2010 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Schedule: A Complete Breakdown

The defending national champions come into the 2010 season primed to defend their title despite a lot of competition from the toughest conference in college football. 

With a lot of key losses on defense, some question whether this team has what it takes to run the gauntlet once again and escape unscathed.

That might be the case, but until someone knocks them from their throne, Alabama is still the team to beat this season.

Let's breakdown the Crimson Tide's schedule and see what's in store for this team in 2010.   

September 4: Vs. San Jose State

San Jose State should be a good warm up for the the Crimson Tide as they get ready for a long and difficult season in defense of their national championship. 

There shouldn't be any worries in this game with or without Mark Ingram, who's sidelined with a knee injury. 

Expect a heavy dose of the running game and stifling defense in what should be a blowout victory for Alabama. 

(Update): Alabama did exactly what was expected of them against the Spartans with a 48-3 victory. 

September 11: Vs. Penn State

Penn State will be a much better measure to judge Alabama by this season, and while both teams have lost a few key defensive players from a year ago, the Crimson Tide still look strong on that side of the field and the same can't be said for the Nittany Lions. 

This isn't the same Penn State team that went 11-2 last year and beat LSU in the Capitol One Bowl. 

There are question marks along the defensive line, and even with Mark Ingram expected to be sidelined, Alabama's run game should be very strong with Trent Richardson leading the way. 

Penn State is still a very good team, but its not easy to go into Tuscaloosa and win, especially with a freshman quarterback under center. 

September 18: @ Duke

Before going on a very difficult seven-game stretch against most of the top teams in the SEC, Alabama will faceoff with Duke in what should be a relatively easy game for the Tide—at least in comparison to what follows. 

Duke has an underrated offense that can do some damage if it's overlooked, but the Blue Devils defense doesn't have the personnel to matchup with Alabama's offense.

While Duke might put up a decent fight in this one, the scoreboard won't be favorable for the Blue Devils when this one is in the books.  

September 25: @ Arkansas

If this game was at home, Alabama fans would probably be more confident going into this one, but on the road there could be some nerves. 

The Razorbacks have a very strong offense lead by star quarterback Ryan Mallett and even though they got crushed by the Tide last season to the tune of 35-7, the contest should be closer this time around. 

Arkansas will be playing Georgia the week before the contest and, with a victory against the Bulldogs, could be riding high into the matchup with Alabama. 

Alabama will be favored in the contest, there's no doubt about that, but this is a dangerous game that can't be overlooked. 

October 2: Vs. Florida

Arguably the most anticipated matchup of the year, the rematch of last season's SEC championship game should be an action-packed showdown of two of the nation's best teams. 

Of course, Florida doesn't seem to have the same bite as it did a year ago when Tim Tebow was under center, but the Gators are probably still the best team the Crimson Tide will face all season long. 

Based on Florida's ugly start to the year and the uneven play of quarterback John Brantley, it's safe to assume that Alabama holds a noticeable advantage in the contest.

Both teams bring a ton of talent to the table on both sides of the field, but at home and with a more experienced quarterback in Greg McElroy, Alabama is the team to beat.  

October 9: @ South Carolina

South Carolina is a team many observers have pinned as a dark horse in the SEC and a team that shouldn't be overlooked. 

Steve Spurrier's boys might have finished last season with a 7-6 record, but they did beat Ole Miss and Clemson and put up a good fight against Georgia. 

This matchup is one to pencil on the schedule as it just might turn out to be the biggest upset of the year, though the good money shouldn't be on that. 

Now, if the Gamecocks walk out of Georgia with a win and beat Auburn at home the week before they face Alabama, we might have to revisit that line of thought. 

October 16: Vs. Mississippi

Despite the fact that Ole Miss was 9-4 last season, most experts have overlooked them in SEC discussions. 

The Rebels are unranked and enter the year with holes in the secondary and a big question mark at quarterback. 

Can Jeremiah Masoli regain his form from 2009 that had many thinking he'd be a Heisman hopeful this season? Or will he struggle in a new system and force Ole Miss to rely on Nathan Stanley at quarterback?

Alabama beat this team 22-3 a year ago, and you wouldn't be overly optimistic to expect a similar result this time around. 

October 23: @ Tennessee

Tennessee has gone from one of the top teams in the county to middle-of-the-pack SEC team in just a couple of years.

After the Lane Kiffin debacle and the switch from Jonathan Crompton at quarterback to Matt Sims, you can expect 2010 to be a rebuilding year under new head coach Derek Dooley. 

Things have gotten off to a good start for the Vols, with a 50-0 shutout of Tennessee-Martin, but let's wait until they face Oregon before getting ahead of ourselves.

The defense looks good, but the offense will have to prove itself against better competition.  

November 6: @ LSU

LSU has to be considered a dark horse in the SEC, but that line of thought was tempered some after the Tigers narrowly escaped their Week 1 matchup against North Carolina. 

The offense was supposed to be a strength this year, despite losses at running back and receiver, but after LSU failed to score in the second half against UNC, despite the Tar Heels missing most of their defensive starters, there are questions emerging. 

Alabama will be favored in the matchup on the road, where LSU has had a very, very tough time beating the Crimson Tide. 

November 13: Vs. Mississippi State

This could be a trap game for the Crimson Tide as Mississippi State is an underrated team that can put up a good fight against any team in the country. 

Are the Bulldogs one of the better teams in the SEC? No, but they did beat Ole Miss last season and put up a good fight against LSU, Georgia Tech, and Florida.

Alabama steam-rolled Mississippi State when these two teams met last season, but expect a closer score this time around. 

With the Crimson Tide potentially looking ahead to Auburn in the regular season finale, this is a matchup to be careful in. 

November 18: Vs. Georgia State

Before Alabama and Auburn meet for their yearly matchup, Alabama has the chance for a quick tune-up against Georgia State. 

This is a game the Tide will use to sort out any late-season issues, rest some key starters, and give those on the injury report a chance to heal up before the season finale. 

In Georgia State's inaugural football season, this team comes into the year as a completely unknown entity, but there's really nothing to worry about in a contest like this.

November 26: Vs. Auburn

The Iron Bowl should be a great matchup to close out the regular season for both teams, and while some observers and the Auburn faithful have high hopes for this contest, the Tigers will enter the game as a noticeable underdog. 

By no means is this an easy victory for Alabama, though. The Crimson Tide defense better be ready in this one because Auburn brings the best receiving corps in the SEC to the table and could be rolling on all cylinders by this point in the year.

It all depends on how quarterback Cam Newton develops throughout the year and whether or not the Tigers defense is up to the task.

The secondary is a question mark and has some injury-prone players leading the way; if the unit crumbles, the Tigers won't be able to keep up.