Here it is- the cherry (fitting crimson colored) on the top of the massive college football sundae that was the 77 in 77. I honestly am amazed I survived this. 77 teams in 77 days, and I finish with the SEC powerhouse, Alabama Crimson Tide. The league has produced five straight national champions- I’m saying a sixth in 2011. Other experts believe in the Sooners, but I say Roll Tide.
They’re solid on the OL, WR, RB, DL, LB, DB, ST, K, P, RS- and we shall see now about QB. The defense and special teams will be stellar. If they find the right signal caller, they’ll be ballin’ like Spaulding.
2010 was: 10-3 with a very DOMINATING New Year’s Day bowl win over a very good Michigan State Spartans team. How about Saban taking it out on his former employer. Still it was a re-loading year between a national title and what looks it could be another title on paper.
BMOCs: Richardson of course. They have tremendous depth and NFL prospects for both 2012 and 2013 all around. G Barrett Jones; C William Vlachos, SS Mark Barron; ILB Dont’a Hightower; FS Robert Lester, LB Courtney Upshaw, WR Marquis Maze, DE Damion Square
2011 will be awful if: redshirt freshman QB Phillip Sims. Or maybe 3rd-year soph AJ McCarron doesn’t take the bull by the horns and lead the Tide to the promised land. The depth chart lists the QB with the dreaded “OR.” Have I told you how much the media HATE this?!?! I still believe that if you have 2 QBs you really have zero, and Saban is not naming a starter for today. So the competition will continue between these two strong-armed 5-star recruits into the regular season; which has happened before. And Kent State is the perfect warm-up to further clarify the derby. But they’ll need to find a true leader eventually- or become undone by it.
There’s also concern at WR and LT.
2011 will be fruitful if: they get to 14 wins. 14-0, winning the whole thing. Nothing else counts in Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban has won two national titles. And his defense is the real deal- dominant enough to possibly bring him a third.
Bottom Line: If they survive their two biggest Western division threats, Arkansas and LSU- who they get at home, then they should run the table. I really don’t see Florida or Penn State or anyone else knocking them off. So it could be clear sailing into the national title game.
Tide Rankings: #2 USA Today, Lindy’s, AP, Phil Steele, #1 Athlon
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
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