College Football Spring Games 2012: What to Watch This Week

Spring has returned and with it the chance to once again obsess over the future of your favorite academic institution's football team.

With April in full swing, teams across the country are knocking the dust off their cleats and prepping for next fall. In the next two weeks, nearly every major program will roll out its next generation, with coaches and players discovering nearly as much about their own team as fans will.

Position battles will be decided, breakout stars will emerge, questions will be answered and in turn raise more questions. 

In the next week alone, powerhouses Alabama, Michigan and Arkansas will all take their first steps towards the 2012 season, lining up against themselves in hopes of discovering how they will fare against one another. The number of teams kicking their seasons into gear this month can be overwhelming, so which teams and games are worthy of your attention?

Alabama (Sat. 3 p.m. on ESPN3)

Nick Saban and his defending national champion Crimson Tide return this year with both fresh faces and fresh questions.

With Eddie Lacy, the likely replacement for Trent Richardson at RB, out for all of spring with turf toe, the Tide and their fans will have a chance to see an open audition of Alabama's talent in the backfield as they search for who will help Lacy shoulder the offense's workload.

Bama is known to use a two-back style system, so look for Jalston Fowler, T.J. Yeldon and Dee Hart to battle for the right to share carries with Lacy come fall. The Tide's defense with also have to answer some questions, specifically how they will replace talent such as safety Mark Barron and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, two members of last year's championship team who are expected to be first-round picks this June. 

Miami Hurricanes (Sat. 2 p.m. on ESPN3)

With spring arriving, Hurricanes fans may be glad that the conversation can return back to football.The last few years have been tough on Miami faithful, who have suffered through both scandal and poor performance.

With the Al Golden era entering its second year and Jacory Harris gone, the 'Canes stand at a cross-road, hoping to erase their notoriety off the field while rebuilding it on the field. The spring game will be the first step toward this rehabilitation, as well as a chance for the Hurricanes to display their wide array of South Florida talent.

Michigan Wolverines (Sat. 12 p.m. on Big Ten Network)

Brady Hoke and his Michigan squad return to the field on Saturday, and will look to begin proving that their fantastic run last season was no fluke. Much of their talent from last year will return, and the biggest question mark to be answered during the game is the strength of the defensive line, who lost three of four starters from last year's Sugar Bowl-winning team.

With the pressure now on Hoke and his Wolverines to carry their success into 2012-13, it will be interesting to see how they respond to the spotlight, beginning with this first spring game, easily the most anticipated in years.