Alabama Football: Bama Back Practicing Monday, What Went on and More

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

The team was back on the practice field and all looked rested and frisky. The mood is a combination of happiness and excitement.

The first day of bowl drills followed a schedule that Saban is famous for. Not a lot big play calling and game plan work, but stretching out those muscles with conditioning and fundamental type drills. They weren't in full pads and hitting at full speed yet, they were in shells for this practice.

McElwain worked with the quarterbacks as he has always done and Saban made it clear that for this next game, nothing has changed and that McElwain will be calling the plays and designing the game plan for the offense.

Though unlike what you may hear in Internet boards, Duran Carter will not play in this game but will be busy all week on the Scout Team being the best imitation of a running Jordan Jefferson that we have.

Smart knows that Jarret Lee will see little action and that LSU will run the option a lot and that's what they're prepping for. Lee has been almost firmly planted on the bench since his second pick in the first Alabama-LSU game.

Everyone that was gimpy before the game seemed as close to 100 percent as possible, with the exception of the Kouandijo brothers, who are still being held out with season ending knee injuries.

Barrett Jones leg and ankle seemed to be back to speed and he was running with no limp or hesitation and Darius Hanks was running like his old self after an ankle injury. This should help an Alabama offense that lagged against LSU last time.

Also, Jonathan Atchison's bicep appeared fine as did any injury to Mark Barron's ribs and Josh Chapman's ankle. For Alabama to be ready for LSU, these three back near 100 percent was a must.

But the big news was at running back, where Eddie Lacy appeared to back to normal and sprinting around like his toe has no problems and Dee Hart, but not in a full contact jersey, back up to speed and apparently ready if needed for the LSU game.

Would Saban burn a red shirt year for just one game? He's done it before with Travis Daniels in 2001 in the SEC Championship Game and indicated that he would have burned McCarron's had McElroy not been able to finish the BCS Championship Game in 2010.

If Lacy and Fowler are effective backups, then don't expect to see Hart, but if Lacy goes down, expect Hart.

In his post-game press conference, Saban was in an upbeat mood and joked with reporters who usually try and catch every little detail that goes on with Alabama that they missed the fact that Michael Bowman and Ronald Carswell have both been serving suspensions for some time.

Both are expected to transfer to other schools. That would open two slots that will allow Saban to put early enrollees in and not have them counted toward his 2012 class. There could be others leaving the program as well.

He also mentioned that he would have 21 to 22 graduate players in this bowl game and commended them all for getting their degrees.

The Tide will practice this week, break for Christmas and then come back and start game planning in earnest for the game.

For a look at the QB's and receivers working out CLICK HERE.