Alabama Football: A.J. McCarron's Performance Is Key to Crimson Tide Repeating

After just one season as Alabama's starting quarterback, A.J. McCarron has filled up his trophy case quite well. Despite the presence of Trent Richardson lining up only five steps behind McCarron, former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain ran his offense through McCarron at the BCS National Championship Game, and McCarron delivered to the tune of 234 passing yards, offensive MVP honors and a crystal football.

Not a bad day's work.

That game is in the past, but if Alabama is going to repeat as national champs, McCarron will have to repeat that performance several times over in 2012.

Richardson is gone, as well as linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick and De'Quan Menzie, wide receivers Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks and safety Mark Barron. 

Simply put, the days of winning by running the ball and playing defense are over.  

I appeared on The Roundtable on WJOX 94.5 in Birmingham, Ala. on Wednesday to discuss my recent SEC quarterback rankings. One of the questions was why McCarron was ranked below Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray. The answer is simple, Alabama hasn't needed him to be "the man" up until now.

The pressure now falls on a veteran McCarron to take control, and he's doing just that according to Don Kausler, Jr. of AL.com.

Wide receivers are few and far between in Tuscaloosa, and running back Eddie Lacy—the presumptive starter—is out this spring with a turf toe injury. Even if Lacy was healthy, he doesn't have anywhere close to the track record that Richardson had when he took over as the feature running back.

If Alabama repeats as national champs, it won't be because it was the "same ole Bama."  It will be because McCarron's performance in last season's BCS National Championship game was a coming out party rather than just clever game planning.

Knee-jerk prediction: A tougher schedule coupled with a defense that will be inconsistent at times will force Alabama to gamble more than it did last season, and will result in a loss or two.