Top 25 Intel: No. 8 Alabama

When these two got together just over two years ago, Nick Saban and Alabama football, perhaps it truly was the perfect marriage, but mostly because, in retrospect, a merging of their recent imperfections made sense. There was Saban, coming off a failed stint in the NFL, and there was Alabama, leaving behind failed flirtations with the next great coach.

The results of this combination were brilliant because both parties, we always knew, were brooding giants. And in short order, the swagger is back, and Saban is basking in Bama mystique. He's even recently mentioned scheduling a round-robin tournament with other elites like USC, Texas and Penn State. Call it the Mystique Club.

Saban knows the Tide belong once more.

But in 2009, the returning Bama swagger and mystique is nearly all on defense. As good as the Tide were last year -- remember the only two losses on their schedule were to the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the final AP and BCS polls -- those players left behind that are able to score the ball can't compare with the guys left to stop it.

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Chris Sprow

ESPN Insider

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Chris Sprow is a senior editor for ESPN Insider. He reports on the NFL and other sports, works year-round with Mel Kiper on NFL draft coverage and also oversees ESPN's Rumor Central. He's been a frequent guest on ESPN TV and radio.