-scoring doubles. For the first time in 2012, it looked like Alabama was ready to fulfill on the promise of fielding a competitive baseball team.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Kenny Roberts planted his left foot, swung his hips and drilled the ball high into the cool night air, well over the left field wall. The University of Alabama dugout emptied and four base runners touched home plate, giving the Crimson Tide a comfortable lead, and resurrected, if only for a moment, a program in need of any sign of life.

The five-run lead generated by Roberts’ blast was in peril before there was time for coach Mitch Gaspard to enjoy it. The Alabama bats fell silent over the next four innings and Auburn mounted a comeback, scoring four runs.

But in the bottom of the eighth with a one-run lead looking a hair too thin for the Tide, Alabama did something it hasn’t done all year -- respond. UA scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to seal a Game 1 victory over Auburn, 10-6.

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SEC bloggers Chris Low and Edward Aschoff will occasionally give their takes on a question facing the league or certain teams in the league. We'll both have strong opinions, but not necessarily the same opinions. We'll let you decide who's right.

Today's Take Two topic: Other than obvious stars such as Barrett Jones and AJ McCarron, who's the player that needs to come through for Alabama next season if the Crimson Tide are going to become the first team since Nebraska in 1994 and 1995 to win outright national championships in back-to-back seasons?

Take 1: Edward Aschoff

Jesse Williams is a guy who I think has to have a big season in 2012 in order for Alabama to try and repeat this fall. Now that Josh Chapman is gone at nose guard, Williams is moving over from defensive end to follow in Chapman's big footsteps. It won't be easy when you consider how effective Chapman was last season, even while basically playing on one knee. He absolutely clogged the middle of Alabama's line and was a key cog in the Crimson Tide's suffocating run defense.

Chapman was a big reason why Alabama ranked first nationally in rush defense last season, giving up only 72 yards a game and 2.4 yards per rush. Alabama's defense will go through some growing pains this season. But if the Tide can control things up front, it will go a long way toward protecting that younger secondary. While Williams isn't built like Chapman, he's big enough -- and mean enough -- to clog up the middle just like Chapman. He's 6-foot-4 and weighs 320 pounds, but he's also very athletic, so he won't just be relied on against the run. He'll also be asked to get after the quarterback.

Remember, Williams played tackle when Alabama went to a four-man front last year, so playing inside isn't unfamiliar territory for him. He's likely to get time on the edge again as well, so his versatility will really help Alabama. Getting pressure on opposing backfields will be key for this Tide defense, so the coaches are expecting a lot from Williams. Everything starts up front in the SEC, and Williams' performance could determine a lot for Alabama's defense this fall.

Take 2: Chris Low

The interior of the defensive line is always a good place to start when you’re retooling a defense, and there’s no doubt that Josh Chapman will be sorely missed. The guy was an absolute rock in the middle and played more than half the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. So I understand, Edward, how you could go with Jesse Williams, especially with Williams sliding over from end to nose guard this spring in the Crimson Tide’s 3-4 scheme. But I’m picking sophomore Adrian Hubbard as that under-the-radar guy who needs to come through because I think he has everything it takes to become a premier playmaker on defense next season.

Let’s face it. When you’re losing the likes of Courtney Upshaw, Dont’a Hightower, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, DeQuan Menzie and Chapman on defense, new playmakers don’t just magically appear – even for a team that has recruited as well as Alabama has. The 6-6 Hubbard, who looked more like a basketball player when he arrived at Alabama, is now pushing 250 pounds. He was listed at 237 last season. Upshaw was that finisher for the Tide from his Jack linebacker position. He was the guy who made most of the game-changing plays on Alabama’s defense. Hubbard is poised to be that guy in 2012, and the Crimson Tide could be relying on him to harass the opposing quarterback more than ever before.

Much like 2010, Alabama’s going to be inexperienced in the secondary next season with three of the four starters departing. It remains to be seen if the Crimson Tide can match up at cornerback the way they did a year ago. Moreover, when you’re plugging new players into the defensive backfield, there are always going to be growing pains. Remember the mental errors that plagued the Tide in the secondary in 2010? The best way to cover up those errors and help a secondary find its way while players learn on the job is to keep the opposing quarterback running for his life. That’s where Hubbard comes in. He’s had an excellent spring and will be counted on to fill Upshaw’s role next season. According to Upshaw, Hubbard will do more than just fill it. Upshaw as much as guaranteed last season that Hubbard would be a dominant player before his time was up at Alabama. That time is now.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- With the University of Alabama down to its final out and the series against Auburn hanging in the balance, Hunter Gregory rolled a slow grounder that had all the hallmarks of a game-ending double play.

But the senior outfielder busted it down the line and gave Alabama one last breath.

“I knew it was bang-bang,” Gregory said. “As soon as I hit it, I was just trying to make sure I got out of the box and just give Taylor (Dugas) a chance to make something happen.”

And Dugas, the unquestioned leader of the Tide, did just that. On a 1-0 pitch, the senior from Louisiana turned on a high fastball and sent Alabama home with a 4-3 walk-off win over in-state rival Auburn.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- There’s a reason Alphonse Taylor stands out on a football field.

When a player stands at 6-foot-5 and carries around 340 pounds of muscle, he’s bound to catch your eye.

So when Taylor, the largest player on the University of Alabama roster, was suddenly lined up along the offensive line and not across from it on Wednesday, people took notice -- not that he didn't look the part.

Taylor, who was one of eight early enrollees at UA, may be as green as a shamrock, but he certainly doesn’t show it. In a sea of 300-pounders, the 20-year-old with a smile as wide as his biceps is a natural fit. He’s agile and picks up the game quickly, according to starting left guard Chance Warmack, who referred to Taylor simply as “big man.”

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ESPN.com TideNation writers Alex Scarborough and Greg Ostendorf break down Alabama's practice on Monday, the first practice since the Crimson Tide scrimmaged Saturday.

Newcomers come in all shapes and sizes.

There are freshmen newcomers, junior college transfers and regular transfers. Regardless, they all come in with the expectations of playing immediately. JUCO standouts and transfers maybe more so than rookies, but the days of automatically redshirting true freshmen are over. Like, dead.

Last year, the SEC saw a few newcomers make immediate impacts. A great example is Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, who transferred from USC back in 2010, but didn't play until last fall. All he did was lead the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss. There was Arkansas linebacker Alonzo Highsmith, who came from the JUCO ranks to be one of the Hogs' most productive linebackers.

Freshman Isaiah Crowell had an up-and-down season, but was sixth in the SEC rushing, and was named the SEC's freshman of the year. His classmate, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, wasn't too bad, either. You also can't forget about South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was seventh in the SEC with eight sacks.

So, as spring practice begins to wind down around the conference, we're taking a look at five newcomers to keep an eye on in 2012. Some are on campuses, some aren't. Some are obvious choices, and you could be surprised by a couple. Top newcomers can be top league players, or players who will make big impacts on their teams at a position of need.

We're going in alphabetical order, so here's our list:

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