2013 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 2013 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") will represent the University of Alabama in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It will mark the Crimson Tide's 119th overall season, 80th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and its 22nd within the SEC Western Division. The team will be led by head coach Nick Saban, in his seventh year, and will play its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Previous season
In 2012, Alabama came into the season ranked No. 2 in both preseason polls. After their week one victory over Michigan, the Crimson Tide moved into the No. 1 spot in both polls, and then proceeded to win their next eight games that included a victory at LSU. However the next week, Alabama was upset by Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies and dropped to the No. 4 position. Alabama bounced back and won its remaining games to clinch the SEC Western Division and secured a spot in the 2012 SEC Championship Game against Georgia. The Crimson Tide then defeated the Bulldogs and captured the SEC Championship. The next day, Alabama finished No. 2 in the final BCS rankings and would play Notre Dame in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. In the game, Alabama defeated the Fighting Irish 42–14 and captured their 15th national championship and made Nick Saban the only coach in college football to win four BCS Championships.

February 2013
In February 2013 police arrested four football players from the 2012 season: Brent Calloway (running back/tight end, upcoming redshirt sophomore), Tyler Hayes (linebacker, upcoming sophomore), D. J. Pettway (defensive lineman, upcoming redshirt sophomore) and Eddie Williams (defensive back, upcoming redshirt freshman).

Williams was involved in four separate incidents on February 10 and 11. First, on the 10th he had a dispute with a gas station clerk about paying for gas and said he had something in the trunk of his car. The clerk called the police, and police arrested Williams with carrying a pistol without a license. The police released Williams later that day on a $500 bond. Later that night around 12:30am, Williams attacked an Alabama student with Hayes and Pettway and they stole the student's backpack. In a separate incident almost an hour later, Williams attacked another student while Hayes and Pettway waited in a car, and later Williams used one of the students' credit cards. Calloway was also arrested after he used a victim's student debit card with knowledge it was stolen.

Following the arrests, Alabama suspended all four from the football team. Alabama also prohibited Hayes, Pettway and Williams from entering campus. On February 27, Alabama dismissed all four players from the university after completing a judicial review and all four are no longer associated with the Alabama football program.

Although none of the four players involved in these charges were starters, defensive lineman Pettway received the most playing time in the 2012 season, and was selected to the SEC Coaches' All-Freshman Team after the 2012 season.

Spring practice
Alabama will start spring practice on March 16 and conclude 15 practices later on April 20 with the annual A-Day game. The 2013 A-Day game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Coaching staff
Alabama head coach Nick Saban will enter his seventh year as the Crimson Tide's head coach for the 2013 season. During his previous six years with Alabama, he led the Crimson Tide to an overall record of 63 wins and 13 losses (63–13) and the 2009, 2011 and 2012 national championships. On January 9, 2013, former Colorado defensive coordinator Greg Brown was hired as the successor for Jeremy Pruitt as secondary coach. On February 18, former Florida International head coach Mario Cristobal was hired as Jeff Stoutland's replacement for offensive line coach. On February 21, former Florida State tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Billy Napier was hired as Mike Groh's replacement as wide receivers coach.

Returning starters
Alabama has six returning players on offense and eleven on defense that started games in 2012. Another notable player returning for 2013 that did not start in 2012 is running back T. J. Yeldon, who appeared in all 14 Alabama games in 2012 as the backup for starter Eddie Lacy.

Four first-year players in 2012 made the SEC Coaches' All-Freshman Team: true freshmen wide receiver Amari Cooper, true freshman running back Yeldon, redshirt freshmen center Ryan Kelly and redshirt freshman defensive lineman D. J. Pettway.

In the defensive backfield, eight players had starts in the 2012 season. Six of these eight players (John Fulton, Deion Belue, Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, Nick Perry, Geno Smith and Vinnie Sunseri) will return for the 2013 season. Another defensive back that did not start in 2012, but played in all 13 games, was Landon Collins, the top player in the state of Louisiana his senior year in high school.

Potential lineup

 * based on returning starters, 2012 depth chart, 2012 statistics and 2012 Conference Coaches' All-Freshman Team

Recruiting class
Prior to National Signing Day on February 6, 2013, nine players enrolled for the spring semester in order to participate in spring practice (six former high school seniors on scholarship, one former junior college player on scholarship, one walk-on from professional baseball and one walk-on from high school). The early enrollments from high school included quarterbacks Cooper Bateman and Parker McLeod, wide receiver Raheem Falkins, running back Derrick Henry, offensive lineman Brandon Hill and tight end O. J. Howard. Lineman Brandon Hill spent a post-graduate high school year at Hargrave Military Academy, and does not have the option to take a redshirt year, but still has four years of playing eligibility. Offensive tackle Leon Brown enrolled at Alabama after he transferred from junior college and will be eligible to play in the 2013 season and for a maximum of two seasons. Four of the eight players who were early enrollees in 2012 saw playing time last season: Amari Cooper, Dillon Lee, T. J. Yeldon and Deion Blue.

Henry and Howard entered school as two of the top 100 recruits in the country. Henry was the No. 1 ranked "athlete" according to 247Sports Composite Rankings based on his potential to make an immediate impact at either running back or outside linebacker, but he has commented that he plans to compete at running back. Henry broke the national high school record for career yards, and in his 2012 high school season he averaged 328 yards per game.

In addition to those scholarship recruits that signed early, former professional baseball player Jai Miller and high school quarterback Luke Del Rio enrolled in order compete for roster spots as invited walk-ons. Miller is a 28 year old who out of high school signed to play baseball and football at Stanford, but ended up playing professional baseball out of high school after being drafted by the Florida Marlins in 2003. Based on the terms of his original contract, the Marlins will pay for Miller's tuition at Alabama.

On National Signing Day, Alabama signed 18 additional players out of high school that completed the 2013 recruiting class. The class was highlighted by fourteen players from the "ESPN 150": No. 9 Derrick Henry (ATH); No. 16 Reuben Foster (ILB); No. 25 Robert Foster (WR); No. 26 Dee Liner (DT); No. 28 Jonathan Allen (DE); No. 32 Alvin Kamara (RB); No. 36 Tim Williams (DE); No. 44 Cooper Bateman (QB); No. 45 O. J. Howard (TE); No. 63 Tyren Jones (RB); No. 81 Altee Tenpenny (RB); No. 84 Maurice Smith (CB); No. 86 Grant Hill (OG) and No. 105 A'Shawn Robinson (DT). Alabama signed the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals.com and the No. 3 recruiting class according to Scout.com.

As of the morning of National Signing Day, Alabama's top three football recruits for the 2013 season were (in order of ranking in the ESPN 150 ) Derrick Henry (running back/athlete), Reuben Foster (linebacker) and Robert Foster (wide receiver). All three were ranked as the top recruits of 2013 at their respective positions. Early enrollee O.J. Howard (tight end) was also the top-ranked recruit at his positions.

Schedule
The 2013 schedule was officially released on October 18, 2012. The 2013 schedule was developed as a "bridge" schedule for only the 2013 season as a permanent system will be developed by the conference in spring 2013. Alabama will face all six Western Division opponents: Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. They will also face two Eastern Division opponents: official SEC rival Tennessee and Kentucky. Alabama is not scheduled to play SEC opponents Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, Florida or Vanderbilt. They are also scheduled to play four non-conference games: Virginia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference, Georgia State of the Sun Belt Conference and Chattanooga of the Southern Conference. The Crimson Tide will have two bye weeks in the 2013 season: their first during week two, before facing Texas A&M, and their second during week ten, before facing LSU.


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Virginia Tech

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On July 7, 2011, officials from both Alabama and Virginia Tech announced the Crimson Tide and the Hokies would meet to open the 2013 season in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff at Atlanta. In their most recent game, Alabama defeated Virginia Tech 34–24 in the 2009 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 11–1.

Texas A&M

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In the first conference game of the 2013 season, Alabama will play the Texas A&M Aggies at College Station. In their previous meeting, the Aggies upset the Crimson Tide 29–24 during the 2012 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 3–2.

Colorado State

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On December 13, 2012, officials from both Alabama and Colorado State announced the Crimson Tide and the Rams would meet each other for the first time in the third game of the 2013 season. The Rams will be led by former Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Jim McElwain and will receive $1.5 million to play the game at Bryant–Denny Stadium.

Ole Miss

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Alabama will play their first home conference game in their annual rivalry game, against the Ole Miss Rebels at Tuscaloosa. In their previous meeting, Alabama defeated Ole Miss 33–14 during the 2012 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 46–9–2 (50–8–2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).

Georgia State

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In their fifth game of the 2012 season, Alabama will play the Georgia State Panthers in Tuscaloosa. In their previous meeting, Alabama defeated Georgia State 63–7 during the 2010 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 1–0.

Kentucky

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For the first time since 2009, Alabama will play the Kentucky Wildcats at Lexington. In their previous meeting, Alabama defeated Kentucky 38–20 during the 2009 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 35–2–1.

Arkansas

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In what will be the first Bret Bielema coached team to play against the Crimson Tide, Alabama will host the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant–Denny Stadium. In their previous meeting, Alabama defeated Arkansas 52–0 during the 2012 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 13–8 (16–7 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).

Tennessee

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In their annual rivalry game, Alabama will play the Tennessee Volunteers at Tuscaloosa. In their previous meeting, Alabama defeated Tennessee 44–13 during the 2012 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 49–38–7 (50–37–8 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).

LSU

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In their annual rivalry game, Alabama will play the LSU Tigers at Tuscaloosa. In their previous meeting, Alabama defeated LSU 21–17 during the 2012 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 47–25–5.

Mississippi State

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In their annual rivalry game, Alabama will play the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Starkville. In their previous meeting, Alabama defeated Mississippi State 38–7 during the 2012 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 75–18–3 (77–17–3 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).

Chattanooga

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In the final non-conference game the 2013 season, Alabama will play the Chattanooga Mocs of the Southern Conference. In their previous meeting, Alabama shutout the Mocs 45–0 during the 2009 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 11–0.

Auburn

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In the 2013 edition of the Iron Bowl, Alabama will play the Auburn Tigers at Auburn. In their previous meeting, Alabama shutout Auburn 49–0 during the 2012 season, and the Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 42–34–1.