Alabama Football: 4 Games the Crimson Tide Must Win in 2012

While teams are just beginning spring practices, we're already looking forward to the regular season. Sure, it is still a good six months away, but it's never too early to think about everything that comes with college football and the games that actually matter.

Alabama are, of course, the defending national champions, but they will have several obstacles standing in their way to repeat. For one, they only return a total of 13 starters, including just five on the defensive side of the ball. They also have a difficult schedule playing in the always competitive SEC West. But this team remains extremely talented and should make a great run to defend their title.

If Alabama expects to repeat as national champions, here are four games that they must win this season.

vs. Michigan (in Texas)

The first game of the season really doesn't get much bigger than this.

Two highly ranked teams, bright lights, everybody watching and an outcome that will only help shape up the national championship conversation really early. Now a loss won't destroy the hopes Alabama has to repeat, but a victory would only strengthen those odds and make the voters fall in love with the Crimson Tide even more.

The Wolverines are a team that has big dreams this season as well, so a victory here for Alabama would really say a lot about this team moving forward. National champions must start the year off on the right track; this would be a huge step in the right direction.

at Arkansas

Now, we all know that Alabama destroyed Arkansas in last year's meeting and has actually won the last five times these teams have met. But this game may be a little different for the Crimson Tide.

For one, Arkansas returns a total of 13 starters, including seven on the offensive side of the ball. They'll also get a healthy Knile Davis back at running back, which will add another dimension to their high-scoring offense. And the Razorbacks are also at home, which has to count for something.

Arkansas should be a team to watch out for in the SEC this season, and a loss here may end up hurting the Tide near the end of the year. In a division that's so tight, Alabama simply can't afford to lose this ball game.

at LSU

The same reason Alabama needs to beat Arkansas, is pretty much the same reason they have to beat LSU. The Tigers remain a loaded team on both sides of the ball, and we all saw what happened last season where one loss could remove a chance for competing for the SEC title.

The Crimson Tide have lost four of the last six games in Louisiana, and the Tigers will obviously have a revenge factor considering they did get embarrassed in the national championship game.

I'm sure the entire LSU community has been patiently waiting for this matchup, and Alabama must be ready for it.

vs. Auburn

I think we can all agree that Alabama is the more complete and talented team over Auburn at this point, but that doesn't mean that they should overlook the Tigers. Auburn does return 18 starters, including 10 on the defensive side of the ball.

This is also one of the biggest rivalries in the sport and would really make the Tigers' season if they found a way to knock off Alabama and make things difficult reaching the SEC championship.

Alabama can't get caught looking ahead and must take care of business if they expect to make this season as successful as last year's.