Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama coach Nick Saban discusses his team's preparations for the 2013 season.

Edward Aschoff talks with Alabama coach Nick Saban about the Crimson Tide after spring practice.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
2012 record: 13-1
2012 conference record: 7-1 (first, Western Division)
Returning starters: Offense: 5; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners
QB AJ McCarron, LT Cyrus Kouandjio, RG Anthony Steen, WR Amari Cooper, RB T.J. Yeldon, LB C.J. Mosley, LB Adrian Hubbard, S Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, CB Deion Belue, DE Ed Stinson

Key losses
C Barrett Jones, LG Chance Warmack, RT D.J. Fluker, RB Eddie Lacy, CB Dee Milliner, S Robert Lester, LB Nico Johnson, NG Jesse Williams

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Eddie Lacy (1,322 yards)
Passing: AJ McCarron* (2,933 yards)
Receiving: Amari Cooper* (1,000 yards)
Tackles: C.J. Mosley* (107)
Sacks: Adrian Hubbard* (7)
Interceptions: Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix* (5)

Spring answers

1. Weapons abound: It's an embarrassment of riches, really. The Alabama offense has steadily gained strength in recent years, but this coming season promises more explosiveness with a senior under center and a number of playmakers at wide receiver. Starters Amari Cooper and Kevin Norwood return, along with a triumvirate of rehabilitated weapons in Chris Black, Kenny Bell and DeAndrew White. Throw in a talented freshman in tight end O.J. Howard the possibilities in the passing game are limitless.

2. Rebuilt offensive line: It started the offseason as the biggest question mark but spring camp quelled any fear of the offensive line experiencing a significant drop-off after losing three of five starters from last season. Center Ryan Kelly has become the centerpiece snapping the football, stepping in for former Rimington Award winner Barrett Jones at center. And with two cornerstone linemen in left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio and right guard Anthony Steen, coach Nick Saban has to feel good about where things stand up front on offense.

3. Leadership from the top: For two years he hasn't had to take the bull by the horns. There have been other, often older, leaders to step up and take charge. But this season is different for quarterback AJ McCarron. He's not only coming into his own as a passer, he's developing into the voice of the football team -- and not just on offense.

Fall questions

1. Secondary solutions: Year after year, the problem is the same. Alabama develops stars in the secondary only to see them leave for the NFL draft. This time it was shutdown cornerback Dee Milliner and veteran safety Robert Lester walking out the door. And who will step up to replace them remains unclear. Deion Belue looks to have rebounded after a shaky first season in Tuscaloosa and rising sophomore Geno Smith showed promise as a rookie in 2012. But it will take more than a handful of starters to keep the Tide's secondary on track.

2. Rushing the passer: While it's true that Saban's system isn't built on traditional defensive statistics like sacks and tackles for loss, it is capable of accomplishing those things with the right playmakers in place. And recently there's been a lack of pure edge rushers capable of collapsing the pocket on a consistent basis. Adrian Hubbard stepped up at outside linebacker late in the season, but his production has been up and down. If guys like linebacker Xzavier Dickson and defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson can provide that pressure, the defense will be in good shape.

3. In case of emergency: It's the scenario no one around Tuscaloosa wants to entertain: What would happen if AJ McCarron were injured and missed a significant portion of the season? If he were to go down would the Tide's championship hopes leave with him? Last year's backups have been inconsistent at best and don't appear to be real options over the long term. The three early enrollees at the position aren't ready either, but redshirt freshman Alec Morris may be the one the staff can rely on. He'll have the fall to prove whether he's capable of becoming a dependable backup, and in turn the future at quarterback when McCarron moves on after this season.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- On the face of it, the University of Alabama is happily living in its past. Flagging oak trees wave to blushing red brick buildings on its campus, a place where even new structures are made to appear old.

Tradition isn't just important to the university, it's essential to its existence. A small cemetery rests adjacent to Bryant-Denny Stadium, a morbid reminder that everything is built on top of something else. Across the street from the Mal Moore Athletic Facility and the football offices is the somber Bryant Museum, a shadowy shrine to the legend of the Crimson Tide and its houndstooth-capped coach.

But just because the crimson "A" of Alabama resonates as one of the founding signatures in college football history doesn't mean it's a program with its feet stuck in the mud. When coach Nick Saban resurrected the program in 2007, he did so with an eye on the future, not the past. Three national championships in the past four years is a testament to the fleet-footedness of the program under his direction. The jerseys don't change, but everything else is open to suggestion.

If Alabama hasn't been on the cutting edge the past six years, it hasn't been far behind.

Just weeks before Alabama was to face Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game, UA football trainer Jeff Allen sent a message to Catapult Sports, a leading innovator in the world of athlete analytics. In it, Allen expressed the program's desire to test drive the company's technology, a package of wearable GPS monitors, gyroscopes and magnetometers capable of measuring an athlete's movement and exertion during competition. With Catapult's help, Allen and the coaching staff could see in numbers and figures what they previously sensed with only a trained eye and a gut feeling.

"There's a lot of advanced algorithms that come into play," Catapult Sports media and marketing manager Boden Westover said. "It combines the data from three components and spits out one number called 'player load' and that one number is pretty much a summary of how hard that athlete is working."

Catapult got its start in the Australian Football League in 2006 and has slowly crept into the American sports market in recent years. Four NFL franchises and seven college football programs are currently contracted with Catapult Sports, according to the company's website. But there are approximately five more American clients that have signed confidentiality agreements.

According to Catapult's study, the use of the technology helped cut down on soft tissue injuries by some 30 percent. When you're talking about the growing number of ligament tears in college football, that statistic can be very appealing. Just last season Alabama lost three key players to major knee injuries.

"It's kind of the next step in finding something that helps you gain an edge," Catapult Sports scientist Ethan Owens said. "They don't want people to know they're using it because for them they know it's something competitive."

The company doesn't advertise, rather it relies on word-of-mouth referrals, which is how Allen and Alabama heard of their existence. During the course of interviews, UA expressed its desire to keep its association with Catapult Sports out of the public eye, which is why the company's representatives spoke mostly in generalities. UA used the technology on a trial basis this spring and will decide whether to sign a contract sometime in the near future.

Whether or not Alabama works with Catapult Sports is almost beside the point, though. Just the fact that the No. 1 team in the country is trying new things to gain a competitive edge sends a message that should frighten the rest of college football: Alabama isn't slowing down.

This was illustrated in the wake of the proposed recruiting deregulation by the NCAA. Before the new rules ever took effect, Alabama hired a former head coach and ace recruiter in Kevin Steele as its director of player personnel and signed a prominent high school coach with ties to the Mobile, Ala., region as its new director of player development. In March, Alabama lured former Ole Miss coordinator of recruiting development Tyler Siskey to Tuscaloosa to serve as an associate director of player personnel.

The moves caught the attention of teams across the country. Texas coach Mack Brown opened up a position as director of player personnel on his staff in February and intimated that Alabama's forward thinking in the area of recruiting staffing was part of his decision. Brown then hired former Alabama associate director of football operations Patrick Suddes for the role.

Even when Alabama is playing catch-up, it never seems that far behind. While other schools such as Tennessee and Oklahoma State have upgraded facilities faster, UA hasn't taken long to catch up. The Tide's new $9 million, 37,000-square-foot weight room was unveiled in February, some five months after construction officially began on it. Ground was broken on the facility before the Board of Trustees ever gave the green light to the project.

A positively giddy Scott Cochran, Alabama's veteran strength and conditioning coach, called it, "The biggest, baddest weight room in the country -- no question about it. Everything is state-of-the-art. Everything we have in here is the best of the best."

Currently, a construction team is busy turning the old weight room site into a new players lounge and meeting room that will give Alabama an even more unnecessary edge in recruiting. And after all, that's where the root of the program's success comes from. It's no coincidence that two years after Saban inked his first signing class he won his first national championship, led by his first major recruiting coup in Mark Ingram, whom Saban pulled away from in-state favorite Michigan State in 2008.

Consecutive No. 1 recruiting classes are just the start, though. Even when it comes to recruiting players, Saban and his staff analyzing weaknesses and forcing change. By signing "fast-twitch pass-rushing athletic" defensive linemen, as Saban described them, he believes his defense will be better equipped to slow down quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel and others that have been able to exploit tiny weaknesses in Alabama’s defense.

"We have to be able to adapt to that kind of athleticism and that means we have to be more athletic to do that," Saban said in February.

Alabama has seen what happens to dynasties, and is doing everything it can to remain competitive, whether that means adapting its schemes, finding new ways to attract recruits or simply being open to an idea out of left field. Rather than being mesmerized with its success, the program is finding ways to challenge itself and outwit opponents.

Even with so much history around it, Alabama isn’t resting on its laurels.

Alabama might have fallen to No. 2 in ESPN colleague Mark Schlabach's Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25, but I'd like to think that most of the college football world still considers the Crimson Tide to be the favorites to win the national championship again.

Alabama lost nine draft picks, including three first-rounders, but Nick Saban has a host of talent returning on both sides of the ball, and the Tide's schedule isn't too daunting after the first two games.

But there are teams that will test the Tide's road to a national championship trifecta in 2013. Colleague Travis Haney picked five teams from around the country that could challenge Alabama's title hopes this fall. Ohio State topped his list, while Texas A&M made it from the SEC.

No surprise there with the Aggies. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel returns with a bundle of riches to accompany him in the Aggies' backfield.

Johnny Football might not have Luke Joeckel protecting him, but Jake Matthews provides quite the safety net with his move to left tackle, and there is still talent and experience up front. Mike Evans leads a young but talented group of pass-catchers.

The defense is a concern, with five members of last season's front seven gone, but the Aggies will still be equipped to win most shootouts.

A&M benefits from getting Alabama at home early in the season, but has to play Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU and Missouri on the road. Even beating Alabama early doesn't guarantee the Aggies will make it to Atlanta over the Tide.

Here are four other SEC teams that could wreck Alabama's title train this fall:

Florida

The Gators will yet again be elite on defense. First-round draft picks Sharrif Floyd and Matt Elam might be gone, but Dominique Easley moves back to his more natural position at defensive tackle and could one of the best at his position this fall. Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy could be the top cornerback duo in the SEC, while inside linebacker Antonio Morrison has the makings of being a budding star.

The offense is still a concern, especially with the lack of proven receiving talent, but quarterback Jeff Driskel has found a lot more confidence in his second year under offensive coordinator Brent Pease, and he'll have a much tougher offensive line and another loaded backfield to work with.

Georgia

Sure, the defense is younger and less experienced, but people in Athens are excited about the younger guys taking over. They were very receptive to coaching and showed continued improvement this spring. Linebacker Jordan Jenkins has playmaker written all over him, while freshman Tray Matthews could be the next big thing at safety. Having Damian Swann back at cornerback is huge.

Offensively, Georgia will be able to score on just about everyone. Aaron Murray is looking to be the first SEC quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in four seasons, and should leave with a handful of SEC/Georgia records. He has five offensive linemen returning, the best one-two running back punch (Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall) and plenty of receivers to throw to, including Malcolm Mitchell, who has moved back to offense full-time.

LSU

Yes, the Tigers lost a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but Les Miles seemed pretty happy with where his defense was -- especially his defensive line -- at the end of spring. Jermauria Rasco could be a big-time player at defensive end for LSU, while linebacker Lamin Barrow has the talent to be an All-SEC performer. The return of cornerbacks Jalen Collins and Jalen Mills should continue the Tigers' trend of having an elite secondary.

The offense should be better, too. Zach Mettenberger is way more comfortable in the offense and has developed better chemistry with his receiving targets, which all return from last season. He'll have a solid offensive line in front of him and a loaded backfield. Although, it will be important to see what happens to the suspended Jeremy Hill, who could be the Tigers' top offensive weapon.

South Carolina

Jadeveon Clowney hasn't left, and the Gamecocks should once again be stacked along their defensive line. South Carolina does have to replace its two-deep at linebacker and has a couple of holes in its secondary, but we all know that a good defensive line can mask weaknesses behind it.

And the offense should be pretty balanced this fall. South Carolina possesses two solid quarterbacks and a talented running back stable led by rising sophomore Mike Davis. Bruce Ellington is back at receiver, and it sounds like the very talented Shaq Roland is finally starting to come around and should be a valuable receiving target this fall. This team has the personnel to make it back to Atlanta.

Tom Luginbill breaks down what some of the top teams in the country have done this spring in recruiting.

Former Alabama offensive lineman D.J. Fluker's Twitter account caused quite the stir early this week.

The controversial tweet from Fluker's account read: "Yea I took $ n college so wat. I did wat i had to do. Agents was tryin to pimp me so I pimped them. Cast da first stone."

It was quickly deleted and Fluker later claimed that his Twitter account was hacked. His agent, Deryk Gilmore, also said that he knew who was responsible for the tweet.

“We know who did this,” Gilmore said. “This is totally fiction, but I’m waiting to get some proof. I’ve been on the phone with Twitter."

He also added: “I’ll tell you, of course, this wasn’t him. It was [expletive], and it’s a shame. And anyone who believes it was him and wants to believe the worst, you go ahead and do it."

On Wednesday, Alabama coach Nick Saban was asked about the tweet on the SEC coaches teleconference and said that Alabama's compliance was still looking into it, but added that he and his staff are very involved in teaching players what's right and wrong in the off-field world of college football.

"We're trying to do things the right way," Saban said. "We've tried to do everything we can to educate our players to do things the right way when it comes to selecting an agent or being involved in the NFL draft."

Saban also said that staff members will even do in-home visits with parents to help educate them as well. He's also very adamant about agents and those associated with agents not contacting players before they've used up their eligibility. Saban said he's been "very involved" with the NFL's Players Association and the NCAA to create some sort of new rules and "cause-and-effect" consequences for those who do attempt to contact players early.

"We want to do anything that we can to prevent any sort of circumstance or situation that could get a player in trouble or an organization in trouble and to get people to manage things the right way."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- There is something unsettling about seeing Alabama coach Nick Saban wear a suit onto the football field. He's no Paul "Bear" Bryant. He doesn't roam the sidelines in a coat and tie. He wears a hat only when it rains. He's a coach who puts on the same short-sleeve shirt as the rest of his staff, pulls a headset over his ears and goes about his work.

But Saturday, Saban was set in the unfamiliar position of CEO, overseeing the product rather than molding it with his hands. The 61-year-old coach wore a yellow plaid jacket, a checkered tie and slacks, and watched the A-Day scrimmage from behind the quarterback miked up for television.

What he saw there, and what he relayed to those watching with a series of disappointed gestures and noticeable tirades, was a team not yet ready for the championship stage. Nine turnovers and eight penalties soured the coach's perspective on what had been an otherwise satisfying spring.

"We have a lot of the components to develop as a team," he said. "I don't think we are where we need to be."

The White team beat the Crimson team, 17-14, in Bryant-Denny Stadium, but the score was barely a footnote on the day. After handing out a series of offseason awards, Saban walked into the media room fuming, ready to send a message to a team eager for rest.

"Too many people too comfortable with their position," he explained. "That, to me, does not lend itself to great competition or being a great competitor."

Last season, Alabama walked the tightrope to the national championship, beating LSU and Georgia by the skin of its teeth. A heartbreaking loss to Texas A&M wasn't the death knell many thought it would be. By the time Notre Dame came around, the Crimson Tide had been forged into a juggernaut, a team that had walked through fire and hit the sandy beaches of Miami with purpose. It won the school's 15th national championship before it ever took the field.

But this year's team is not like the last. As Saban said, "Forget about all that other stuff because it's history." What he witnessed at A-Day was a team with flaws, a team that is a work in progress.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Coming into spring practice, the linebacking corps was thought to be a strength for Alabama. Three of four starters were back for another year on campus and a handful of reserves were poised to develop as most underclassmen do. In general, the outlook was positive.

Fast-forward to the final week of camp and the unit has changed dramatically: C.J. Mosley is stuck in a black no-contact jersey, Trey DePriest is out with a fractured foot and Xzavier Dickson is a question mark after missing Saturday's scrimmage with an injury resembling a bruised knee, according to Bama coach Nick Saban.

None of the injuries threaten to linger on into the fall, supposedly, but it does dramatically change what fans will see come A-Day on Saturday afternoon. Instead of seeing the usual inside linebackers, the annual scrimmage in Bryant-Denny Stadium will spotlight some names people haven't become accustomed to hearing, names such as Tana Patrick, Reggie Ragland, Ryan Anderson and Dillion Lee. The four combined for 25 tackles and zero starts last season.

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