SB Nation - Bobby Greenwood

Post-Spring Previews: Alabama

Gamecock Man — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:02:54 -0000

After taking on Kentucky at home, Carolina has to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. For all the love going towards Ole Miss this off season, this game against 'Bama will most likely be the second most difficult game on the schedule, IMO. As CFN points out in regards to the Tide,

The season will be a success if ... the Tide wins the SEC title. It's asking too much to have the same regular season two years in a row with all the same injury breaks and after the SEC was down last year. But the schedule isn't bad and the team is loaded with talent and depth. So the team is better, the schedule is better, and the program will be more motivated than ever after how last year ended. Bama can't be shooting any lower than an SEC title as the goal.

This is a team that has the tools and coach to go all the way, despite the lackluster finish to last season and the fact that they lost a few offensive play makers like John Parker Wilson and Glen Coffee. A win would be an unqualified upset for us, even if we turn out to have a pretty solid team.

Let's take a look at how we match up against these guys.

Offense

Quarterback

Now that longtime starter John Parker Wilson has moved on, the Tide are looking to junior Greg McElroy to lead them to another SEC West crown. McElroy appears to be a master in the art of patience, as he also served as a longtime backup in high school to former Missouri Heisman contender Chase Daniel. McElroy has played well in mop-up duty at 'Bama and was able to take a firm hold of the starting job in spring practice despite the presence of highly recruited talents like Star Jackson on the 'Bama depth chart. McElroy's job, much like Wilson's was, will be to play the role of game manager, as the Tide's offense will again rely on a strong down-field rushing attack. Based on what we've seen so far (which is little, admittedly), McElroy looks admirably suited to doing well in the 'Bama system. While he doesn't have a huge arm, he 's accurate and makes good decisions. I'd call this a push; Stephen Garcia looks to be a little more physically talent than McElroy and may surpass McElroy as the season progresses, but McElroy gets the benefit of the doubt because he's yet to show the kinds of decision making problems that Garcia showed late last season.

Verdict: Push

Running Backs

Now that star tailback Glen Coffee has left Tuscaloosa for the NFL, the Tide will need to find identity in their backfield. They'll likely employ a committee approach, much like us. Mark Ingram will probably be the number one guy; he rushed for over 700 yards as the second back in last year's rotation. Ingram pulled his hamstring and missed part of spring practice but will be ready to go in the fall. Other backs include Roy Upchurch, Terry Grant, and incoming freshman Trent Richardson, who was one of 2009's top recruiting targets. While losing Coffee hurts somewhat, it should be apparent by now that 'Bama has the talent to have another strong rushing offense. I think we're going to have a better running game this year, but we have a slight to strong disadvantage in this comparison.