Alabama's Spring Game Invites Comparisons to the 1992 Championship Team

While some were disappointed in the offensive stats in the spring "A Day" game at Tuscaloosa today, the close viewer with an eye to history could start making comparisons to the 1992 National Championship team.

Both were teams who figured to be a ground team, first, on offense, but could also pop a long one on you when you were lulled into bringing up the backs.  Like Jay Barker, Greg McElroy comes in with low expectations but is an excellent game manager who can make the most of a defensive mistake.

Today, while going against the first team defense, McElroy noticed that Julio got a step on the defensive back and got behind the coverage when a cover assignment was missed.  The result, one perfect in stride throw for seven.  Jay Barker could make them pay in much the same way.

But the biggest comparison is the killer defense. 

In 1992, Alabama started the season winning, but not so impressively that people took them all that seriously. 

The defense kept them in many games and outright won some others.  By the time the national championship game came around, the defense made a Heisman Trophy winner and the nation's best receiving corps look like Pop Warner kids.

How good is that defense this year?  When you return almost the whole defense that was the No. 2 or No. 3 in America, depending on who you listen to, and they come back better, stronger, and faster than last year, what else could you expect?

Today the Tide didn't show all their cards on offense. 

The two, arguably, best running backs did not play, and a running back who isn't even on campus yet,Trent Richardson, could make the same kind of impact that Mark Ingrahm did last year.  Richardson could come in and compete for even a starting job.

We even have some other runners like Lacy from Lousiana, that can make some noise at running back.

Several receivers got some notice today, but there are some hot shot recruits hitting campus this summer, who may be on the field this fall as well.  You already have seen that Nick Saban is not afraid to put a freshman between the lines.

So don't think you've seen all there is to see from this team offensively.  It will only get better, by kickoff in Atlanta.

But you have seen just what this defense is capable of. 

Whether or not it is able to shut down or slow down the Jevan Snead's and Tim Tebow's of the SEC, enough for the offense to pull it out, we will have to see. 

But one thing you can be sure of, this is a team that will contend this year.  Is it another 1992 team?  Time will tell.