Things Alabama Must Overcome to go Back-to-Back
by Eric Hudson
Its is now the aftermath of SEC Media Days. The speculation now begins as players and coaches transition from summer workouts to full pads and start to prepare for the long haul of the season. The Crimson Tide begins team camp August 4th. I’m not able to see the future nor do I pretend to, but in order to overcome the odds and repeat these are the five obstacles the Crimson Tide need to persevere in order to win a championship in 2010.
1. Attitude
I listed this as #1 because it rightly deserves to be. Nick Saban himself is a man who instills the motto within himself to never be satisfied and keep moving forward. When the national championship had been won in Pasadena, Nick Saban spoke like the Tide had barely made it through half the season. The man has a chip on his shoulder and he uses it to propel his team forward. The Challenge? Transferring that attitude to his new team in 2010. Saban illustrates this into analogies of other sports.
“ Everybody asked the Yankees when they were in training camp, is it going to be more difficult to repeat this year winning the World Series this year than last year?” Saban said. “ All 25 guys said, Yes absolutely, it would be. But nobody could really answer why. I think the ‘why’ comes, it’s more difficult to focus on the process of what it takes being successful when you’re coming off success.”
However, Saban also used an analogy referring to possible title shots in the future.
“So Phil Mickelson I think is kind of a great example of all that in that it took him 14 years before he won a major, but when he won one, he won several.”
Great example, but lefty never won back to back majors.
2. Experience
2010 was great for the Crimson Tide, they won a National Championship. What would be the reason for them to not repeat? Well, for starters the majority of those starting players are gone. Also, you lose your amazing return guy who bailed out the offense on several occasions. Which brings up the point, remember how they won games last year? I do, defense. Everyone is raving about all the starters coming back on offense. That is great and all, but do you remember the Tennessee game when all the offense could muster was 12 measly points? The defense lost nine of those starters and considering the cast is a huge loss, not to mention the whole scenario with Marcel Dareus that’s one more talented player gone. The good news is that the Tide #1 recruiting classes back-to-back are now coming of age, but regardless a lot of people are going to have to step up and that means someone beyond Dante Hightower needs to take a leadership role. Saban recognized this as one of his major priorities.
“ So we lost a lot of good players from last year’s team, which is going to create a lot of opportunity for some other young players who need to prove and show that they can improve with consistency and performance.”
Saban seems very hopeful, but it is a huge task and that’s not including special teams that includes a freshman punter and kicker.
3. Expectations
Pressure. Starting the season last year there was none. The nation considered the Tide contenders but never in our wildest dreams did we envision the spanking that was laid on Florida in the SEC Championship. However, they did beat Florida and further beyond, now they have a whole different kind of monkey on their back. Inexperienced players mixed in with pressure from every media outlet imaginable causes some concern. This team has inheriting a lot of stress and how they handle it will affect performance. Greg McElroy does not seem worried.
“I don’t think there’s any added pressure, “ McElroy said. “There’s going to be times when the offense has to step up and win games for us this year, and there’s times when the defense has to step up and win games. It’s not added pressure, added responsibility.”
4. Schedule
The schedule is not getting any easier for the Tide. it’s a difficult road with Penn State, Florida, Ole Miss, and Auburn coming into town. Then visits to South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and of course a showdown with LSU in Death Valley brings in even more questions and will test young defense down the stretch of the season. An even more daunting thought is that six teams facing the Tide this year will coming off a bye week.
5. Chemistry
Identity. Every team has one. This team’s identity is completely different from 2009. Along with identity comes focus and chemistry. This team has to have the right “ingredients” to make the recipe. The 2008 Dallas Cowboys were a bunch of studs. They had 13 players coming back who made the Pro Bowl, added Pac Man Jones, had an amazing draft, and on nearly everyone’s board to win the Super Bowl. The Result? A mediocre 9-7 record and no playoffs. There was no chemistry and every one was fighting. Terrell Owens was crying to the media every week. This team need to be aware of that as well. Team chemistry is going to be incredibly hard to maintain with all these fresh faces emerging at starting positions. However, all Saban needs is a productive team camp and they will be fine.
“To create an identity for this team in terms of what this team wants to accomplish and what this team can do in this football season is what we’re trying to focus on,” Saban said. “That’s certainly something that we would like for them to focus on.”
There you have it. The five things Alabama must do to win it all again. The SEC is trying to win its 5th straight and until someone knocks them off it’s Alabama’s to lose.