Alabama Football: An Offseason Wish List
By Kevin Ross
I realize that it may seem incredibly arrogant for Alabama Crimson Tide fans to wish for anything after three national championships in four years, but The Process never sleeps and complacency is to be avoided at all costs.
The dreaded offseason doldrums have set in, and while this particular offseason has been quite interesting, thanks to Phantom Girlfriend of Notre Dame and the massive incompetence of the NCAA, there is still a dearth of Alabama football news.
At this time of the year however, no news is more often than not good news. Hopefully the arrests for stolen motor scooters and Instagram photos of quarterbacks partying in casinos will be left to other programs, while the Tide players quietly go about their business in the weight room. Here is what I am hoping to see between now and A-Day:
A drama-free National Signing Day. I confess, I don’t follow recruiting very closely. I just sleep easy knowing that the coaching staff is excellent at both bringing in the raw materials, then getting the most out of them. I have zero interest in reading about the last minute whims of 18-year-olds or waiting with bated breath by the fax machine. The extremely little research I have done into Alabama’s recruiting tells me that the bulk of the class is either already enrolled or extremely unlikely to consider playing anywhere else. Here’s to a boring NSD.
Successful rehab. At various points last season DeAndrew White, Dee Hart, Jalston Fowler and Chris Black were all lost to injury. Getting back the services of those players will help mitigate the losses along the offensive line as they give AJ McCarron an embarrassment of riches on offense. In the early part of the 2013 season, the offense will probably have to carry the load as the defense gets their sea legs, thanks to the annual loss of talent to the NFL draft. A September date with Johnny Football means that the Tide may have to win a shootout and having a full arsenal on offense can only help.
A Leader on the defensive line. First there was Mount Cody, then there was The Monstar. Alabama for the past several years has had a defensive tackle with a big body and a big personality, but this seems to be a void that is created with Jesse Williams graduating. Whether it be a JUCO signee or an existing player stepping into the role, a new Big Man on Campus is needed.
Having your team in the headlines is generally bad between now and August as LSU, Miami, Notre Dame and Texas can attest. I will be happy if the news of coaching staff shakeups, player arrests and recruiting melodrama emanates from other towns across the country and Tuscaloosa stays sleepy and boring throughout the winter, spring and summer.
The only thing I want to read about the Crimson Tide in the coming weeks is that the carpet in the weight room had to be replaced due to high traffic. Let’s raise a glass to number 15, and another to an uneventful offseason.