2008 Season Preview
At long last, the 2008 season is upon us, and with all of the excitement surrounding this off-season, Bama fans can hardly wait for the kickoff. To recap, Nick Saban and the University of Alabama signed the nation’s top recruiting class, and even though a few key members didn’t make the grade (mainly Devonta Bolton), others that were on the edge did make it in (nice job Alonzo and Marcel!). As a result, we can expect to see several newcomers getting significant playing time this year, probably during our opener against Clemson.
So let’s take a look at where we stand entering this season. On offense, we appear to be in pretty good shape. John Parker Wilson returns for his redshirt senior season, and if he can consistently play at the high level we’ve seen glimpses of, we should be solid at that position. Our offensive line got a huge boost in the off-season when Antoine Caldwell decided to return for his senior season. He is one of the top centers in the nation, and having him in the middle makes our whole offense click (watch the first half of last season’s Colorado game for proof). We also return Andre Smith at left tackle (first string preseason All-American), and Marlon Davis at right guard. Left guard and right tackle have me a little worried. It looks like Michael Johnson will man the left guard spot, and Drew Davis will be the right tackle. I was hoping incoming five-star freshman Tyler Love would take over the right tackle position, but I don’t think that has happened yet.
Our skill positions, RB and WR, will be very interesting. We’re returning our three main guys at the RB position, Terry Grant, Glen Coffee, and Roy Upchurch, but I’ve heard rave reviews about incoming freshman Mark Ingram. Expect to see him play early, and expect the offense to get a spark when he enters the game. WR is probably the most interesting position on the field. As you know, we lost our top three guys from last year, D.J. Hall, Keith Brown, and Matt Caddell. Normally that would be terrible news, but the influx of freshman talent should offset those losses nicely. If you haven’t heard of Julio Jones, you will. This guy is quite simply the most talented freshman WR I’ve seen since Randy Moss. I think he’ll start and be our main offensive weapon immediately. Also, I’ve heard that Mike McCoy has really stepped up his game from last year, and will provide another nice target for JPW this season. And don’t overlook Marquis Maze and Burton “B.J.” Scott – they’ll certainly be in the mix.
Defense has a lot of question marks, but a lot of raw talent. Our defensive line looks more solid than it has in years. Newcomer Terrance “Mt.” Cody looks like the true nose tackle that we’ve needed, and incoming freshman Marcel Dareus has been absolutely tearing it up in practice. If we can finally get some penetration from the defensive line, then maybe our young but talented defensive backfield and linebackers won’t have to shoulder the whole load. As for our linebackers, that is certainly an area of concern. Rolando McClain returns after a stellar freshman season, but other than that, we don’t have a lot of experience. I expect Corey Reamer, former safety, to play well. Look out for true freshman Don’ta Hightower. He was overlooked somewhat coming out of high school, but he has the potential to be a monster, and I’m hearing great things about him in practice. As for our defensive backfield, I have to be honest; it scares me to death. Yes, we’re returning Kareem Jackson at one corner position, but I think that Javier Arenas is starting at the other corner. I’ve heard good things about his improvement, but I’ll feel better if and when I see it for myself. Rashad Johnson will be solid at one safety spot, and the other one will either be manned by either Justin Woodall or true freshmen Mark Barron. Again, we have a lot of young talent there, but starting with an opponent like Clemson really has me worried about our lack of experience.
So there’s a position preview, but how does that translate into wins and losses? This year is probably the toughest to predict that I can remember. I think we’ll be improved over last year both offensively and defensively, but our schedule is absolutely brutal. We play 4 of the preseason Top Ten, with 3 of them on the road. In addition, we play Arkansas and Tennessee on the road. So you can see that even if we’re a much-improved team, it might not translate into a good record with this schedule. I think we’ll finish 8-4. However, if somehow we can put it together and upset Clemson on August 30 in the Georgia Dome, anything’s possible.
That’s it for now. As always, feel free to contact me with any comments or questions. Until next time, Roll Tide!
Kenny
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