Alabama Prepares for Game 2: QB and Other Position Battles Still On

Sunday will be a day of work for the coaching staff at Alabama. Players will review film, as well. In addition, some will wander into the weight room to get a little stronger or work out the soreness from Game 1.

While Kent State never threatened to win the game, there are lessons to be learned from the play of the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterbacks, skill players and linemen as well as every defender and special teams player that took the field.

Mistakes and miscues take place on nearly every play at some position on the field. It's up to the coaches and players to review the film, uncover the mistakes and then make adjustments, mental notes and cues that will prevent the player or players from repeating those mistake in the future.

While A.J. McCarron played well for most of the plays he led the Tide against Kent State, his play was far from perfect, as even he would tell you he has a long way to go before he is capable of leading this team into a championship game. He would also be the first to admit that Coach Saban is not yet ready to name him as the future starting quarterback for the 2011 season. He has put himself in contention, and in better standing but the only judge that matters has yet to rule.

On every play, certain things are expected from each position. If one of the 11 fails to execute their job correctly or is beaten by the opponent, it leads to the need for improvisation from some or all the others involved in the play. That could mean a deviation from the desired path by the running back, extra help on a block that was not anticipated, or checking off a primary receiver and taking less of a gain or throwing the ball out of bounds to live for another down.

On occasion, a missed assignment will lead to loss of yardage, cause a turnover or the improvisation will be successful and positive yardage is gained despite the mistake. In fact, scores happen frequently on broken plays more frequently than you would expect. And only a detailed film analysis by a coach and staff who knows everyone's assignments will ferret out the correct answer.

So don't be fooled by those who post a prediction and try to anticipate what Coach Saban, or any other coach for that matter, will do with the players he has to work with in 2011. It's only a guess and that is all. They may guess correctly but it is still a guess. It doesn't indicate their level of football IQ is any higher than the other, or any such nonsense. They simply rolled the dice and were shown favor on that day. 

There is more to the information that goes into the equation as to who will get the nod in upcoming games. Sure, common sense goes a long way for fans and sportswriters but we never have the full picture.

Saban indicated in his press conference that there was plenty of experimentation going on at many positions during the Kent State game, offensively, defensively and on special teams. And while there were obviously glaring mistakes that even a sportswriter could pick up on (paraphrase mine), he would need to look at the film and try to determine why those miscues occurred.

He stated that he could not and would not make an assessment as to why something occurred by simply using his sideline perspective. He would need to review the film and he could only be fair in his assessment after he had completed his homework.

Now that is the kind of coach parents should want looking over their child. That is the kind of coach we have at Alabama and that is why Alabama will be successful as long as Nick Saban has his hand on the wheel.

Penn State will be a very different kind of opponent for the Crimson Tide in Week 2 and rest assured that Saban will have his players ready to compete. And he will have the personnel on the field that he desires for each particular play.

Between now and kickoff time in Happy Valley, there will be plenty of evaluation going on behind the scene, late into the night by Saban and his staff. I don't know of any sportswriters, paid or unpaid, that are privy to those meetings and discussions so anything posted as to who starts and who gets the nod for this or that is simply a guess.

No harm in launching a prediction—it's fun for sure. But please, as a reader, don't mistake that for insider knowledge. There is no insider knowledge for this program or any other top-tier program. These coaches are hard at work trying to field the best team and put together a winning game plan for the fans to enjoy.

No need to dumb down the process. Coaching at this level is a tough job; it's why they are reimbursed so well for success.