Expectations
Nick Saban hinted this month that a fourth national championship in six seasons might be a little unrealistic given the Crimson Tide's uncertainty at quarterback, but nobody took it seriously. Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron led Alabama to BCS titles in their first seasons as the starter, and the Crimson Tide have managed to assemble the nation's No. 1 recruiting class in five of the past six winters. Fair or not, this right now is a program that is either national championship or bust, and for proof, revisit last year.
Curiosity shop
Breaking in a new quarterback certainly tops Alabama's lists of concerns, but the schedule is very favorable through October with Florida and Texas A&M coming to Tuscaloosa and the game at Ole Miss preceded by an open date. Finding more dependability in the secondary is an objective as well, though injuries last season contributed to a falling off from the year before. Both kickers must be replaced, and the Tide do not have the best track record for making pressure-packed kicks in recent seasons.
Twists
It's often said that the second most important football position behind quarterback is the left tackle, and that's where freshman Cam Robinson makes his impact. The 6-foot-6, 323-pounder from Monroe, La., enrolled in January as the nation's top tackle prospect and earned a first-team spot this spring. He has been backed this month by another freshman, Rodd Pierschbacher. The defensive line has been bolstered by junior college transfers Jarran Reed and D.J. Pettway as well as freshman Da'Shawn Hand.
Tale of two games
Tigers, Tigers, anyone? Alabama's two biggest games this season will be a Nov. 8 trip to LSU and a No. 29 visit from Auburn, and they could come in that order. LSU's Tiger Stadium has been expanded to seat 102,000, which should make for a deafening experience for any opposing quarterback. The Crimson Tide were fortunate to escape two years ago, and that was with a seasoned McCarron. Alabama obviously will be out for revenge against Auburn, but Bama-LSU will have the first big impact on the West race.
Christmas carol
Alabama has been picked to win the SEC West and the league as well, but can the Crimson Tide go through the league unscathed? The thought here is that Alabama will go 11-1 in the regular season, stumbling in Baton Rouge but winning the West over LSU and Auburn, who have more taxing league schedules. The Crimson Tide will face South Carolina in the SEC title game in a matchup of two of the league's top four coaching legends and will celebrate Christmas knowing they have a ticket to the four-team playoff.