Antoine Caldwell News

The Alabama football team practiced for two hours in full pads Wednesday afternoon at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility as preparations continue for Saturday's SEC road game at Mississippi State.

We are getting down to crunch time, and we have what seems to be the Top 3 teams in College Football set for a showdown.

Alabama is an uneasy 8-0. The Crimson Tide has gone from humbling opponents to scratching their heads and wondering where their beast of a team has gone.

Here is my weekly update on former Alabama football players currently active in the NFL .

Being a former football player at Alabama has its privileges. Being a parent of a current player also opens doors that are closed to the general public.

Redshirt juniot defensive end Jason Worilds celebrates with his teammates against Maryland last year.

TUSCALOOSA -- Leigh Tiffin's five field goals against Mississippi last weekend gave him 67 for his career, just 11 behind school leader Philip Doyle.

Only a few moments into what was designed to be an intense Tuesday practice, Joe Pendry grew irritated and wanted everyone to know about it.

No. 3 Alabama's offensive line lost 50-plus pounds, its two biggest stars and the bulk of its experience from last season.

No. 3 Alabama's offensive line lost 50-plus pounds, its two biggest stars and the bulk of its experience from last season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low For an offensive line opening the season with three first-time starters, Alabama looked like it had been there and done that when it counted Saturday night.

Nobody saw this coming. When seemingly every offense in college football was giving in to the spread and other gimmicky schemes throughout the last few years, the Crimson Tide continued to establish itself as the prototypical smash-mouth team.

Nick Saban had plenty of reasons to scold his players. The turnovers. The silly penalties.

Antoine Caldwell may have completed his senior season in 2008, but there are plenty of times the Alabama offensive linemen feel the support of their former teammate.

ATLANTA There's nothing complicated about it, really. If you can't beat 'em, copy 'em. Here is your 2009 version of Alabama football, everyone.

Welcome to another season of Southeastern Conference football. Sure, South Carolina actually kicked off the campaign Thursday night with an offensively-challenged 7-3 victory over North Carolina State, but most conference members will play their openers today, including Alabama and Auburn.

Alabama Returning Starters: 4 offense, 8 defense When I sit down to look at a college football team in the pre-season, offensively there are two things, and two things only I want to see.

Julio Jones catching a touchdown pass against Georgia, one of four he caught during an impressive freshman season.

The questions about Alabama's offense - which must replace seven starters, including three-year starting quarterback John Parker Wilson - will be answered up front.

With so much focus being put towards what it will take for Alabama to be successful on the season, I thought in this one that I would focus on things the Crimson Tide needs to avoid if it hopes to win its first SEC title in a decade.