The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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1 ALABAMA • SEPT. 1 Crimson Tide Reloads For National Title Repeat hree things in life are certain: death, taxes and Alabama making a title run under head coach Nick Saban, now in his fifth year. The Crimson Tide produced eight NFL draft picks in the 2012 edition, including four first-round selections for the second straight year. Of the 13 starters lost, each was drafted or signed to a free agent contract. T The Tide returns five starters on offense led by Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones, who will be moving from left tackle to center in his senior campaign, and quarterback A.J. McCar- ron, the offensive MVP of last season's national championship game. McCarron, a junior, will be operating behind one of the best lines in the nation, with senior guard Chance Warmack and junior tackle D.J. Fluker also returning. Jones, Warmack and Fluker were named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-American first team, and are listed among the top 42 draft prospects in next year's event by NFLDraftScout.com. Although the positions will feature new start- ers, Alabama isn't hurting for talent at running back and wide receiver. Junior Eddie Lacy is ready for his opportunity in the backfield after he totaled 631 yards and seven touchdowns on just 84 carries (7.5 yards per attempt), with another 131 yards coming on receptions, while backing up No. 3 overall NFL draft pick Trent Richardson. OFFenSe: A.J. McCarron, R-Jr., QB — The 6-4, 210-pounder has an 11-1 record as the starter under center and com - pleted 66.7 percent of his passes in 2011 for 2,634 yards and 16 touch- downs … The first-year starter fin - ished second in the SEC in pass - ing efficiency (149.8 rating) and directed a unit that ranked 16th PLAYERS TO WATCH —Started just six games in 2011 on a unit that featured a trio of first-round picks … Finished last year with 47 total stops, 6.5 tack - les for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception. nationally in scoring (36 points per game) and 30th in total offense (433.4 yards per game). DeFenSe: Nico Johnson, Sr., LB BY RYAN TICE This spring, though, Lacy battled turf toe ,and several youngsters shined, including early enrollee T.J. Yeldon. The 6-2, 216-pound rookie dazzled fans at the spring game with 179 total yards, including a game-best five catches for 91 yards and a score, en route to MVP honors. At wide receiver, true freshmen Chris Black and Amari Cooper will join junior Kenny Bell, sophomore DeAndrew White and junior Kevin Norwood, who combined for 787 yards and six touchdowns in 2011. The Tide returns just four starters from the defensive unit that led the nation in all major categories last fall, but that doesn't include part- time starting cornerback Dee Milliner, who led the national champions with three interceptions as a sophomore, and linebacker C.J. Mosley, a junior who has started nine games in his first two seasons. Senior defensive linemen Jesse Williams, who started at end in 2011 but played nose guard this spring, and Damion Square lead the returning starters up front, while senior line- backer Nico Johnson and All-American senior safety Robert Lester are also back. QUICK FACTS Today Coaches Returning Starters: 11 (6 offense, 4 defense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2011 (BCS Championship, vs. LSU, W 21-0) Southeastern Conference Championships (Last): 22 (2009) Passing: A.J. McCarron (2,634 yards, 16 TD) Rushing: Eddie Lacy (674 yards, 7 TD) Receiving: Kenny Bell (255 yards, 2 TD) Tackles: Nico Johnson (47) Sacks: C.J. Mosley (2) interceptions: Dee Milliner (3) ReTuRning LeADeRS THE WOLVERINE STAFF PREDICTION Why Michigan Could Win: The Crimson Tide has question marks on both sides of the ball, especially on of - fense where young — albeit talented — players must emerge at tailback and wide receiver. On paper, U-M boasts the more potent offense, and its de - fense should be good enough to limit Bama to four scores or less, creating the opportunity for a narrow, low-scoring victory. Why Michigan Could Lose: The Crimson Tide may have bid adieu to seven starters from the nation's best defensive unit, but they have reloaded with five defenders earning preseason All-American honors. Head coach Nick Saban, meanwhile, is considered one of the top defensive minds in football, and with an entire training camp to prepare for U-M's attack, is quite ca - pable of developing a game plan that shuts down the Wolverines. 182 s THE WOLVERINE 2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Prediction: Few are expecting a Michigan victory, but the Maize and Blue are motivated, and even more im- portantly, are good enough to keep it close. The defenses will determine the winner, and Alabama's is more dominant than U-M's. Alabama 24, Michigan 14. All-Time Series: U-M leads 2-1 First Meeting: U-M 28, Alabama 24 (Jan. 2, 1987, at Tampa, Fla., in the Hall of Fame Bowl) Last Meeting: U-M 35, Alabama 34 (Jan. 1, 1999, at Miami in the Orange Bowl) Head Coach: Nick Saban, 55-12 at Alabama (6th year) and 141-54-1 overall (17th year) Off./Def. Systems: Pro style/3-4 2011 in Review: 12-1 overall, 7-1 SEC (2nd West Division) Final 2011 Ranking: No. 1 Associated Press and USA Junior running back Eddie Lacy compiled 84 carries for 631 yards (7.5 yards per attempt) and seven touchdowns while backing up No. 3 overall NFL draft pick Trent Richardson in 2011. PHOTO COURTESY ALABAMA None of the returning starters put up stagger- ing numbers — Square tallied seven tackles for loss, and Johnson totaled 47 tackles, fourth-best on the 2011 team, with 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception, as well as a forced fumble — but the opportunity to rack up numbers was limited with a trio of first-round picks starring on the unit. Milliner, Mosley, Williams, Johnson and Lester all earned Preseason All-America hon- ors from Phil Steele's, while Lindy's ranked the defensive front sixth best in the country and the linebackers were listed as the third-best group in the land. Sophomore outside linebacker Adrian Hub- bard is also ready for his time in the spotlight after he totaled four sacks in the spring game. Alabama lost a lot after winning the school's 14th national crown, but they still bring back more talent than almost any other team in the country. This meeting will mark the first regular-season contest between Alabama and Michigan … Backup quarterback Phillip Sims transferred to Virginia this spring … Lindy's ranked A.J. McCar- ron as the No. 13 quarterback in the country, while Eddie Lacy checked in as the No. 14 run - ning back … Over the past four seasons, Nick Saban has tied a SEC record for most victories with a record of 48-6. u Notes Date Opponent Sept. 1 Sept. 8 at Missouri 2012 SCHEDULE vs. Michigan^ Sept. 15 at Arkansas Sept. 22 Florida Atlantic Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 at Tennessee Nov. 10 Texas A&M Western Kentucky 2011 Result — — W, 38-14 — — Mississippi State at LSU Nov. 17 Western Carolina Nov. 24 Auburn ^ at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas; * also defeated LSU 21-0 in the BCS Championship W, 42-14 W, 37-6 W, 24-7 L, 9-6* — —