College Football Rankings 2011: Is Alabama Ready to Get Back in BCS Title Hunt?
For most college football teams, a 10-3 record and a win in the Capital One Bowl would be a commendable season.
For the Alabama Crimson Tide, it's unacceptable.
Alabama is now looking towards 2011 and hopes to re-establish itself as a BCS title contender.
However, is it likely that the Crimson Tide will be able to compete with top teams after losing starters at quarterback, running back and wide receiver?
Is Alabama prepared to get back into the race to become National Champions?
Let's take a look deeper at the season ahead for Alabama and key points to the team's success.
1. How Does the Team Replace Quarterback Greg McElroy?
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Greg McElroy may have been one of the most underrated players in college football this year.
He may not have put up gaudy numbers, but McElroy was efficient.
In terms of quarterback rating, McElroy finished fourth among quarterbacks last season. He also placed fourth in completion percentage.
However, McElroy won't be with the Crimson Tide in 2011. Likely, he will be with a lucky NFL team who will get him as a steal in the later rounds of the NFL Draft.
Quarterback is widely considered the most important position for any football team, and Alabama has two guys ready to step up to take McElroy's place.
Nick Saban has made it clear that the position is still up for grabs, but it is likely A.J. McCarron will be under center at the start of the season.
Phillip Sims could still win the spot, though. ESPN ranked him as the number one quarterback in the 2010 recruiting class.
However, it's McCarron that most eyes will be on.
McCarron stepped into a few blowout games last season, and he was effective when called on.
As a redshirt freshman, McCarron completed 62.5 percent of his passes and threw for three touchdowns.
There were obvious points that McCarron showed his youth. The most memorable was in the game against Mississippi State, when he got an earful from Saban on the sideline because of a decision to throw deep early in a drive.
However, these mistakes will be corrected with experience.
McCarron appears like he will be a solid replacement for McElroy.
2. Who Fills in for Julio Jones?
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It's almost impossible to replace a talent like Julio Jones.
Jones may not have been the most consistent player on the Alabama roster, but when he was on, he was unstoppable.
Wide receivers Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks will be asked to fill in the role of the superstar wide out during the 2011 season.
The Crimson Tide isn't known for it's passing attack, and the story will be no different this year.
The team will primarily lean on the running game for offensive production.
However, the loss of Jones may still effect that.
Jones was a great blocker down field. At 6'4" and 220 pounds, he would manhandle the majority of cornerbacks matched up on him on running plays.
That said, Maze and Hanks are very talented players.
Maze is known for his blazing speed and ability to make plays on the deep ball.
Hanks has proven to be a reliable receiver with sure hands and solid route running.
The team also brings in a few players in this year's recruiting class that could make an impact. The most notable is Bradley Sylve, who was ranked fifth at wide receiver by ESPN.
Alabama will miss the presence of Julio Jones, but the team still has an excellent receiving core.
3. 2009 Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram Is Gone
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Who would have thought that the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner would be the easiest player to replace in 2011?
I'm not downplaying Mark Ingram's talent. He was an exceptional player.
However, I don't see much of a drop off in talent to Trent Richardson and even Eddie Lacey.
In fact, there are many experts who feel Richardson may be better than Ingram.
We should find out for sure this year, since Richardson will likely take the majority of the carries that Ingram had last season.
As Ingram's backup last season, Richardson still had 700 rushing yards with a 6.3 yards per carry average.
It's actually not Richardson that I'm excited to watch in 2011.
Yes, he will be the starter. Yes, he is the best running back on the roster.
However, I'm really excited to watch sophomore Eddie Lacy this upcoming year.
As a freshman and the third running back on the roster, Lacy ran for 7.3 yards per carry on 56 attempts.
Despite getting half the amount of carries as Richardson, Lacy had the same amount of rushing touchdowns in 2010 at six.
In the 49-7 beating against Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl, Lacy ran the ball five times for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the loss of Ingram, the Crimson Tide's running game should be potent this season.
4. Struggling Offensive Line Must Improve
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In 2009, Alabama had one of the top offensive lines in the nation. In 14 games, they gave up only 14 sacks.
That wasn't the case last season. The 32 sacks the team allowed in 2010 ranked 96th in the nation.
To be fair, much of this was a result of injuries.
Freshman D.J. Fluker and stud offensive guard Barrett Jones battled through injuries that really damaged the right side of the offensive line.
Chance Warmack really struggled filling the shoes of All-American right guard Mike Johnson. He will likely retain the starting position and should improve with a year of experience.
The departure of left tackle James Carpenter leaves a big vacancy at the position.
The good news is that Alabama snagged the top recruit at offensive tackle this offseason.
At 6'7" and 325 pounds, Cyrus Kouandjio could very likely be starting immediately at left tackle. I wouldn't expect anything less from ESPN's third ranked recruit at any position in the nation.
Senior center William Vlachos will be the anchor of the line this season. He is the most solid player on the line and has been mentioned in possible Rimington Trophy discussions in the past.
Overall, on paper, the line looks better than it did last year. If they can stay healthy, the team should be fine.
5. Defense Wins Championships
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Last season, Alabama allowed only 13.5 points per game. The only teams that ranked better, were TCU and Boise State.
Obviously, that was against a lower level of competition.
That 13.5 points per game could be even better this year. The team returns nine starters from the 2010 roster.
The two players not returning were on the defensive line.
Defensive end Luther Davis and Marcell Dareus are the two players who will not be returning in 2011.
It was initially believed that Damion Square and Ed Stinson would be the two replacements.
This was before the Tide brought in the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation.
In that class, comes JUCO transfer Jesse Williams. The Australian will have three years of eligibility at Alabama. He is a raw talent, but probably immediately becomes the most athletic player on the team.
He is 6’3” and 320 lbs., almost all muscle. He bench presses 550 lbs. and runs a 4.9 second 40-yard dash. Just look at the picture. Would you want to line up across from that?
Williams is going to make an immediate impact, no matter where he lines up on the line. That's one way to replace a superstar talent like Dareus.
6. Winning the SEC Will Be No Small Challenge
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Last season, Alabama finished the regular season with a 9-3 record. This was good enough to be placed fourth in the SEC West.
I don't think there is any question that the SEC is the most dominant conference in college football.
Alabama will have to face Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi State and LSU.
If they can win the SEC West, then they would have to face the best from the East. That could be South Carolina, Georgia or even Florida a second time.
Penn State is also on the non-conference schedule.
Alabama has one of the toughest schedules in college football, but then again, they do almost every year.
7. Verdict: They Have What It Takes
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There will be many obstacles for Alabama to overcome if they want to make a run at the National Championship this season.
With Nick Saban at coach and very talented players on the roster, I wouldn't doubt this team.
The SEC presents a tough road, so it's very possible that Alabama drops one loss during the season.
They could very well be in the run for the SEC Championship, which in recent years has become almost an automatic bid to the National Championship.
I see the Tide relying heavily on it's defense and the running game in route for an 11-1 record and a berth in the SEC Championship.
After a victory in the championship game, Alabama will be on it's way to New Orleans for a shot at the BCS National Championship.
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