Season Preview

DEWEY’S DIATRIBE
Attempting to remain objective though staring wearily through crimson colored spectacles since 2008

July 28, 2008

CLEMSON
You know, back in the day, good college football teams would schedule worthwhile meaningful opponents for the first game or all of the games of the year. Then there was a stretch where the out of conference games that Alabama scheduled were creampuffs like, for instance, Louisiana Monroe. Ummmm. Would it not make sense to schedule a good team to lose to rather than a bad team? Clemson has a ton of returning starters on offense and Alabama has few returning starters on defense. Clemson 35 Alabama 24

Alabama’s record after this game: 0-1

TULANE
This game is a tad intriguing for many reasons; just none seem to come to mind. Alabama should prevail unless they fall asleep or fail to awake from the coma that Clemson puts them in. Alabama 35 Tulane 17

Alabama is 1-1

WESTERN KENTUCKY
Hopefully this game will not be a repeat of the Louisiana Monroe travesty that was a year ago. This is a significantly weaker program than Alabama and Alabama should win if the ball is snapped. Alabama 52 Western Kentucky 10

Alabama is 2-1

ARKANSAS

The litmus test of the season is often a trip to Arkansas. However, this was not the case last year when in the last seconds Alabama came back to beat a loaded Arkansas. (This was after surrendering a three touchdown lead). The rest of the year went downhill, with exception of Tennessee, from John Parker Wilson’s remarkable throw and Matt Caddell’s amazing catch in the back of the end zone. This game stands to be a challenge, but it will be Petrino’s first season and it should be one in transition. Alabama 31 Arkansas 21

Alabama is 3-1

GEORGIA

Athens proves to be a place not unlike Tuscaloosa. The major industry there is the university and that makes for some analogues to Tuscaloosa. Additionally, both teams have some similarities. John Parker Wilson and Matthew Stafford are both experienced gunslingers that have shown some inconsistencies in the past. Moreno and Grant are both sophomores that rely on their elusiveness more so than their power. The receiving corps for both teams are both pretty much young with no real proven “go to” man. However, on the defensive side of the ball, the Georgia Bulldogs are much more formidable. This game could pan out a few different ways and one of those ways is not Alabama winning in a blowout. Georgia 28 Alabama 10

Alabama is 3-2

KENTUCKY

This game will mark the half-way point of the season. Alabama will either be 3-3 or 4-2 with the latter significantly better than the previous. Kentucky lost many starters and their star quarterback. Alabama prevails at home. Alabama 42 Kentucky 28

Alabama is 4-2

MISSISSIPPI

Houston Nutt adds a little spice to this game. He had a great record against the Tide at Arkansas and Eddie O left the cupboard full of speedsters and blue chips. Well, at least there are better players there than have been. Is Nuttmeg the spice to put it all together this year at Ole Miss. Transition plays a big part in coaches’ first seasons. The game is in Tuscaloosa, and Alabama wins… a close one. Alabama 21 Mississippi 20

Alabama is 5-2

TENNESSEE

Does one smell pay back on the banks of the Tennessee or is that Calhoun’s Bar-B-Que? Nick Saban failed to call the dogs off last year and Phillip Fulmer will not fail to forget that. Tennessee has to play an inexperienced quarterback. However, Neyland stadium is going to be unbearable. This series will continue to swap. Tennessee 30 Alabama 20

Alabama is 5-3

ARKANSAS STATE

Every time a team like this is on the schedule it makes fans mad. It is a no win situation for Alabama. If Alabama wins, well, they should have. If Alabama loses it’s bad. No one gets excited, no one wants to sit at Bryant-Denny-Tuberville stadium to see this game take place, not even the players. Alabama 34 Arkansas State 7

Alabama is 6-3

LSU

It’s going to be hard for LSU to continue dominating Alabama like most teams from Louisiana. Like many teams on the schedule, LSU has questions at quarterback. They have lost some starters but have essentially reloaded over the years and players will probably step into positions without losing much in terms of performance. This is the game Alabama surprises everyone with. Alabama 38 LSU 35

Alabama is 7-3

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Sly Croom has shown to be at least as good as Mike Shula and at least good enough to have beaten Alabama two years consecutive. Is either of those accomplishments? Alabama should take care of him at is old home field this time. Alabama 24 MSU 17

Alabama is 8-3

AUBURN

The law of averages has to prevail some time. Auburn is going to be coming off either a hot season or a cold season. It will not be lukewarm. The Tony Franklin experience will be orgasmic or a cluster-f***. This game has so many variables it hard to condense them into a short blurb but here goes. Alabama is at home, albeit at Tuberville’s favorite place to beat Alabama, but it’s going to be loud. The spread offense which relies on quick decisions and good line of scrimmage communication struggles in the noise. (See Florida at Alabama 2005). At this point, if Alabama’s defense is healthy then they will have a year’s worth of experience. Look for a close win for Alabama and a trip to Atlanta (this sounds so much like homer it’s hard to type). Alabama 29 Auburn 28

Alabama is 9-3

SEC Title
Rematch with Georgia
Georgia 42 Alabama 30

Bowl
Peach, Cotton, or Capital One.

Georgia wins the National Title and it doesn’t seem so bad to lose to them twice.