Alabama Football: 7 Truths to Count on When the Crimson Tide's Season Starts

As unpredictable as college football has become, there are some things you can always see coming. 

Good or bad, there are seven truths you can count on this fall when the Crimson Tide takes the field this season.

With no particular order of importance implied by the placement, let's examine them and see what the Alabama fans can count on as gospel for the upcoming year.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The Defense Won't Allow Many Points This Season

This will be one of the nation's top rated defenses and should be one of the best in terms of points allowed per game.

This is the the year when there is finally good experience in all phases of the defense, and they will form a cohesive unit that is just going to be tough to score on.

This defense should be able to handle both running teams and passing teams with ease.

Pick happy Robert Lester could have another SEC leading year, and this defense has the ability to score points on their own as well.

Truth No. 1: Alabama will keep their thumb on opponents scoring ability.

A J McCarron Will Start the Season as Quarterback

Because the defense is going to hold down the points, job number one of the Alabama quarterback is not to light up the scoreboard, it is to limit mistakes and not do silly things that could give up easy points to an opponent.

And the person that knows the players and offense best and makes the least amount of mistakes is A.J. McCarron.

If this were a Big Ten team, then you're used to winning track meets and maybe you'd go with Phillip Sims, but that's not Saban's style, and this isn't the Big Ten.

Not only will A.J. start the season, but he'll do much better than people expect.

Alabama's Sack Count Will Be Much Higher Than Last Year's

Dont'a Hightower started the year still not 100 percent, Marcel Dareus didn't have the year people thought he would because of being nicked up. They just didn't get the job done.

Last year, the Bama defense got 27 sacks, and by the way, the Tide offensive line gave up 32 themselves.

This year's team is faster and more physical and should pass the 40 sack mark this season.

Last year, Mark Barron and DeQuan Menzie each had two sacks to lead the defensive backfield in that area. You should see more defensive backs getting multiple sacks and join the party more often.

Speaking of the defensive backfield getting sacks, they'll also cause a lot by defending so well the quarterback may have to eat the ball.

A team concept and unity won't hurt this defensive line a bit.

Trent Richardson Will Put Better Numbers Than Ingram Did Last Year

Because of Saban's conservative nature on offense and given the fact that either quarterback will be a first year starter, Trent Richardson will put up more yardage that Mark Ingram did last year and may very well do better than his Heisman year as well.

He may not do as well in yards after carry, but Richardson is a home run threat whenever he touches the ball and will pile up more yardage in short bursts.

He will also have a higher yards per carry average.

Punt Return Yardage Will Go Up and More Than 1 Will Be Returned, Kickoffs Too!

Last year, Alabama clearly missed Javier Arenas and just never got the punt return game in high gear.

They returned 28 punts for 349 yards and only one touchdown and a 12.46 yard average.

With the blinding speed they'll put at punt returner this year, the yardage will shoot up considerably. Not only in per yard average but in total yards due to the defense being stingier and having more punts to return.

Marquis Maze looks to be the punt returner this year and there are lots of young flashes just hitting the ground in Tuscaloosa that could help. They may get an occasional shot at a punt return and certainly might get to help out in kickoff returns.

So look for better kickoff yardage too. Last year the Tide rushed for 986 yards on 41 kickoffs for 24-yard average and again, only one touchdown.

Look for those numbers to go up too.

This Will Be a National Leading Offensive Line, No Matter Who Plays Left Tackle

Make no mistake about it, this is as good an offensive line as there is in the SEC and maybe the country.

Because either quarterback is more apt to listen to offensive coordinator Jim McElwain than Greg McElroy did and simply chuck one to the players on the bench and not take a sack, that is just one reason the sack numbers will go down.

Each of the potential quarterbacks have a fast release and quicker feet than McElroy as well.

Add these factors to a solid unit with a ton of experience behind them, and you have a line destined to cut sacks.

As for opening holes for the running backs, each is a much better run blocker than a pass blocker, and they are going to open holes for a very talented group of running backs.

This is one of the best lines Alabama will have for a few years.

The Defensive Backfield Will Be a National Leader This Year, Not a Liability

Last year this same group of men were one of the reasons the Tide floundered. They, more than any other group, cost the team two of the three losses and were contributors to the other.

They were often in the wrong place at the wrong time and often were confused to their assignments in Saban's zone defensive packages.

Time heals most wounds and it certainly has helped this group.

With the nicked up players finally healed and with the infusion of some great young talent to back up the starters, this is going to be one of the top defensive backfields in the country. They now have the experience they need, and the reps to ingrain it in their minds.

Look for this group to improve on their INT totals, which were 22. They could also end up taking more back to the house than the two they did last year.

This group will also help the defense get more sacks with this lock down coverage. Instead of being a liability, this group will be one of the big assets on the team.

And That's It!

Larry Burton is a Syndicated Writer whose work appears on the Internet and in print. If you'd like to keep up with all his articles, follow him on Twitter and sign up as a fan on his Bio Page.

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