I'll be there!!! Yeah, can't believe the football season is finally here!!! 
Hope you have a great season bro!!! 
Very Nice
We don't disagree at all Boom. I said I love Malzahn. In fact when Bama was looking for an OC after Saban and Major Applewhite parted ways after the 2008 season, his name was mentioned as a possible replacement. Although I have no regrets about Saban having hired Jim McElwain, Malzahn was the hire I was rooting for.
What I was saying is I wonder if Malzahn's offense is something that will become less effective as defensive coordinators become more familiar with it. I'm not saying that is what will happen. The pendulum could very well swing in favor of Malzahn as you suggest. I'm merely saying that it is something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Nevertheless, I will stick with my prediction that Auburn will not be a serious contender in the West. I think, at best, they finish 3rd in the division. Their defense is not good enough, and their roster is wafer thin. They would have to have some remarkable luck on the injury front to make a good run this season IMO.
I think the SEC last year, really, was quite a subpar conference outside of Alabama and Florida of course. This year, seems the playing field outside of those two will be much better and the conference as a whole will be much better. and Miles is on the hot seat!
I'm not as sold on Florida as much as others are. I like the o-line, but where are the receivers and TEs? is Demps going to get 20 carries a game? Unlikely. even Meyer said last year that without Coop, his team was average. Schedule with Bama and LSU back to back is tough, and UGA should be a threat in the East if the o-line doesn't fall apart again. No more Joe Cox is probably worth 2 games by itself. FSU if the defense gets better isn't a push over this year and that game is in Tallahassee. Ewing theory to the max here btw.
As far as nationally, depends on how many teams run the table.
I disagree that it was a subpar year for the SEC. I think there were two factors at work: 1) past Alabama and Florida there is a lot of parity in the conference, and 2) I think some of the other conferences have closed the gap on the SEC. I think that trend will continue this season.
I agree with what you are saying about Florida. I said it in my write-up and I've really been saying it for years, they need to become more balanced on offense. They need to develop some sort of an identity in the running game. Also, if they want to beat Bama, I think they will have to match up better with Bama in the trenches. For these reasons I give Bama the edge in the SECCG if there is a Bama/Florida III.
Florida has soooooooo much talent. The only two teams in the country that may have more talent than Alabama is Texas and Florida. Both of those teams are absolutely loaded. But Florida has trouble attracting RBs because of their scheme. If you're a top-tier RB who has his eye on the NFL, are you going to play for Alabama's pro-style offense, or Urban Meyer's gimmic spread? That's where the problem lies with Florida. They can attract the small speed backs, but not the big power backs they need to develope a true running attack.
I don't like Georgia at all. They are one of the most undisciplined teams in the country, and based on what has transpired in the offseason, there is no reason for me to believe that anything will change this season. I think that program is in disarray, and I think they have no shot of unseating Florida in the East.
I agree that FSU will be a much improved team this year. Not sure if they will have enough to knock off the Gators though.
BOL Kroch!!!
Always enjoy your take jimmy
I agree, Marcel Darius is and will be a beast this year. However, I think Jerrell Harris will have a break out year as a sleeper.
Overall, Bama will be a great team again. They may not seal their division in early November like last year, but they will be damn good. The offense brings back 8 starters that features plenty stars. I hear Saban is going to have McElroy throw more to present more of a balance attached. If it was up to me, I'd say to stick to what's been working and pound the ball with the best RB duo in college football. However, if I had to choose a question mark on offense, I would say it is with the O-Line. Guard Mike Johnson (1st Team All American) and two year starting tackle Drew Davis will be missed. That is three 1st Team All-Americans in the past three seasons. Which probably is a good argument that Bama reloads, not rebuilds. I know one of the replacements DJ Flucker is one big guy...6'6"340!...I dont know much more about him though.
The defense, with only 2 returning starters, will also reload. This is probably the most versatile LB corp at Bama as they are all interchangeable. McLain will surely be missed, not so much for his talent, but for his high football IQ and how he was able to counter o-coordinators calls on the fly. Hightower is talented but has much bigger shoes to fill in that regard. However, if I had to choose a question mark on this defense it most certianly will be in the secondary, espicially considering Saban uses Nickel and Dime packages often. These replacements are inexperienced as you explain, but they are all blue chip recruits. In looking at their schedule, the only true passing threat is Arkansas. Florida,South Carolina, and Auburn are also threats but no where near Arkansas. Despite this threat they do have three games, including Penn State who IMO will get hammered, to get live game time experience before they meet which is what they lack. Nevertheless, I'm nit picking and the strength on the line and at LB should make their jobs a lot easier. GL to you this year Jimmy.
Great write-up CalBear.
Marcel Dareus is a very scary man!!!
Jerrell Harris is also very good, but I picked Courtney Upshaw as my "sleeper" pick because he plays the jack LBer position which is a glorified pass rushing defensive end. In other words, jack offers more opportunities to make plays that will get you noticed. Upshaw is also more safely ensconsed as a starter than Harris.
Coming out of high school I thought Jerrell would be the better player. But the laptop incident last year really hurt his development. I was mildly surprised he even cracked the starting lineup this year quite frankly. He was in a dogfight.
I expect Bama to throw a lot in the San Jose State and Duke games to try to develop some rhythm in the passing game. Basically Bama will strive for balance offensively. There is no risk of Bama abandoning their running game with the RBs they have.
The O-line will not be a problem. DJ Fluker was the number #1 recruit in the nation in 2009 at any position. He redshirted last year because he didn't play much tackle in high school. He has also lost about 60 pounds so he is in great shape. From a talent standpoint, there is no comparison between Drew Davis (who was a 2* recruit and not considered and SEC caliber lineman out of HS) and DJ Fluker (who has one of the highest grades ever for a lineman coming out of HS). Fluker has struggled a little against the speed rush, but he is currently attending the Marcel Dareus school of speed rushing.
Chance Warmack is very, very good. Bama won't miss a beat with him in there.
Bama is also very deep on the offensive line. When you have 5* recruits running 3rd string, you're gonna be just fine. Bama's O-line will be at least as good as last year.
The teams that have given Bama trouble in the past are teams with prolific passing offenses, and yes, if there is a weakness it would be the secondary due to the lack of experience. My main concern in the secondary is FS Robert Lester. I think the corners will be fine.
Arkansas is definitely a threat. Bama destroyed them last year because Arky could not handle Bama's front 7. They also had no defense. I think Bama will win again this season for the same reasons.
I agree that Penn State will get destroyed. That will be a max bet game for me for any line under 2 TDs.
BOL this seson CalBear!!! Always great to hear from you!!!
I'm sure many Bama fans will answer the "who will be most question" with Javier Arenas because of all the things he did especially in the return game. I think that's more of a sentimental pick than a practical one however. Practically speaking I think the guy that will be miss most is FS Robby Green. He should have been a returning starter, but was suspended by the NCAA for a year. That second safety position and the kicking game are the biggest questions confronting this team.
The secondary as a whole is the biggest question because of the inexperience, but ultimately I think they'll be comparable to last year's group because they have the best secondary coach in the college game (Nick Saban). Other than that I think Bama will be improved in every other offensive and defensive catagory.
Bama has very talented kickers, but they have zero experience kicking in front of a SEC crowd. I would expect some drop off in the kicking game this year, especially early in the season.
Jeremy Pruitt replaced LBers coach James Willis. Willis took the defensive coordinator position at Texas Tech. Pruitt was an internal promotion.
I'm glad you found the write-up helpful!!!
BOL ths season!!!
on Bama games this season!!!
Awesome stuff as usual freak!
One of the few things that I disagree with you on is the SECCG.I believe that we're gonna' see 'Bama vs. UGA.
Good Luck this season !
Thanks 29!!!
I disagree on Georgia. The Bulldogs have been consistently been loaded with talent, but have also been one of the most undisciplined teams in the country. And based on what I've seen in the offseason, I don't see that changing this season. This is a team in disarray IMO. I don't see them overtaking Florida in the East.
BOL Bro!!!
first off, i would like to say nice write-up
i am beginning to think i am the only one in the world that is giving joe pa a chance in that second game. A healthy Royster against a young defense could be interesting... good luck to you and your boys this season
Aprreciate it.
I think Penn State's running game versus Bama's front 7 is a mismatch in favor of Bama. I don't think this will be a very close game. This will be a max bet game for me at any line under 2 TDs.
Jim, I know McElroy can't be considered a sleeper (or can he?)but I think he'll be a much more recognized and respected player at the end of the year. Teams that load up to stop the run this year may regret it.
GL, Doc
I agree. Bama has all the weapons to be prolific in the passing game. We should see a drastic improvement in that area this season.
Surely nobody thinks that Mark Ingram would diss his defense, but I still found his comments interesting nonetheless. They largely mirror what I've been saying. Afterall, this is a guy who has to play against that defense almost everyday.
Talking about this year's defense Ingram said "They're going to be able to stop everything that an offense throws at them."
"They're really talented. They can stop the run, and they have lots of playmakers who can stop the pass too. They have lots of athletes on that side of the ball. Once they get real comfortable and accustomed to a style of play, they can be even better than last year's defense."
When discussing the departure of Terrence Cody and the nose tackle position he said, "They [Josh Chapman & Kerry Murphy] demand double-team blocks as well. They make it hard to run inside, run the 'A' gaps, so it almost forces you to run on the perimeter, and we have ends that are real fast and real athletic as well."
Speaking about the defense in general he said, "A lot of them haven't started, but a lot of them have game experience. They're real experienced up front, and I think they're going to make a significant impact on defense . . . I don't see a dropoff."
Established in 1995,
Hot Forum Topics
