What I'm Watching For

Alabama kicks off its season on Saturday. I'm excited and nervous...and here's why:

• Replacing college football's best defense
• Other than Mark Barron, the secondary is brand new. Though the talent level is through the roof, I'm curious how these guys will play together, how they'll cover for each other, and to what extent they'll be able to stay on the same page from play to play. Javier Arenas created so much havoc with his blitzes, but the coverage provided by his teammates in the secondary and linebackers allowed those plays to be effective. There will be some blown coverages and missed assignments -- how will the secondary recover? Will they come together? Will they jaw at each other?
• The defensive line is stacked with talent. It's scary that even if Marcel Dareus is ruled ineligible for a game or a few games, he might not be as missed from his unit as, say, Barron would be from his. Even though the starting line is being replaced, this year's starters are very experienced too, having played a lot last year. Dareus is a force to be reckoned with; don't sleep on the others, though.
• I hated so much that Hightower got hurt last year. I hope that the Arkansas lineman who blocked him on that play last year is constantly pummeled by the d-line, among others. I think his passion and enthusiasm from not playing out the season will be something to keep the unit and defense hungry. Tackling is something I'll keep an eye on with this group, too; make Ro proud.
• Replacing special teams
• Having a threat like Javy for returns was gold. I still think Terry Grant was on the field for some kick-off returns because his number (29) looked similar to Javy's (28) and there was hope that when they split, the kicker wouldn't know how to kick away from Javy. With this recent injury to Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson is in line for quite a number of touches, as running back and as the main kick-off returner. Julio Jones is slated to return punts, which I think could be fantastic: he's big, strong, and tough to bring down. He doesn't accelerate and cut like Javy did, but he may not need to. I'm also looking for someone else to emerge as a returner -- maybe Dre Kirkpatrick, Eddie Lacy, or Demetrius Goode.
• Punting and field goals were such strengths last year. Right now, they're the biggest question marks for me on the team. High pressure and limited opportunities can lead to disaster with one or two mistakes. The kick-off coverage that was spotty at times last year never really bit the team like it was feared it would; the same can't be said for these positions. However, if our offense can do its work, it might not be too problematic.
• Taking the offense to the next level
• The offensive line will need to be up for another smash-mouth season, which I think they will be. The questions surround the group going in to last season were quickly and effectively answered and silenced by their dominating play. Sliding in are some big bodies and I don't think they'll disappoint.
• In my dream world, Julio Jones will win this year's Heisman. With the running game that this team has, with more time to get in rhythm with his quarterback, and being at peak health (not to mention stronger than ever), I don't know how Julio doesn't have a huge year. There are plenty of other receivers that will have to be respected, but even with all the attention Julio will get, I think he's going to be huge. In his first year, he quickly became John Parker Wilson's favorite target; he worked exclusively with JP while Maze developed a comfortability with McElroy on the second team. Now that there's been a whole season and off-season for G-Mac and Julio to develop that rapport, watch out. Julio's going to make everyone talking about A.J. Green as the best receiver in the nation take notice.
• McElroy is primed for a great season as well. He's confident, poised, and knows that this is his team. He does a great job of involving all his receivers and has great touch on the long ball. And, Alabama's got a great QB waiting in the wings; I can't wait to see A.J. McCarron get some mop up time.
• Finally, there's the running back stable. Ingram's injury isn't being reported as serious by the staff, so I expect he's going to be fine for the season. Richardson's going to be tough to stop and may end up with more yards that Ingram, depending on how many games Mark sits out. I expect them to both be over 1,200 yards for the season.
•  Injuries and luck
• Though Hightower was a tough loss last year, his absence wasn't debilitating. Even with Ingram sitting out this first game, there's not a sense of fear or worry, nor should there be. But if an injury here and there becomes commonplace, the magic won't keep. 
• There's no reason Tennessee should have been as close as they were last year, but they were. A combination of slump, timing, and circumstance put them in position for a huge upset...until Cody happened. Twice. Will those same fortunate events fall the Tide's way this year? 
• How will the extra 11,000 fans affect the games? Sure, the noise will be even greater most of the time, not only because of increased number, but with the enclosing of the whole stadium. On the other hand, the silence could be even louder. How will the fans react if Florida jumps out to a quick lead? What if one of the Mississippi schools is still hanging around in the 4th? It will be important to set the tone for the season with San Jose St. and, especially, Penn State. 

All in all, it should be a thrilling ride. I feared last year that the 2009 team might be better than the 2008 team, but their record might not reflect it; happily, I was wrong. I don't know that this year's team has that same possibility...at least right now. But the games are there for the taking; the talent is there to be displayed and utilized.

Here we go again.