Well, that didn't take long. Nick Saban had been in Tuscaloosa less than two seasons before elevating the Tide to No. 2 in the country after five weeks and No. 1 at the end of the regular season. Losses to Florida in the SEC Championship and Utah in the bowl game took some of the shine off a 12-0 start, but back-to-back top-three recruiting classes ensure that the Crimson Tide are a force to be reckoned with for years to come. The Tide do lose seven starters off the 2008 unit that scored 30 ppg. Of biggest concern is losing John Parker Wilson, the school's all-time leading quarterback. Junior Greg McElroy will be the starter; none of the backups appear ready to appear in the opener against Virginia Tech. Three O-line starters depart and RB Glen Coffee left for the NFL a year early, but the running game scored 32 touchdowns and ran for 186 ypg (4.6 ypc) last season. The dropoff doesn't figure to be severe as Saban's first two recruiting classes gets another year under their belts. Sophomore wideout Julio Jones was nothing short of dominant late last season as he started to get familiar with the college game.

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The concern certainly doesn't lie on the other side, as Kirby Smart's defense returns nine starters from a group that held six teams to single-digits in 2008. The Crimson Tide also gave up 2.7 yards per carry and 14 ppg on their third-ranked defense. The one weakness (?) would be a pass rush ranking only seventh in the SEC last year with 26 sacks. All key members of the special teams return and that should be one of the five or 10 best units in the nation and probably responsible for a win or two during the 2009 season.

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