OPPOSING COACH'S TAKE
"[Offensive coordinator] Lane Kiffin brings some flavor. He changes it up. It makes it hard to focus on one thing. You used to just worry about stopping the run. Now they spread you out. They'll use jet motions and sweeps. And they can still line up and run between the tackles. They're going to miss Ryan Kelly tremendously at center. He was the quarterback of their line. They always have backs. They'll do what they do on the ground. But with [sophomore receiver] Calvin Ridley and [senior tight end] O.J. Howard, they may go deep more and be more creative with formations.
Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt learned from Nick Saban when he was at Alabama earlier, so the defense shouldn't look much different without Kirby Smart [now the coach at Georgia]. When you turn on the tape, you see the speed and athleticism—it looks like an all-star team. Another thing that makes it difficult is the depth they have. They're able to roll a lot more guys in and keep the fatigue factor from taking over. They make you earn every yard on the ground, and they make you earn every yard through the air. As a play-caller, they make you feel like you've got to be absolutely perfect.
[Senior outside linebacker] Tim Williams has a great combination of speed and power. He's what everybody's looking for as a pass rusher. Even though he only played about 30 snaps a game last year, we made a tape of him for our offensive line to study. [Cornerback] Minkah Fitzpatrick was great as a freshman. He's only going to get better."
FAST FACTS
6
Interceptions last year for senior safety Eddie Jackson, tied for first in the conference.
76
Combined career carries among the Tide's five returning backs. Expect sophomores Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris to emerge.
83.3%
Rate at which opponents scored upon reaching the red zone last year, 62nd in the FBS.
8
Consecutive 10-win seasons for the Crimson Tide, the longest current streak in the FBS.
2
Consecutive Bama losses to Ole Miss, one of only two teams to hand coach Nick Saban back-to-back defeats.
[The following text appears within a chart. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual chart.]
5 YEAR TREND
WINS
15
12
9
6
3
12--1 (NATIONAL CHAMPS)
13--1 (NATIONAL CHAMPS)
11--2
12--2 (SEC CHAMPS)
14--1 (NATIONAL CHAMPS)
YEAR
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
BIGGEST QUESTION MARK
Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has had to groom a new QB in all three of his seasons in Tuscaloosa. During camp he'll have to pick among junior COOPER BATEMAN (who started in Alabama's only loss last year), sophomore DAVID CORNWELL, redshirt freshman BLAKE BARNETT and freshman JALEN HURTS. Whoever gets the job, expect the Tide to run at a faster tempo that more resembles the '14 offense piloted by Blake Sims.
2016 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY 9/3
USC
(IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS)
SATURDAY 9/10
WESTERN KENTUCKY
SATURDAY 9/17
AT OLE MISS [KEY MATCHUP]
SATURDAY 9/24
KENT STATE
SATURDAY 10/1
KENTUCKY
SATURDAY 10/8
AT ARKANSAS
SATURDAY 10/15
AT TENNESSEE
SATURDAY 10/22
TEXAS A&M
BYE
SATURDAY 11/5
AT LSU [BIGGEST GAME]
SATURDAY 11/12
MISSISSIPPI STATE
SATURDAY 11/19
CHATTANOOGA
SATURDAY 11/26
AUBURN [KEY MATCHUP]
KEY MATCHUP
BIGGEST GAME
