Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Depending on which way you look at it, Alabama's scrimmage on Saturday was either good or bad for the future of the football team. Good because the offense scored 11 touchdowns and didn't cough the ball up once, and bad because the defense failed to make many stops and didn't generate a single turnover.

Ah, the joy of spring football. When you play against yourself no one really wins. The players simply get to hit one another, and that's a pleasant enough experience.

"Defensively, I guess it’s good and bad news," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "We didn’t create any turnovers but the good news is we didn’t turn it over on offense, so that’s probably a good thing. But we practiced a lot of different situations out there, which is great exposure for our players."

Saturday marked the 12th practice and second scrimmage of the spring for the Crimson Tide. The next scrimmage will be the last when the doors to Bryant-Denny Stadium are swung open on April 20 for A-Day.

And even then, the result of the game-like practice will be the same: either the offense will look spectacular and the defense horrendous, or vice versa.

(Read full post)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It's a good problem to have, losing players early to the NFL draft. Alabama coach Nick Saban knows all too well what it's like to watch talent walk out the door, especially from the secondary. In two of the last three drafts he's seen at least one of his defensive backs get taken in the first round. This year will be no different as Dee Milliner is likely to go among the top 10 picks.

"We keep losing first-round picks back there," Saban told ESPN on Wednesday afternoon. "For guys to step up on a consistent basis is the biggest concern I have."

Not a rebuilt offensive line, a thin linebacking corps or a defensive line replacing two of three starters. It's the secondary that worries Saban most.

"Even though we have a lot of guys back at safety, we don't have the depth or quality corners and experience at corner that we've had in the past," he said, "so that's the challenge."

With top reserve cornerback John Fulton out all spring recovering from a turf toe injury, the depth in the secondary has been left wanting. As a result, Alabama opened camp with three offensive players trying their hands at cornerback: running back Dee Hart and wide receivers Christion Jones and Cyrus Jones.

It was an experiment, Saban said, one he hoped would yield at least one player who could make the move to defense full time. And after 10 practices it appears he's found his man. Cyrus, who caught four passes as a reserve wideout last season, has practiced every day at corner and has even spent some time with the first unit at nickel back.

"The first couple weeks out there, it felt weird because [Cyrus] used to be right next to me, running routes with me," said UA receiver Kenny Bell, "but he took ownership of the position."

Bell went on to say that Cyrus has become a "great player" on defense, a spot he's familiar with from his time at Gilman School in Baltimore. Cyrus was the No. 4-rated athlete in the 2012 class and could have played on either side of the ball, according to scouts. It just so happens he would play both in his first two years on campus.

"He picked up on it fast and he comes out there and competes," Bell said.

(Read full post)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Year after year, the tone is the same. Nick Saban, stubborn and strong-willed as ever, opens spring camp at Alabama with a similar message: Forget the past season, forget the championship, forget everything you've done.

"Every year you've got to reinvent your team," he told reporters after the first day of practice three weeks ago.

For the 61-year-old head coach of the defending champions, both eyes are locked firmly on the future. Time spent in the past is time wasted. There are too many more important questions to be considered.

"Who are going to be the leaders?" he asked. "Who are going to be the guys that set an example? Who steps forward as young players who show that they have the responsibility to do a job and be dependable in doing that job so that we have a chance to play winning football with them?"

In the time since Alabama has opened camp, Saban and his staff have been busy. First, assistant coaches like Mario Cristobal (offensive line), Billy Napier (wide receivers) and Greg Brown (secondary) needed to be acclimated to the environment. Then came the position changes. Eleven starters had to be replaced and some weak spots on both sides of the ball needed patching. Running back Dee Hart and wide receivers Christion Jones and Cyrus Jones were moved to cornerback at the start of camp and all three remained there through the Tide's first scrimmage.

But now that Alabama has entered the homestretch -- only six practices remain in the spring -- the outlook of the team is starting to take shape. Ryan Kelly has solidified his role as the team's starter at center, replacing All-American Barrett Jones; Geno Smith is solidifying his spot as the team's No. 2 cornerback, picking up where future first-round pick Dee Milliner left off; and C.J. Mosley is stepping into an even larger role, going from the most popular reserve in the country to a full-time starter for the first time in his already decorated career.

It's a start, Saban said, but not anything more than that. AJ McCarron is his quarterback, T.J. Yeldon is his running back; this much he knows. It's what he doesn't that's bothersome. After Alabama's first scrimmage on Saturday, Saban voiced his frustration. Halfway through the spring, he wasn't seeing the answers he'd liked.

"We're not where we'd love to be or would like to be," he said. "… It all starts with guys being able to sustain the kind of mental intensity you need to have to be a good football player, especially when things get a little tough, it gets a little tough, you get a little bit tired. We just don't have the mental toughness we need from enough guys to sustain things, pay attention to detail, and do the little things right so we can execute better as a team."

He continued: "We had some guys play well, but kind of hit and miss right now. We don't have enough guys doing the right things the right way all the time."

Sound familiar? It should. Rewind the tape to this time a year ago and you'll notice the same displeased tone. Whether it's genuine disappointment or a never-ending battle to fight complacency through the press, Saban is nothing if not consistent.

"I’m talking about things like effort, toughness, focus to execute, the kind of intensity you need to do your job on a consistent basis," he said following the Tide's first scrimmage of the spring a year ago.

His message got through then, but will it this time around? With so much success built up over the past few years, can it be sustained?

With it being the spring, the answers to those questions remain unknown. Saban isn't interested in the past and he's not terribly excited about looking that much farther into the future. A-Day is right around the corner and there's too much work to be done for him to take his eye off the ball now.

In Tuscaloosa, it's been as it's always been since Saban arrived: A process.

"We don't have enough guys doing the right things the right way all the time," he said. "That's something we really need to work on. It's a work in progress to try to continue to improve."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Spring is a time for change. The ice breaks, leaves blossom and nature starts over again. For the University of Alabama football team, this time of year is treated much in the same way.

New players are tested and familiar faces try out new roles. There's return and there's turnover. It's a time for reinvention, head coach Nick Saban said on Saturday, the first day of spring camp for the defending national champion Crimson Tide.

"Like I've said before," the 61-year-old coach said, "every year you've got to reinvent your team. Who are going to be the leaders? Who are going to be the guys that set an example? Who steps forward as young players who show that they have the responsibility to do a job and be dependable in doing that job so we that have a chance to play winning football with them?"

Alabama won the national title just three months ago, but when Saban took the podium at the Mal Moore Athletic Facility following the first day of practice, it felt like eons ago. The coach wears no championship rings and counts the minutes, not the days or hours, until he can forget a win and move on to the next thing. He jovially asked the assembled media if they had a pleasant off-season, smiled when one reporter said it was short and shot back with, "You think it was short for you."

Saban and a renovated coaching staff went back to work months ago, the process never quite giving into themes like a finish line. And when he looked at the product of 2012 and the players he lost to the draft and graduation, he and the staff decided to do some tinkering. Jack linebacker Xzaiver Dickson practiced at defensive end in a possible attempt at increasing a rather lackluster pass rush and the wide receiver position was shaken up in order to give the secondary some added depth. Wideouts Cyrus Jones and Christion Jones spent time at cornerback, along with running back Dee Hart, who practiced in a black no-contact jersey during the media viewing portion of practice.

The position changes, Saban knew, would be a source of speculation. Rather than let it hang there in the room like a white elephant, he addressed the moves in his opening remarks.

(Read full post)

Editor's note: From now until the start of spring camp on March 16, TideNation will count down the 12 most intriguing players to watch on the Alabama football roster. Today we look at wide receiver Chris Black.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The offseason is about hype. With no games, few press conferences and no interaction with players, the time between the end of the regular season and spring practice is filled with conjecture and speculation about the depth chart, the rising stars and the players facing make-or-break seasons, among other topics.

Among the issues discussed by Alabama fans, none may be more talked about than wide receiver Chris Black. Though the rookie didn't play a single down during his first year on campus, he's one of the most highly anticipated attractions in 2013: Is he 100 percent? Where will he land on the depth chart? Is there any way he'll actually be better than fellow freshman Amari Cooper?

The questions, as ridiculous as they may seem from the outside looking in, are not unfounded. After all, Black was one of the most impressive youngsters during spring camp a year ago. He came to Alabama as the highest-rated receiver in the class, ranked above Cooper by most major recruiting services. Even Nick Saban, who rarely opens up about true freshman with the media, wasn't shy about discussing Black's talent. When he went down with a season-ending injury to his shoulder prior to the start of the regular season, Saban lamented the turn of events.

"He was doing a really good job and he wants to play so bad he can't see straight," Saban said at the time of the injury. "But this is one of the unfortunate things. We feel bad for him but everybody here is going to be very, very supportive. He's going to be an excellent player for us in the future."

(Read full post)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- AJ McCarron was almost giddy when he spoke with ESPN's Tom Rinaldi on the morning of national signing day. Alabama's junior quarterback has won two national championships as a starter, and he broke all kinds of passing records this past season. And despite all he has accomplished, the steely, strong-armed veteran had something to get worked up about, something to look forward to next season.

McCarron wasn't smiling because of the big board of recruits being filled up in the Alabama football offices. He checked out of the recruiting game the minute he signed his own national letter of intent. The quarterback instead went flush when Rinaldi asked what excited him most about the upcoming season.

"My receivers," McCarron answered, laughing nervously. "I look out there and see the explosive guys out wide that can make plays."

McCarron won't lack for options in the passing game in 2013. All of his starters return, including fab freshman Amari Cooper. Cooper, Kevin Norwood and Christion Jones will be joined by a talented group of backups: DeAndrew White, Kenny Bell, Chris Black, Marvin Shinn and Cyrus Jones. Throw in the two wideout prospects and one tight end signed on Wednesday and the list of targets goes up. Robert Foster, the No. 2 receiver in the ESPN 150, and O.J. Howard, the second-ranked tight end/H-back in the country, will make an impact sooner or later.

"We have different types of receivers -- bigger guys, smaller guys that are fast," McCarron told Rinaldi. "It's going to be a fun year for our offense."

(Read full post)

MIAMI -- Alabama became the first team to repeat as BCS champions, as the Tide rolled through Notre Dame on Monday night, 42-14, to win the Discover BCS National Championship, their third title in four years. Here is how it went down.

It was over when: Following a three-and-out from Notre Dame, officials blew a call on Alabama's punt return, ruling that Christion Jones was hit by an Irish player. He was hit by a teammate. Instead of an Irish fumble recovery and some early momentum, the Tide marched down the field for a 14-0 lead and never looked back.

Gameball goes to: The offensive line paved the way for Alabama's run game and protected AJ McCarron all night. Alabama scored touchdowns on its first three drives and made it look easy, taking any chance away from the Irish early. This was an historic group.

Stat of the game: The longest drive against Notre Dame in the regular season was 75 yards. On Monday, Alabama had drives of 82, 80, 97 and 86 yards.

Best call: We'll change this to worst call: The Jones fumble that wasn't. It looked like a pivotal play at the time and ended up not mattering in the grand scheme of things, but it was an awful, awful call.

Second guessing: Not to take away from Alabama's defense, but Notre Dame's No. 1 scoring defense look disheveled throughout the night, missing tackles left and right, blowing assignments and getting the ball taken to it all night.

What Alabama learned: The Tide are a dynasty. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Nick Saban has his third national title in four years, and his fourth overall. The scary part? Alabama may be even better next year.

What Notre Dame learned: Everyone who said the Irish were lucky to be here feels a little validated. It was an historic season by almost any measure for Notre Dame, but one has to wonder just how far this program is from being the best of the best after a demoralizing Monday night.

Editor's note: Every day from now until kickoff in Miami, TideNation will break down the match-ups position-by-position. Today we'll look at the battle of the special teams.

Alabama: If there's an area Alabama improved the most dramatically from a season ago, it was on special teams in the kicking game. Cade Foster, who was maligned for much of last season for missing three field goals against LSU, showed off a much stronger leg his junior year. He made four of nine field goal attempts, including three of five from 50 or more yards. That confidence bled over to kickoffs, where he had 37 more touchbacks than a season ago. He and short-range specialist Jeremy Shelley, who made all 11 of his field goal attempts, gave Alabama a piece it had previously been missing -- a safety net when the offense couldn't punch the ball in from scoring range.

Punter Cody Mandell experienced a renaissance as well. The junior from Texas increased his yards per punt and went from two punts of 50 or more yards in 2011 to 12 this season. More importantly, he landed six more punts inside the 20-yard line.

(Read full post)