Alabama Crimson Tide 2012 Team Predictions

Trent Richardson is gone, but Eddie Lacy leads a deep Alabama backfield.

The Alabama Crimson Tide check in at No. 3 in Athlon's college football 2012 top 25 countdown. Here's a look at our predictions for the most valuable players, games to watch, breakout candidates and other key categories for 2012.

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Alabama Crimson Tide's Top 10 Players for 2012

Submitted by Rich McVey on Fri, 2012-06-01 04:52

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10. LB C.J. Mosley

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If you are looking for a few breakout players on the Alabama defense, keep a close watch on the linebackers. Sophomores Trey DePriest, Adrian Hubbard and Xzavier Dickson could shine with extended playing time, but Mosley gets the nod as Alabama’s No. 10 player. He has started nine games in his first two years with the Crimson Tide and has 57 career stops. The junior could share time with Nico Johnson at middle linebacker, but is one of Alabama’s rising stars on defense.

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9. RT D.J. Fluker

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Fluker enters his junior year primed for a breakout season. He was one of Alabama’s top recruits in the 2009 signing class and started nine games as a true freshman in 2010. Fluker followed up his solid debut by starting all 13 games last season and will anchor the right side of the line in 2012. Fluker has yet to earn All-SEC honors, but all signs point to him developing into one of the conference’s best tackles this year.

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8. DE Jesse Williams

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Williams made a splash in his first season with the Crimson Tide last year. After playing at Western Arizona Community College for two seasons, the Australia native was a key performer on the line. Williams recorded 24 tackles, while recording four tackles for a loss and three quarterback hurries. Although he moved between end and tackle last year, Williams is expected to anchor the interior of the line in 2012. At 6-foot-4 and 319 pounds, Williams has the necessary size and speed to plug the gaps and allow Alabama’s linebackers to make plays.

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7. CB Dee Milliner

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With Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie performing at a high level last year, Milliner was almost a forgotten man in the secondary. As a freshman in 2010, he made 11 starts and recorded 55 tackles. Milliner only started six games last year, but picked off three passes, including one that went for a score against Auburn. Kirkpatrick and Menzie have departed, leaving Milliner as Alabama’s No. 1 cornerback this season.

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6. OG Chance Warmack

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Warmack heads into 2012 with high expectations. He has made 26 consecutive starts and earned second-team all-conference honors by the coaches last season. With Barrett Jones moving to center, Warmarck will be expected to anchor the left side of the line, especially with talented, but inexperienced sophomore Cyrus Kouandjio taking over at left tackle.

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5. LB Nico Johnson

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Even with stalwarts Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw no longer in Tuscaloosa, the linebacking corps should remain a strength for Alabama. Johnson has played in 38 career games and has made 15 starts. He started seven contests last year and recorded 47 stops and one interception. The senior will be expected to provide leadership as the most experienced starter in the linebacking corps and should be one of Alabama’s top defensive players this season.

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4. S Robert Lester

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With the departures of Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron, Lester is expected to become the leader in Alabama’s secondary. He has started 26 consecutive games, while recording 10 interceptions during that span. Lester has 99 tackles through three years and recorded a career-high seven pass breakups in the win over Arkansas last year. He is an Athlon Sports second-team All-SEC selection for 2012.

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3. RB Eddie Lacy

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Trent Richardson is gone, but Alabama’s rushing attack isn’t likely to miss a beat. Lacy rushed for 674 yards and seven touchdowns in a backup role last season and will assume the No. 1 spot in 2012. He averaged an impressive 7.1 yards per carry and caught 11 passes for 131 yards. Lacy will have help on the ground from redshirt freshman Dee Hart, true freshman T.J. Yeldon and Jalston Fowler, but look for the junior to eclipse 1,000 yards and contend for All-SEC honors in 2012.

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2. QB AJ McCarron

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McCarron was steady in his first year as a starter, throwing for 2,634 yards and 16 scores. He had a breakout performance in the national title victory over LSU, completing 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards. With the losses on defense, and running back Trent Richardson departing for the NFL, McCarron is expected to shoulder more of the offensive load in 2012. Even with a new coordinator, the junior should easily surpass last season’s totals and is primed to become one of the SEC’s top quarterbacks.

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1. C Barrett Jones

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Offensive linemen are some of the most underappreciated players in college football, but Jones is arguably the SEC’s No. 1 returning performer for 2012. He has 36 career starts and has earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2010-11. With William Vlachos finishing his eligibility, Jones will slide from left tackle to center, which will be his third position in three years, after spending 2010 at right guard. His versatility is a huge bonus for Alabama’s offense, which could be better in 2012, despite the loss of running back Trent Richardson.

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COMMENTS

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Submitted by Rich McVey on Fri, 2012-06-01 03:46

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Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Some of our favorite cheerleaders from the past twenty years.
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COMMENTS

The Greatest Moments In Alabama Football History

Submitted by Athlon Sports on Fri, 2012-06-01 03:21

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#5. The 2009 National Championship

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Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson each score two touchdowns, and Alabama fends off a late Texas rally to win the BCS national title with a 37-21 triumph. The Tide knocked Longhorns QB Colt McCoy out of the game in the first quarter and stifled the high-powered UT attack from there.

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#4. The 1985 Iron Bowl

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Van Tiffin nails a 52-yard field goal as time expires to give Alabama a 25-23 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Tiffin had missed a 52-yarder earlier in the game but capped a wild drive that included a huge fourth-down conversion.

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#3. Dixie Howell

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Dixie Howell runs for 111 yards and throws for 160 (9-of-13 passing) and two touchdowns to legendary receiver Don Hutson, giving Alabama a 29-13 win over Stanford and a national crown. Coach Frank Thomas brought his Dixie Aerial Circus to Pasadena and proved to the nation how good Southern football could be.

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#2. Bama Silences Miami's Trash Talking

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George Teague scores on a 31-yard interception return, and ‘Bama rushes for 267 yards to smack heavily-favored Miami, 34-13, in the Sugar Bowl to win the national championship. Prior to the game, Miami receiver Lamar Thomas had trash-talked about how SEC football was overrated.

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#1. The Penn State Goal Line Stand

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Barry Krauss stuffs Penn State’s Mike Guman on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line to preserve Alabama’s 14-7 lead in the Sugar Bowl. Krauss’ play capped a dramatic goal-line stand. The Tide holds its advantage and wins the national title.

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SEC Football: Running Back Rankings for 2012

South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore ranks as the top back in the SEC for 2012.

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SEC Football: Quarterback Rankings for 2012

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10. LB C.J. Mosley

9. RT D.J. Fluker

8. DE Jesse Williams

7. CB Dee Milliner

6. OG Chance Warmack

5. LB Nico Johnson

4. S Robert Lester

3. RB Eddie Lacy

2. QB AJ McCarron

1. C Barrett Jones

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Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

Alabama Crimson Tide Cheerleaders

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COMMENTS

#5. The 2009 National Championship

#4. The 1985 Iron Bowl

#3. Dixie Howell

#2. Bama Silences Miami's Trash Talking

#1. The Penn State Goal Line Stand

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