Alabama Football: Breaking Down ESPN Roundtable on Crimson Tide

With the upcoming season still more than three months away, college football fans across the country will likely drown their anticipation for the fall by devouring any and every media outlet’s preseason rankings. 

ESPN’s "College Football Live" has unveiled its preseason Top 25 list, and the defending national champions check in at No. 3 in the initial poll. 

Obviously, the network's experts feel that the Crimson Tide have an excellent chance to repeat as national champions by placing them in the Top Five. 

However, the panelists express some reservations about the significant personnel losses—especially on defense. 

The main issues they feel could derail Alabama’s title chances are the lack of veteran leadership (once again, on defense) and a sense of complacency due to capturing two out of the last three national titles. 

The crew consisting of Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack, Todd Blackledge and Mark Schlabach also uses the example of the 2010 season (the last time Alabama tried to win back-to-back titles and instead finished 10-3) to make its case as to why the odds may be against Nick Saban’s squad this season.

But a closer look at the Crimson Tide’s roster reveals the group may have overlooked a few details that would alleviate those concerns. 

Blackledge rightly points out the presence of center Barrett Jones on offense as an example of a veteran leader who will keep the offense on track. 

However, when the focus shifts to defense, each of the panelists fail to mention the defense has a senior starter—each having started at least 12 games—returning at every level.

Defensive end Damion Square, linebacker Nico Johnson and safety Robert Lester all were key contributors on last season’s season title team, and each have experienced the peaks and valleys of the sport entering their fourth and final year in Tuscaloosa. 

With veterans flanking newcomers at each segment of the defense, Alabama is as well equipped to absorb the massive talent losses as any team possibly could in the same situation. 

As for the area of complacency, the analysts make a valid point about the tendency for championship teams to rest on their laurels. 

Judging by how tough it has been in recent memory for teams trying to repeat (Nebraska last pulled off the trick in 1994-95), history seems to back up their assertions that this go around will be tougher for Saban’s troops. 

However, with the example of the 2010 season in the back of their minds, having a business-minded coach like Saban will give Alabama the best possible chance to avoid the letdowns they suffered two years ago. 

Players like Jones, Lester, Johnson and Square, amongst others, were contributors two years ago for the failures of the 2010 campaign, and that group helped Alabama rebound to capture its 14th crown a year later. 

Add to the fact that there are several young players, like Adrian Hubbard and Deion Belue (the pair mentioned by Schlabach), anxious to make a name for themselves, and you can see why Saban is not worried about the talent aspect of the players filling in for the Crimson Tide’s departed stars.

It’s almost a given that Alabama will have to overcome significant hurdles to claim its 15th national championship—but if they are able to pull off the elusive repeat, it will be because of the veteran leaders on both sides of the ball and their ability to learn from the mistakes made two years ago. 

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