SEC West Preview

It's that time again: the middle of May means college football will be here before we know it. Each week, we'll preview every SEC team and will give an insight as to which team will come out on top in the nation's toughest conference, starting with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Offense

Alabama lost quite a bit of its offensive production from last season, most notably Mr. Everything Receiver Amari Cooper, but don't think this will make the Tide's offense stagnant. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin took last year's team and made it, statistically, the most potent Alabama offense of all time (and with all due respect to former quarterback Blake Sims, the lack of quarterback "talent" and experience was supposed to factor into a "down" year for the Tide offense).

For yet the second year in a row, Alabama has a quarterback controversy on its hands. Who will start under center? Senior transfer Jacob Coker, the defacto starter last season before the 2014 campaign even started? David Cornwell, the redshirt freshman from Norman, OK? Cooper Bateman, the #3 pocket passer coming out of high school two years ago? Or will it possibly be a transfer? There is talk now of Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller contemplating transferring away from Columbus, and it is rumored that Miller is seriously thinking about heading to Tuscaloosa. Also, former Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson will be transferring, so could he land on Saban's team? With that kind of athlete on the roster, would it be dumb of Kiffin and Saban to not let him take the snaps come the start of the 2015 season?

One group of players that you normally don't have to worry about for Alabama is the running backs. It seems that Saban always finds a way to sure up his running back depth with NFL-caliber backs, and this season is not different, albeit it will be slightly thinner depth with the potential season ending injury to Bo Scarborough during spring practice. Replacing T.J. Yeldon as the workhorse will be Derrick Henry, as he has patiently bided his time and will now be the premier back in the Tide offense. El Tractorcito, "the little tractor" as he has been appropriately nicknamed by the media, will be an absolute force in the Tide's running game, along with sharing reps with now healthy Kenyan Drake and possibly freshmen Desherrius Flowers and Damien Harris.

Out wide will be a completely new look for Alabama, after losing great players like Amari Cooper, DeAndrew White, and Christion Jones. The Tide will need guys like Chris Black, ArDarius Stewart, and Raheem Falkins to step up and become big targets for whoever gets the start at quarterback. A key loss for Bama is recently injured Cam Sims, the 6'5" 209 lb sophomore, who tore his ACL in spring practice just a few weeks ago. Sims could have been a huge target for Alabama (literally), but even more so in the red zone. With his absence, Alabama may have to rely on running the ball more than they would like to inside their opponent's 20 yard line.

Losing guys like Arie Kouandjio, Leon Brown, and Austin Shepherd to the NFL is always tough for any team, but Alabama has the depth to actually improve on the offensive line this coming season. Returning sophomore left tackle Cam Robinson is arguably the best left tackle in college football, and he still has two full years left at The Capstone before he is eligible for the NFL Draft. Alphonse Taylor is a big body that will most likely play one of the guard positions for the Tide, and returning senior center Ryan Kelly will lead the group. Nick Saban has openly praised the progress of redshirt freshman Ross Pierschbacher, so don't be surprised to see him in the starting lineup when the Tide take on the Wisconsin Badgers on September 5.

Defense

It's normally Nick Saban's calling card: possess a dominant defense to take off some pressure on the offensive side of the ball. Last year, Alabama took a step back, statistically speaking, on defense, but this year they're looking for a reformation. A revamped and experienced defense will prove to be beneficial for Saban's squad next season.

We'll start with not just the most talented unit on the Tide's defense, but arguably the most talented defensive unit in the entire country: the defensive line. Holy moly, there is a lot of NFL-caliber players up front for the Tide, so let's just start naming guys, because it would take way too long to breakdown each one of them: Da'Shawn Hand, A'Shawn Robinson, Darren Lake, Johnathan Allen, Jarren Reed, D.J. Pettway, and Dalvin Tomlinson, and many others can/will see significant playing time. Since Saban has been at Alabama, sure we've all seen pretty good defensive lines, but I think it's safe to say that this is the best defensive line he has ever had, from top to bottom. To win in the SEC, a team needs dominant play up at the line of scrimmage, and Alabama is definitely set there.

At linebacker, seniors Reggie Ragland and Dillon Lee will lead the squad, and this unit is as versatile of a unit as there is in the country. Sophomore Rashaan Evans got some much needed experience last season on both special teams and pass rushing situations, and his athletic ability will prove beneficial when the Tide play high-powered offenses such as Auburn and Texas A&M. Ryan Anderson is a linebacker who can line up both upright and with his hand on the ground on the edge, which will give him the opportunity to be a three-down player. And let's not forget about Reuben Foster, one of the best athletes in the linebacker corps. He'll be an integral part of the defense, against pretty much every opponent this season for the Tide.

Last season, the defensive backs struggled. They gave up more big plays than any team in the SEC, and was close to the bottom at the national level. So, by default, this unit will be better. And in reality, this unit will be exponentially better. Led by Cyrus Jones at cornerback, now that his legal issues have been dropped and he is completely healthy, the defensive backs have the chance to make a name for themselves in the 2015 season. Returning sophomore Tony Brown and redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey are also track and field stars for the Alabama track team, and will be a handful for any receivers that they go up against. It is well documented that Bradley Sylve is probably the fastest player on Alabama's roster, and has learned from his mistakes last season, allowing him to help lead the corners. Also, look for junior Eddie Jackson to step up and be a leader for the cornerbacks. At safety, someone will have to fill the shoes of second round NFL draft pick Landon Collins, and that looks to be Laurence "Hootie" Jones' spot to fill. The five-star sophomore out of Monroe, LA is now ready to take the reigns, alongside fellow safeties Jabriel Washington and Geno Smith. This secondary will prove to be a strong unit by the end of the season.

Special Teams

Alabama has fortunately been blessed with one of the, if not the, best punters in football in J.K. Scott. The incoming sophomore led the nation in yards/punt last season at a ridiculous 48.00, while only punting 55 times. He is a weapon in and of himself for the Crimson Tide, because he has the ability to relieve some pressure off the defense by pinning the opposing team deep inside their own field.

The Tide have struggled with field goal kickers over the past few years, but with the return of a healthy Adam Griffith, they should be fine when forced to attempt three points. Griffith ranked close to the bottom of the nation at field goal percentage, amking only 63.2% of his kicks, but we learned soon after the season that Griffith had been struggling through a back injury all season. With the entire offseason to heal up, look for that number to rise significantly for Griffith.