Considering we're replacing a quarterback and a Outland Trophy-winning left tackle, we're looking at a favorable schedule for a rebuilding year. The one tough road game all year is the opener in Atlanta against the Virginia Tech. We have rivals UT and LSU at home. Yes, this year's Iron Bowl is at Jordan-Hare, but we play better there anyway. The game at Oxford will be one to look out for if the Rebels live up to the love they've been getting already, but that will become clearer with time. If we play Florida, it'll be in Atlanta.
Notice my careful choice of adjective in the preceding paragraph: ours is favorable, but for the other guy's team it's always a cupcake schedule. Now before you partisans of the Pac-10, ACC, Big T'Eleven, and other girls field hockey leagues get going, you know how even a favorable SEC schedule compares with your Sadie Hawkins dances.
Important questions remain. Will the Tide have anything resembling a pass rush this year? All through the regular season last year, we managed to get by with a shaky secondary, but Florida and Utah did their homework and fully exploited that weakness. McElroy was understudy to John Parker Flock of Seagulls but never managed to upstage him. Was this for team stability or because Mac didn't have it? Will a herd of flat-out hosses in the backfield be enough to offset the disadvantage of a green O-line?
Will the Southeastern Conference be home to the national champs for the fourth year in a row?
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1 comment:
Somebody wake me up when it's September 5th. I'm just killn' time for the next two months...
A few comments:
1) The trap game is SoCar, which is sandwiched between Ole Miss and Tenn. It's hard to get up for that many big games in a row, and Utah showed everybody what can happen when Bama's heart isn't in it. Arky could be another trap game.
2) GMac will be OK, but probably not a huge improvement over JPW. He'll do a better job going through his progressions, but he doesn't have great arm strength. I'm happy if he can just take what the defense gives him and limit mistakes.
3) Pass rush is hopefully going to be improved, with Hightower putting his hand down a good bit.
4) For the past two seasons, Bama's preseason perceived weaknesses have ended up being strengths, and vice-versa. So if that theory still holds, the offense will surprise some people with it's success, and the defense will end up being pedestrian. Just sayin'...
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