Alabama Football: What to Know About Each Game This Season

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) Each game of a season is so important to a team with BCS aspirations like Alabama.

While some games are going to be sure wins, or at least as sure as anything can be in the unpredictable world of college football, there are still reasons that those games are important to the Tide.

Let's explore each game and show why each one is important and what the main objective of that game may be besides simply win, which is the fundamental objective of every game.

With that in mind, let's begin.

Kent State , Game One

This game is a given by almost all accounts. With that said, Saban will use this game to iron out who among the receiving corps will stand up and take the place of Darius Hanks, one of the Tide's starting receivers, who will miss the first two games.

Finding that man will be critical for a team that faces Penn State, at Penn State, during a "White Out."

Besides filling that critical mission, the team must also work out the kinks that haven't been worked out in spring training.

He will continue to experiment with the left tackle position and try out a few players there and, oh yes, the quarterback battle will continue with both A.J. McCarron and Phillip Sims both getting snaps.

In an ideal world, this game could help settle the remaining position battles.

Penn State, on the Road and in the Middle of a White Out.

This is a game that is no means is an assured victory, but the Tide should be moderately favored.

This will be the first game against a really worth opponent and will give Saban a chance to see how close he is to finding the right left tackle on offense. This game will give those persons still in the running a baptism by fire, and by the end of the game, he'll know if he's got one that can face up to the SEC schedule that isn't far away.

Also by the end of this game, he and the fans will both know who the Nos. 3 and 4 receivers will be. It's still anyone's guess who will be the men that will step it up and grab those positions. This game will be a huge step in finding that out.

Also, if it hasn't already been settled, the quarterback battle should be over. Both quarterbacks will see action, but by the end of this game it would be advantageous to the team to have this battle settled and let the No. 1 quarterback start getting the lion's share of the reps in order to prepare for the upcoming SEC schedule.

Penn State has a more than decent defense. This game will also decide whether Trent Richardson will be worthy of Heisman Trophy speculation. If he can put up big numbers on this team, the answer is not just yes, but heck yes.

North Texas and the Lamb Is Led to the Slaughter

Hopefully by this game the team will be set. Things will start being normal. Battles could all be settled and the team should start feeling like a cohesive unit with people finally knowing for sure what the team will look like in their first and second team configurations.

The first teams will play the most and the backups down to the third string will get significant playing time in this blowout. In other words, things will start finally feeling normal by now.

Saban may let the starting quarterback air a few additional passes out in this game just to give the next opponent, Arkansas, a little something else to worry about than the one-two running punch of Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy.

By the end of this game, the Tide will be 3-0, but the battle is just beginning.

Arkansas and the Beginning of the SEC Schedule

The main thing of this game is to win it. Arkansas is one of the upper teams of the SEC, and Bobby Petrino will have them ready to take on the Crimson Tide even on the Tide's home turf.

What Alabama must prove is that they can not only control and SEC defense but still push the rock down the field with a strong running game. Two years ago, Petrino had little faith in Alabama's first-year quarterback Greg McElroy and put nine men in the box to stop the running game and dared Saban to try and beat him with a rookie quarterback.

McElroy responded with one of the best games of career and looked like a Heisman Trophy quarterback.

But something tells me that Petrino won't think lightning can strike twice like that, and I look for him to do the same thing again with this new quarterback.

Petrino did in fact, stall the running game and with better defensive backs than he had two years ago, he may feel he can slow the passing game enough to pull off the upset.

What he may not be counting on is that the Alabama defense could be better than they were last season and may be able to squash Arkansas' offense more than Arkansas could stop Alabama's.

So this is also the game that shows what the defense is made of and if changes need to be made in schemes and personnel.

Florida and a Game Full of Land Mines

So far people have been discounting Florida as a team that is rebuilding and still a few years away from recovering.

Maybe they need to be reminded of the many years of top recruiting classes that Urban Meyer brought in. The cupboards are far from bare in Gainesville, and should new coach Will Muschamp be able to focus that squad, they could be a great team.

This game is a game full of land mines because the Alabama team still doesn't know who are what could pop up as Florida has revenge on their mind from last year's absolute butt whipping at the hands of the Crimson Tide.

It was a beating so severe that Florida spiraled down for most of the rest of year and their coach walked away burned out.

Alabama should win this game, but should avoid the pitfalls of injuries and having an upstart team break their stride in the SEC.

Charlie Weis is going to throw the book at Alabama's defense, and this could be a game that shows how well they cope with it, especially the defensive backs as you can expect the Gators to air it out.

This is going to be a very interesting game.

Vanderbilt and a Chance to Regroup and Get the Backups Some Playing Time

Vanderbilt is a team that nobody expects much of, and neither do I. This is a game to rest the weary, play some second- and third-string team members.

It could be a game that Saban lets the quarterbacks have some target practice as well. This could be a game that won't just pad the stats for the passing game, but build confidence that this important weapon can be drawn and used in games that are going to be much tougher than the ones they've played so far.

The defense will be looked upon to make a statement in this game and a shutout is entirely possible. Look for Saban to tinker with some trick plays and stunts on defense in this game.

The main thing this game does is make them 6-0.

Ole Miss Is a Game That Should Worry the Tide

There's an old truth about Houston Nutt that should worry the Tide. When you think he's a pushover, he does well, when you expect something from him, he always disappoints. Well this year, nobody expects much from Ole Miss and that's why I'm worried.

But I have a feeling that Nick Saban isn't and will use this game, which is bookended by Vanderbilt and a rebuilding Tennessee team, to continue to get the second team a lot of reps and fine tune both the offenses and defenses.

The name of the game in this game, as well as next week's game with Tennessee, is to get better and not suffer injuries.

In this game, Saban may experiment with different kickoff and punt returners in this game as well.

It will be interesting to see how long he leaves the first teams in. The longer he does, the less faith he has in them. The quicker the second team comes in, the better. That will mean he's getting pleased with the work of the first unit.

Tennessee, a Difficult Game to Predict, but One with Clear Objectives

Last year we beat Tennessee like a drum, yet a team that beat us, LSU, was almost beaten by this same team.

So which Tennessee team will the Tide face? The one that almost beat LSU or the one that got walked on by Alabama?

While most expect an Alabama win and so do I, the objectives of this game are clear. Win and not sustain injuries before what promises to be the biggest game of the year in two weeks, the LSU game.

You should see the Tide try and polish the passing game before meeting LSU, who is the first team the Tide will play that is capable of stopping the Alabama running game.

This game should be one that Saban can rest up the starters by giving the second and third teams a shot at some playing time.

Let me repeat, the main objective is finish 8-0 and maintain the health of all your key players for the next game, the LSU.

LSU, the Game That Could Decide Far More Than the SEC West

This game could end up deciding far more than the SEC West, but the SEC champion and an almost sure spot in the national title game.

You should fully expect LSU to enter the game like Alabama at 8-0, and no other game in the country will have the impact on what happens later in the year than this game.

The objective of this game is simple, win this game, at all costs.

If they don't, they won't win the SEC or the national championship.

This will be a no-holds-barred, knock-down, drag-out football game and one that be remembered for a long time.

As goes this game goes Alabama's season.

Mississippi State and the Ultimate Trap Game for Alabama

This could be the worrisome game for Tide fans who understand football. Should Alabama survive the game against LSU, the great fear is that they could still be celebrating that win or either breathing a sigh of relief for the win or whatever and not be as totally ready for what is going to be a knock-down, drag-out contest with an SEC team capable of beating them.

The thing you should know about this game is that Nick Saban already knows all of this and will be beating it into the hearts and minds of the players all week long.

But will they listen?

Also, they will have just come out of the biggest game so far this year, maybe of the whole regular season, against the most physically powerful team they'll play in the regular season and they may be beat up and playing without injured players.

What you should know about this game is that this is the biggest trap game of the year for Alabama this year.

The Georgia Southern Beating / off Week Game to Rest Up for Auburn

What you should know about this game is this is an off week for Alabama. This is the week Saban plays the bench down to the water boy and rests the starters.

That does two things.

It rewards those players for a hard season of practice who rarely get to play and it gives him an extra week to rest up from the previous two weeks of war with LSU and Mississippi State.

Oh yes, there is one more thing this game does. It gives the people a chance to see an Alabama game who normally can't get tickets. Many fans dump theirs and just skip this game.

The Iron Bowl and Time to Put the World Back in Order

Alabama has been looking forward to this game for a whole year. The stunning loss from last year still eats at this Tide team.

What you should know about this year is history.

When Auburn beats Alabama, they barely squeak out a win.

When Alabama beats Auburn, they stomp them and rub their face in it.

You don't have to believe me; just look at the scores from the games in the past.

I think we already know what's going to happen this year. The only thing we don't know is whether this loss keeps Auburn at home for the holidays.

And That's It!

Larry Burton is a Syndicated Writer whose work appears on the Internet and in print. If you'd like to keep up with all his articles, follow him on Twitter and sign up as a fan on his Bio Page.

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