10 Reasons Alabama May Not Repeat as National Champions

Larry Burton (Panama City Beach, Fla.): Let me say right up front, that I expect Alabama to finish the regular season undefeated and to repeat as National Champions. But if they should stumble, these are the ten reasons they may have done so.

Team wide apathy

Definition? The suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, and passion. It’s always been said that winning the second is much harder than winning the first.

The reasons are many but certainly the lack of concern, lack of excitement, lack of motivation and passion are key.

Simply put another way, what is there left to prove?

Though this team doesn’t seem to exhibit any of these symptoms now, how they work through summer and fall practices will tell much.

Finger pointing

Let’s say the defensive backs, who are in rebuilding mode right now, give up several big touchdowns in an early game.

If finger pointing by the other players becomes an issue, it could a team-wide blame game and the imminent demise of the season would be just around the corner.

The same thing could happen if the special teams give up big plays as well as other areas.

Though Nick Saban has this team pulling the wagon all together now, adversity could be just around the corner.

Special teams play

Last year, Alabama’s special teams play won them a game at Tennessee, and great kick and punt returns gave them field position at some great times.

This year we have a new kicker, and few have forgotten the rocky first season of Alabama’s last kicker, Lee Tiffin.

Alabama might not get that blocked field goal this year, might not find a great replacement for Javier Arenas returning the ball, and may be even worse at punt and kickoff coverage.

Though Saban and Coach Williams, the special teams coach, think they have a good unit hitting the turf, you never know until you hit other top talent, and that could happen against Arkansas.

Shaky Defensive Backs

This group could be tested as early as the first SEC game against Arkansas. If Mallet gets hot and Bama can’t put a collar on him, it could be a long day for Alabama.

Though on paper, these are some of the most talented backs we’ve ever had, that is one position where experience is so vital.

Following the Arkansas game, Nick Saban and the entire Bama nation will know what they can count on for the rest of the year.

McElroy experiencing a sophomore slump

Yes, I know McElroy is a senior, but this is his second year as a starter and often players have a drop following a meteoric first year. That is known as the sophomore slump.

Greg has the same weapons at his disposal this year, and there were times last year when his confidence was shaken, even though the team continued winning.

A bad game and a loss, combined with a pressuring media, could cause McElroy to spiral downward.

Or perhaps the doubts in his own ability last year and overcoming them has made him a mentally tougher quarterback.

The bye week grind

It’s not just a physical beating you take from your contests in the SEC, but knowing you’re playing so many teams that are coming off bye weeks just to face you presents a mental challenge as well.

If the Alabama team gets to thinking the other team has an advantage over them by being rested, it could cause more mental damage than anything.

South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi State, and Auburn, are all taking a week off before playing Alabama this year.

But Nick Saban is smart enough to rotate players from that very deep bench, and point to the accomplishments of last year and show them it’s not something they can’t overcome.

The Schedule

Taking the bye week disadvantage aside, games against Florida, possibly twice in one season; away games at Arkansas, who many pick to rival Alabama this year; a road game at South Carolina, who is expected to have their best team in years; and a tough game as always at LSU; give rise to an upset being sprung.

The rise of Auburn – Whether Alabama fans want to admit it or not, Gene Chizik is doing much better than even most Auburn fans thought he would do.

They played Alabama to the wire last year, and with an upgraded quarterback and a year to get even more comfortable in Malzhan’s offense, they could be a handful again this year.

With better recruiting than before, the Auburn program is on the rise again, and their entire season is built toward winning this one game. With that kind of focus, it could spell trouble for any team, even Alabama.

However, this year Auburn won’t go overlooked as it may have been last year, when the Tide was far more concerned about “payback” for Florida than the Auburn game. This year, Alabama will go into the game realizing it for what it is.

Overlooking Florida (the second time around) – The Alabama team right now, at least on paper, is a better one than Florida, and the replacements at Alabama seem to be further along the trail than those at Florida.

There is every reason to believe the Tide will be focused on and will beat Florida this year in the regular season at Tuscaloosa.

Alabama seems to play its best when it’s against a tough opponent that they have something to prove against.

But what could happen in the second expected meeting in the SEC Championship Game? Could Alabama be overconfident in playing a team they’ve already spanked?

Bobby Bowden said it best when this same situation happened to him and remarked, “The hardest thing to do is beat the same twice in the same year. You’ve already showed them your best stuff and it’s hard to get the players up twice.”

It’s something that could happen, but surely Nick Saban has a plan for this in his process.

A Tough BCS opponent

If I had to guess now, I’d pick Ohio State facing Alabama should the Tide make it through that far. Ohio State would offer problems for a lot of different reasons.

The SEC and Alabama look at the Big Ten as bowl game cupcakes. With Alabama having already beaten on Big Ten opponent this season, a decent Penn State team, they may not take the Buckeyes as serious as they should.

The Big Ten has a big score to settle with the SEC and you can bet they play “lights out” to make sure and deliver.

If not OSU, then whoever makes it that far is probably deserving to be there and will play like a champion.