2014-15 Football Previews – (SEC) – Crimson Tide
Alabama was its usual powerhouse self in 2013, except for a damning collapse at the end of the season – a loss to in-state nemesis Auburn and a Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma.
The Tide are once again one of the nation’s elite squads, but Nick Saban’s young men will purely have redemption on their minds in a quest for the National Title this season.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Head Coach: Nick Saban
2013 Record: 11-2
Alabama Gambling Odds to win BCS Championship: 6/1
Futures from sportsbook.ag
Alabama was looking pretty well unstoppable until it ran up against the Auburn Tigers in the final week of the regular season. The Tide grinded out a 49-42 Week 2 victory against the Johnny Manziel-led Texas A&M Aggies, but other than that ‘Bama made it look easy.
The Tide lost by a touchdown to Auburn after the fated kick return off a missed field goal by Auburn’s Chris Davis, which will live in infamy in Tuscaloosa. It seemed like that play broke the Tide’s soul, because the Tide probably should have beaten the Sooners in the bowl game.
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The good news for ‘Bama is that it returns several key skill position players, and some building blocks on defense also. As has become standard at Alabama, the depth is plentiful beyond the entrenched starters.
Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of this year’s Alabama Crimson Tide.
Team Strengths
Regardless of who starts under center for the Tide – and it looks like junior Florida State transfer Jacob Coker is the man – the team will be able to score with the return of RB T.J. Yeldon, and WRs Amari Cooper and Christion Jones. Yeldon is a horse and Cooper is among the best wideouts in the country, if not the best.
Starting guard Arie Kouandijo is a road-grading returning senior and brother to Cyrus, who just went pro. He and center Ryan Kelly will anchor the offensive line.
Indeed, there is so much talent among the skill positions on offense, that gifted underclassmen cannot crack the depth chart. That’s the football equivalent of “First World Problems.”
One key example: sophomore RB Derrick Henry is outrageously good, and Saban raved about his performance in the spring. Yet, he will be riding shotgun to Yeldon in the backfield in 2014 – he could be a possible Heisman Trophy candidate on another high-exposure team. Such is the Tide.
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Two returning starters will feature in the linebacker corps with seniors Trey DePriest and Xzavier Dickson. Junior Landon Collins is a stud at the safety position; he’s a hitter that enjoys laying the wood when playing centerfield.
Team Weaknesses
It’s never a breeze to replace a dynastic QB like A.J. McCarron. One area defensively where Alabama was a little spongy was at cornerback; the best player in that unit (Eddie Jackson) went down with a knee injury in spring ball.
Special teams could be a little hairy. The kickoff and return teams will be excellent with the abundance of talent at Saban’s disposal, but the kicking game could be sketchy under the stewardship of sophomore K Adam Griffith and freshman punter J.K. Scott.
2014-15 Alabama Football Prediction: 12-1
The Tide has a schedule that is manageable for this team, with perhaps the most pulse-raising moments coming at LSU on Nov. 8 and the drama-filled sequel with Auburn on Nov. 29, this time in Tuscaloosa. I have no doubt that ‘Bama will be in the final four teams vying for the title (under the first year of the new BCS format), it’s merely a question of how it handles the pressure when it gets there.
2014 Crimson Tide Schedule
- 8/30/14 WVU (in Atlanta, GA)
- 9/6/14 FAU
- 9/13/14 SOUTHERN MISS
- 9/20/14 FLA
- 10/4/14 @ OLE MISS
- 10/11/14 @ ARK
- 10/18/14 TEX A&M
- 10/25/14 @ TENN
- 11/8/14 @ LSU
- 11/15/14 MISS ST.
- 11/22/14 WEST CAROLINA
- 11/29/14 AUBURN
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