Saban expecting big games from Wilson, Hall

Nick Saban will not play for Alabama this year. Not shocking, considering he is 55 years old.

When Alabama loses games here and there, keep in mind he has to live with the hand he has been dealt. And he’s not sitting with a good one.

During the offseason, Saban has been trying to lessen the heightened expectations that come with his coaching pedigree and $4 million-a-year contract. Now with the first game Saturday, it’s time to see what Saban’s product will look like.

The guy Alabama needs the most: Quarterback John Parker Wilson needs to be the man in this offense. In his first season as a starter, Wilson set the single-season record for passing yards at Alabama and is on pace to break Brodie Croyle’s career mark.

The defense might not stop a lot of teams from scoring points, so the Tide will need Wilson to put up a lot in order to win.

Who’s No. 22?: Sometimes I wonder if anyone in the Southeastern Conference caught a glimpse of wide receiver DJ Hall last year.

The man who sits 153 yards away from breaking NFL Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome’s Alabama career record isn’t on any all-SEC team.

While Hall may not be the best receiver in the SEC, he is clearly Alabama's go-to-guy.

Why Nick Saban can sleep soundly: This is your first year.

You may demand excellence in every aspect of your life, but going 7-5 is not going to kill you.

The honeymoon will continue for Saban all season long, and probably into next year.

After all, all his players were recruited by the "worst coach ever," Mike Shula, right? Expectations are always high at Alabama, but until Shula's mark on the program is gone in a few years, Saban will have a free ride.

Why Nick Saban should stay up all night: Saban can probably buy a pretty comfy bed with his big salary. And that is the problem.

The contract breeds enormous pressure. He is the coach of Alabama, where anything less than 10-2 is considered a crime.

Job security isn't a problem and won't be for a while, but Saban will be faced with national and statewide scrutiny as long as he is Alabama's coach. We'll see if the self-proclaimed country boy from West Virginia can handle it.

Game that could make the season: Imagine an undefeated LSU coming to Bryant-Denny Stadium. Dreams of a national championship swirling in the Tigers' heads. And Alabama beats them.

A win over LSU will validate Saban's return to college football. The Tigers are one of the most talented teams in the country and are considered by many a lock to win the SEC West title. Teams like those are always fun to beat, of course, if you root for the team that beats them.

A loss? Well that would be expected, but it wouldn't be the end of the
world.

That would be losing to Auburn.

Guaranteed to happen ... maybe: Alabama will lose to Vanderbilt in the second game, but will take two of three from Tennessee, LSU and Auburn. I can't decide which two of those three teams Alabama will beat, but it's going to happen.

When an established coach returns to resurrect a program, he always has a tough start, then beats a few teams near the end of the season.

Look at Steve Spurrier in his first year at South Carolina.

The Gamecocks were muddling along at 2-3 before reeling off five straight wins, two of which came against Tennessee and Florida.

Expect the same kind of year at Alabama.

Spending the holidays in: Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Memphis for the Libery Bowl or Nashville for the Music City Bowl. Alabama will go 7-5 in the regular season and finish 8-5 or 7-6 overall.