ESPN College Football

We’re a quarter of the way into the college football season, and two-time defending national champion Alabama is right where it started -- No. 1 in the polls.

In fact, Alabama is the only one of the five SEC teams that opened the season in the top 10 that hasn’t lost a game. So everybody’s still chasing the Crimson Tide, but it’s a race that could still go any number of ways, especially with some of the offensive numbers being generated. If the first four weeks taught us anything, you better be ready to score some points if you’re going to win a title this season.

Here’s a quick recap:

Best game: Take your pick. There have been some dandies to this point. The very first SEC game between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt on a Thursday night produced a thrilling ending in Nashville with the Rebels pulling out a 39-35 win. Both of Georgia’s first two games were incredibly entertaining, their 38-35 loss at Clemson and then their 41-30 win over South Carolina the next week. But nothing tops Alabama’s wild 49-42 win at Texas A&M in Week 3. The two teams combined for 1,196 total yards and 62 first downs. The Aggies jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Crimson Tide answered with 35 unanswered points only to have the Aggies come roaring back with three fourth-quarter touchdowns. It was so much fun that maybe we’ll see them go at it again in the VIZIO BCS National Championship Game if everything falls right. Wouldn’t the rest of college football just love that?

Best player: Even though he caused an uproar with some of his antics and a 15-yard taunting penalty in the opener against Rice, the real news surrounding Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is that he’s even better than he was a year ago. All he did a year ago was win the Heisman Trophy and set the SEC record for total offense. Manziel’s arm strength has improved. He’s spreading the ball around, and he’s still carving defenses apart with his ability to make something out of nothing. Manziel is averaging 370.8 yards of total offense per game, completing 70 percent of his passes and has already accounted for 15 touchdowns. Honorable mention goes to Georgia running back Todd Gurley, Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews and LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

Best performance: Once again, Johnny Football takes top honors. Yes, it came in a loss, but he was brilliant in passing for five touchdowns and rolling up 562 yards of total offense (the most ever in an SEC game) in the 49-42 setback to Alabama. The guy Manziel was throwing to that day, sophomore receiver Mike Evans, comes in a close second with his seven catches for 279 yards. And let’s also not forget about how good Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron was in that game. He finished 20-of-29 for 334 yards and four touchdowns, completing passes to 10 different players. Sticking with Alabama, Christion Jones returned a kickoff for a touchdown, returned a punt for a touchdown and also caught a touchdown pass in the season-opening win over Virginia Tech. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray deserves a shout-out for his four-touchdown outing in the win over South Carolina, and the same goes for Ole Miss running back Jeff Scott and his 243 all-purpose yards in the win at Texas. Scott rushed for a career-high 164 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Best surprise: It has to be LSU’s passing game and how balanced the Tigers have been offensively through four games. In the offseason, Les Miles talked about the need to throw the ball better, and that’s exactly what the Tigers have done under first-year coordinator Cam Cameron. The days of loading up against LSU's running game and not worrying about the passing game are over. Mettenberger has 10 touchdown passes and only one interception. The receiving duo of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham has been dynamite with 11 combined touchdowns, and then there’s also Jeremy Hill trucking everything in sight in the running game. This has the makings of Miles’ best and most explosive offense since he has been in Baton Rouge.

Biggest disappointment: Granted, the expectations were through the roof, but South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has been a mere mortal in the Gamecocks’ first three games. He has been solid, but hasn’t been that consistent of a disruptive force so many people were anticipating to start his junior season. To be fair, he’s dealing with a foot injury that sounds like it will plague him for the rest of the season, and teams have done their best to run away from him and make him chase. Clowney still has two sacks, and at this point a year ago, he had only three and finished the season with 13. The Heisman Trophy chatter may have quieted, but you can bet that No. 7 won’t stay this quiet on the field all season.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- He'd like to talk about football. Period. Alabama coach Nick Saban doesn't care about hype or allegations or outside distractions. He simply doesn't want to hear it. If it were up to him, life would operate in a bubble that measures 360 feet by 160 feet. There's chalk inside that box, lines every 5 yards and a bright yellow goalpost on either end.

Saban's singular focus has no room for what happens out of bounds. Leave the rest to the administration to sort out. When reports like the one that broke Wednesday afternoon occur, he stays away. In fact, he doesn't even read them. Less than 72 hours away from No. 1 Alabama's date with No. 6 Texas A&M, he wants to talk about the Aggies and nothing else.

"If you want to talk about the Texas A&M game, I'd be glad to talk about it," Saban said after back-to-back questions about the report. "That's what I'm here to do. I'm here to coach our players, talk about our team."

It has been a long week already for the Crimson Tide, and the scathing report was the imperfect cherry on top. Alabama lost to Texas A&M and its Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel at home a year ago. The players have been asked repeatedly since then how they'll get their revenge. And time and time again, they've said it's not about revenge or retaliation, that they don't buy into the hype and won't participate in the media build-up. Like their coach, they wanted the focus to be on the game and nothing else.

But it's hard to tune out the outside noise once it reaches a certain pitch.

Saban can say again and again how outside influences won't be distracting, but his body language said something different on Wednesday. Earlier in the week he talked about the value of playing without emotion in raucous environments like the one his team will face Saturday, but from the podium he was showing just how hot under the collar he can become.

"As I said before, I made a statement," Saban said. "Don't ask me any more questions about this!"

It was a rare instance where an exclamation point was deserved, as Saban shouted at a room full of reporters.

"It hasn't been distracting for me, because I don't read about it," he said. "I'm focused on what we need to do to play a game. That's what's fair to our players. That's what we owe our current players. So this has not been a distraction for me."

C.J. Mosley called the news involving former teammate D.J. Fluker disappointing, but was sure to add that it was in the past and that's where he was intent on keeping it. UA's All-American has been busy all week trying to figure out how to handle stopping Manziel. As Mike linebacker, he'll be tasked with spying the fleet-footed quarterback.

Junior wideout Christion Jones was similarly flip about the allegations. He wasn't worried about what allegedly happened a year ago. His focus was on Saturday.

"I don't really get involved with that," Jones said. "Our compliance does a great job teaching us about all those things and staying away from agents and stuff like that. We can talk about A&M and leave it at that. I don't really get involved with that."

It was easy to say, but it will be harder to put into practice. The question now is whether the distractions have reached a breaking point and whether it will have any influence on what happens on the football field come Saturday.

Knowing Saban, it will be kindling on an already intense fire, a burning source of motivation for a team already looking to prove something against Texas A&M. Getting back at the Aggies was enough. Now, players can take the "us against the world" mentality to heart.

Saban was defiant Wednesday night. He wanted to talk about football, not media reports. After three questions about off-the-field matters, he'd had enough. When no one followed up with an actual question about preparing for Texas A&M, he walked off, but not before adding his sarcastic thanks to the crowd.

"Appreciate your interest in the game," he said.

And that was the last anyone will hear from him publicly until after Saturday afternoon's game in College Station, Texas. Then, maybe, he'll be able to talk about what he wants: football.

There's one more game to go, but here's a look back at the weekend that was in the ACC:

The good: You have to start with Clemson, which came away with a signature, 38-35 home victory over favored Georgia from the SEC and has earned the early status of national title contender. The Tigers became the first non-SEC team ever to defeat consecutive top-10 SEC opponents. Tajh Boyd looked like a Heisman contender and Sammy Watkins looked like the guy everyone remembered from 2011. Dabo Swinney stressed that it was just one game, but it was certainly a major one for the ACC and its national perception.

The bad: North Carolina's offensive line played respectable against Jadeveon Clowney and the vaunted South Carolina front. But the defense surrendered too many big plays, including a 75-yard touchdown run, a 65-yard touchdown pass and a 29-yard touchdown pass. The Tar Heels scored just one touchdown in three red zone trips in their 27-10 season-opening loss.

The ugly: Beamer Ball was missing Saturday, as Virginia Tech gave up a punt return touchdown and a kickoff return touchdown to Alabama's Christion Jones. Vinnie Sunseri also notched a pick-six off Logan Thomas, whose 5-of-26 passing line was far from spectacular, too. (Honorable mention: FAU coach Carl Pelini ordering a spike on fourth down late in Friday's 34-6 loss at Miami.)

The surprise: Jim Grobe was not kidding when he said he was going to play more true freshmen this season. Wake Forest broke in nine first-year players during Thursday's 31-7 win over Presbyterian. In his previous 12 years, Grobe had only played 22 true freshmen in total. (In opponent news, Villanova's fake punt against BC has to qualify here as well.)

strong>The history: In beating Elon 70-0, Georgia Tech tied a school record for points in the modern era and set a school record for margin of victory in the modern era. The Yellow Jackets also broke the ACC record for margin of victory, and their 10 touchdowns tied a school record as well.

The delay(s): UNC and South Carolina took a nearly two-hour break Thursday because of lightning. Virginia's opener Saturday against BYU was delayed more than two hours because of bad weather, too. How bad? Just take a look at the picture BYU posted on Twitter of the flooding in the tunnels of Scott Stadium.

The unfortunate turn of events: Dave Doeren unveiled Brandon Mitchell as his quarterback choice. It looked like the right one before Mitchell suffered a foot injury that will force him to miss four to six weeks. The Arkansas transfer went 3-of-3 for 93 yards and orchestrated consecutive touchdown drives to start the game. Colorado State transfer Pete Thomas shouldered the load after Mitchell's injury.

The playmaker: Duke Johnson gets this honor after tallying three plays of 35 yards or more in the first half Friday night for Miami. Johnson looks like he won't be taken down by a sophomore slump this year, as he opened with 186 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

The first week of the season is in the books in the SEC, and it’s time to pass out some helmet stickers:

Arkansas’ offensive line: There were several candidates on Arkansas’ offense in the Hogs' 34-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. Running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins each rushed for more than 100 yards. Quarterback Brandon Allen passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns and was sacked only once. When you’re putting up those kinds of numbers on offense and creating that kind of balance, then you’re obviously getting it done on the offensive line. The Hogs finished with 292 rushing yards, their most since churning out 326 yards against UTEP in 2010. First-year coach Bret Bielema is all about a physical running game and was especially complimentary of center Travis Swanson and the way he was able to pull on some plays.

James Franklin, QB, Missouri: Looking healthy and very much in command, Franklin rolled up 362 yards of total offense in leading Missouri to a 58-14 rout of Murray State. Franklin, who struggled through an injury-plagued junior season, finished 26-of-38 for 318 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed six times for 44 yards. It was the most yards he’s accounted for in a game since racking up 392 yards against Baylor in 2011. The best news for Mizzou fans is that Franklin looked a lot more like the 2011 version of himself than he did the 2012 version.

Christion Jones, WR/RS, Alabama: Jones became the first Alabama player in history to score two special teams touchdowns in one game. The junior receiver returned a kickoff 94 yards and a punt 72 yards for touchdowns. He also got into the act on offense by catching a 38-yard touchdown pass. Jones became the first major college football player to score a touchdown on a punt return, kickoff return and pass reception in the same game since Kentucky’s Derek Abney in 2002.

Jeff Scott, RB, Ole Miss: He might be small in stature (5-foot-7 and 167 pounds), but Scott delivered a mammoth play Thursday in the Rebels' 39-35 win over Vanderbilt. The senior running back left everybody in his wake on an electrifying 75-yard touchdown run with 1:07 to play, answering a Vanderbilt touchdown only seconds earlier. Scott finished with 138 rushing yards on 12 carries and averaged 11.5 yards per rush. He also caught four passes for 25 yards.

Robenson Therezie, S, Auburn: Starting in place of the injured Justin Garrett at the hybrid “star” position in the Tigers’ 4-2-5 defense, Therezie intercepted two passes and had seven total tackles in Auburn’s 31-24 win over Washington State. Therezie’s final interception was a leaping grab in the end zone with Washington State driving for the potential game-tying score in the final five minutes. He returned his first interception 24 yards to the Washington State 28 to set up Auburn’s first touchdown. Therezie’s two interceptions in the opener matched Auburn’s total from all of last season.

ATLANTA -- Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones is the kind of player that drives his coaches nuts. He's got all the tools to ruin a defense and dominate in the return game, yet there are times where he tries to do too much. One play he'll show the type of vision and lane recognition that brings to mind the game's most savvy tailbacks; he'll shuffle his feet, wait for a sliver of daylight and break through as if salvation lay beyond its dazzling glow. Then on the very next play he'll listen to the devil on his shoulder and force what isn't there, running to darkness toward his own end zone in a vain attempt to make his own way.

It's the problem with dynamic athletes like Jones: they refuse to believe a touchdown isn't possible. It's what makes them great, but it's also what makes them dangerous. They sometimes believe too much.

But faith is what made Jones the star of the Crimson Tide's 35-10 victory over Virginia Tech in Saturday night's season opener. The 5-foot-11 junior looked at Virginia Tech's historically stifling special teams and called its bluff, returning a punt and a kickoff for a pair of spectacular touchdowns, robbing the enthusiastic yet overmatched Hokies of momentum with each score. For good measure, he added a 38-yard touchdown reception for the game's final score as No. 1 Alabama began its title defense.

What Jones accomplished was nothing short of historic. Alabama hadn't had a player score twice on returns in the same game since 1944. Bill Battle, the school's athletic director and former player under legendary coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant, marveled at the performance, guessing that he was 3 years old the last time it happened.

"I'd say he's special," he said on the sidelines.

Not he or anyone else could recall if an Alabama player had ever scored on a punt return, a kick return and a reception. There were already calls for a Heisman Trophy campaign thanks to Jones' 256 total yards and three scores.

Jones, though, wouldn't bite that bronze hook. It was just Week 1, he told reporters after the game, and he wouldn't be fooled into that kind of narcissism, no matter how superhuman his performance seemed. It was clear by his 1,000-watt smile that he enjoyed the night, but he wouldn't go overboard. Coaches' orders dictated otherwise, even if it was the best game of his college career.

"It's every kid's dream to come in and do things like that, but you know I'm going to celebrate it right now and we've got a 24-hour rule," he said. "We're going to put this game aside come tomorrow morning and focus on Week 2."

The clock hadn't hit midnight, though, and teammates couldn't help but marvel at what their speedy wideout was able to do on offense and special teams. Veteran right guard Anthony Steen came up to Jones after the second touchdown and said if he kept that up, "He'd be playing pro one day."

Defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan was thankful he didn't have to try tackling Jones during practice, telling reporters that "From what I've seen, it seems pretty hard."

"He's an athletic player, one of the most athletic players on the team," sophomore defensive back Landon Collins added. "He showed that out there today."

It wasn't always so for Jones. Last season he surrendered punt return duties at multiple points, fumbling the ball and encouraging the wrath of his coach for his propensity to take the ball in reverse, rather than settling for positive yards. He focused on being more patient during the offseason and trusting his blocks. The hard work paid off Saturday.

"People take for granted that just because a guy has a lot of skill, that it doesn't take experience to be a good returner," UA coach Nick Saban said. "I think it does. I think just the judgment of when to take the shot, catch the ball, run with it, when to make a fair catch.

"Last year was Christion's first time doing this stuff. He had some opportunities last year, but he learned a lot from it."

Jones flashed brilliance in the season-opening game, but he showed his Achilles heel as well. On his third punt return he looked like the Chirstion Jones of old, reversing field twice before being taken to the ground by the Hokies for a 6-yard loss. The offense went three-and-out and Jones called for a fair catch his next time out.

It would prove to be a teaching moment, one the coaching staff will surely focus on when they review the film in the days to come. Scoring three times was spectacular, but an ill-advised return will stand out as something to build on.

For as good as Jones looked, he wasn't perfect. Neither were the Tide. Both were volatile; brilliant at times and bewildering at others. The offensive line was underwhelming and the passing game never took off. Alabama's Heisman Trophy frontrunners -- quarterback AJ McCarron and running back T.J. Yeldon -- didn't play up to their high standards. Instead, Jones took the mantle of the game's best.

With Texas A&M looming on the horizon, Alabama must improve. Jones will continue to provide the spark on special teams, but it's difficult to imagine many more nights like the one he turned in Saturday in the Georgia Dome.

"I don't think there's anybody in our locker room that's satisfied with the way they played," Saban said. "They certainly appreciate the fact we were able to win against a very good team that we have a lot of respect for their program and players, the way they played tonight.

"But I think everybody realizes that we need to improve. I think when you play good opponents like this, it makes your players realize where they are, what they need to be committed to, to play to the standard that it's going to take to beat good teams in our league. I think we learned that tonight."

ATLANTA -- The scoreboard read the way everyone pretty much expected it to. It showed an SEC team trouncing another almost helpless victim from the ACC.

But Alabama's 35-10 win didn't feel like the blow out that the scoreboards inside the Georgia Dome indicated. For a team picked by the masses to win its third straight national championship -- and fourth in five years -- Alabama wasn't the well-oiled machine we're accustomed to seeing, but the Crimson Tide still won by 25 points.

The offensive line looked shaky and overmatched at times, and Alabama rushed for just 96 yards (averaging 2.5 yards in the process), but the game never seemed in doubt for the defending champs.

The offense had less than 120 total yards with six minutes remaining in the third quarter, but Alabama's victory appeared sealed before the teams took off for halftime.

Amari Cooper dropped a couple of passes and AJ McCarron's timing was far from great. Yet, Alabama will still be ranked No. 1 in the polls on Monday.

Alabama could still be the nation's best team, but even the Tide showed that it has issues that have to be corrected before this team can make history by being the first team to win three straight national championships since Minnesota from 1934-36.

"I don't know how good we need to be, I just know we need to get better," said McCarron, whose 110 passing yard marked his lowest amount as a starter.

"We just have to get better all the way around."

The first place people will look is the rebuilt offensive line. With three NFL draft picks gone from last year's unit, Alabama started three new players in Ryan Kelly, Arie Kouandjio and Austin Shepherd.

Communication issues, first-game jitters, blown assignments and an aggressive Virginia Tech front seven caused Alabama's line to look dazed for most of the night. McCarron was only sacked once, but he spent a lot of his time running around to avoid pressure. He only completed 10 of his 23 pass attempts and found himself late on a few easy throws.

To McCarron, he was the reason for an ugly passing game.

"To me, unbelievable job (by the offensive line) tonight," the senior QB said. "You can put the blame on me and say that I gotta get rid of the ball a lot faster. I thought they played excellent. I'm proud of those guys. Unbelievable jobs in the first game, especially against a tough Virginia Tech defense. I thought they played their butts off. I'm proud of them."

But when it came to blocking the run, McCarron wasn't to blame. The line just didn't get enough push, as Alabama failed to cross the century mark on the ground for the first time since gaining just 96 yards in its 9-6 overtime loss to LSU in 2011.

Left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio said the communication issues from Saturday night weren't problems in practice, but guys didn't seem ready for the actually game speed and the Hokies' defense ran plays the line wasn't prepared to see.

With two weeks until Alabama’s next game, Kouandjio isn't worried about a repeat performance.

"It's great that it's the first game and it kind of tests us to see where we're at," Kouandjio said. "It's perfect because we have the bye week to iron out the kinks and get back at it."

Look, it's way too early to start jumping on the "Alabama is overrated" train, or thinking about a new BCS title favorite. Alabama was sloppy, but it was still the much more talented team. Alabama showed that even though it currently has some glaring issues along its offensive line, its problems are some that teams around the country would love to have.

When the offense shrank and was mauled by a very impressive Virginia Tech defense and was held to just 206 yards of offense -- the lowest by Alabama since it gained just 172 against Tulane in September of 2008 -- special teams stepped up with two touchdown returns by Christion Jones.

Then there was the defense that dazzled for most of the night and limited the Hokies to just 212 yards, including 59 passing yards from future NFL draft pick Logan Thomas.

Take away Trey Edmunds’ 77-yard touchdown run, and the Hokies might not have even sniffed the end zone.

It wasn't a pretty victory, but Alabama looked like the better team all night and is 1-0. It now gets two weeks to prepare for Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M Aggies.

There's no question that this team has to get better soon, but with Nick Saban's obsession with detail and preparedness, it's hard to imagine another sloppy performance.

"We got a week off to prepare for Texas A&M and we're going to work on our fundamentals, get back right and we'll see them in Texas," defensive lineman Jeoffrey Pagan said.

No. 1 Alabama handled Virginia Tech 35-10 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta on Saturday. Here is a look at how the Tide won:

It was over when: Christion Jones returned his second kick for a touchdown to put Alabama ahead 28-10 late in the second quarter. Virginia Tech had just cut the lead to 21-10 with 3:39 to go before halftime. With the way their defense was playing, the last thing the Hokies needed was to give up another non-offensive score. But on the ensuing kickoff, Jones went 94 yards for the touchdown, putting the game out of reach.

Game ball goes to: Jones. In addition to the kickoff return for a TD in the second quarter, Jones returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring -- making him the first player in Alabama history to score on two returns in one game. He then added a 38-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter -- the first time in his career he has scored three touchdowns in one game. In fact, Jones went into the game with five career touchdowns.

Stat of the game: 3. Virginia Tech gave up a kickoff return, a punt return and an interception return for a touchdown -- the first time that has happened under Coach Frank Beamer.

What Alabama learned: The Tide dominated on the scoreboard, but if there is one area the Tide must work on, it is the offensive line. There were concerns about the rebuilt line going into the game with three new starters. Alabama struggled at times to protect AJ McCarron and struggled to get the run game going consistently. To its credit, Virginia Tech is strong up front. But the Tide are going to have to do better than 2.5 yards per carry and 96 yards on the ground. You can bet this is going to be a big area of emphasis during practice this week.

What Virginia Tech learned: Its defense can be dominant, but that means nothing if its special teams and offense continue to be an Achilles' heel. Logan Thomas did not look any better than he did a year ago, going 5-of-26 for 59 yards and an interception, despite a new offensive coordinator. But once again, he had no help around him at receiver. The Hokies continued to drop catchable passes, a problem last year, as well. Special teams have deteriorated. This team still has major problems that have to be addressed.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Most players on Alabama's roster are like Anthony Steen. The veteran right guard isn't scared of his coach, necessarily, but he has a healthy fear of what upsetting Nick Saban means. When Saban calls you into his office and pushes a button to close the door behind you, you know something's wrong. It's a scene straight out of a B-rated thriller: Once the door locks, there's no telling if you're coming back out.

AJ McCarron, though, isn't like most players. He doesn't wait to get called upstairs, he marches there himself.

Five years ago, when McCarron was distinguished mostly by his flop of hair and wad of tattoos, he showed up to his first scrimmage at Alabama expecting a spot on the depth chart that wasn't there. Upset, he went straight to his head coach's office. What happened next is burned into Saban's mind forever.

"AJ was on our team for 11 days, and he thought he should be second team and we played him on third team," Saban recalled. "He came fussing and kicking and cussing up to my office after the scrimmage because he was disappointed he didn't play with the second team."

Saban's message to his young quarterback: "We're only evaluating you on one thing today and that was leadership, and you failed dramatically."

The rest, as they say, is history.

Over the past four years, coach and quarterback have become remarkably similar. Their mannerisms are often the same -- kicking dirt, slapping hands, shouting at players -- as are their attitudes -- imperfection in any form isn't tolerated, mental mistakes are disdained.

"AJ and Coach Saban get along better than anyone else on the team," Steen said. "They have their certain jokes that I don't even get sometimes, talking straight about football, too. I just pretend and laugh with them."

Their bond didn't start out that way. As Saban has explained, McCarron was a lot like his fellow teammates when he first got to campus, a "results-oriented guy" who looked at scoring touchdowns and making big plays rather than the process of the day-to-day and what it meant to be a leader. Now, he's matured into a guy who wants to play winning football at all costs.

When McCarron was asked at SEC media days what he thought of the seeming lack of attention he receives despite winning so many games, he responded in typical Saban form. He wanted to meet who "they" were that were saying all these things about him.

"It's funny to me," he said. "Sometimes I feel like any other quarterback in the country wins two national championships and he's the best thing since sliced bread. And I'm still labeled a game manager.

"It's fine with me. They can call me a bench rider, as long as we keep winning, I don't care."

Saban wasn't there to hear his quarterback's response, but it's safe to say he would have enjoyed it. Maybe more than anything, it's a sign of how far McCarron has come.

McCarron is now the unquestioned leader of the defending champion Crimson Tide and a safe bet to land somewhere in the early rounds of next year's NFL draft. He finished last season ranked first in the country in passing efficiency and this year he has even more talent at receiver with DeAndrew White, Chris Black and Kenny Bell all back from injury. Amari Cooper has progressed into an All-American talent at receiver and Kevin Norwood is as steady a target as they come in the SEC.

A year stronger and a year wiser, McCarron is one of the frontrunners to win the Heisman Trophy.

Teammates say they've noticed that his strength and accuracy are improved, and no one is questioning his commitment to the game.

"AJ gets better every day, every year," veteran wideout Christion Jones said. "He's going to get better no matter if it's the passing game or better fakes."

McCarron, for his part, isn't willing to self-analyze or speculate -- yet another example of the mirror image of Saban he's become. There's still some of the hot-tempered freshman there in him somewhere, but much of it has changed to reflect the coach he's followed into three of the past four national championships.

"I'd be lying to say no, the Heisman -- I've never thought of it," he said. "My mom still has a picture of me … dressed up in a 'Bama football costume and did the Heisman pose, and she took a picture of it. It's always been a dream of mine, but at the same time I'm not going to let my personal goals come in the way of our team goals. If I achieve that, that's great. I'm happy.

"But at the same time, I'm a team-first guy. I've always been that way. You'll never hear anybody say I'm selfish in any type of way. That's when your program and team starts to fall off, when you're not team-oriented and you're more into personal goals. That's the ingredients for failure there."

Alabama starting linebacker Trey DePriest has been suspended for violation of team rules, according to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, who stressed that the team's second-leading tackler from a season ago would be able to return to the field shortly if he fulfills his obligations.

DePriest, a junior with NFL potential at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, missed Tuesday's practice in Tuscaloosa. He's part of a linebacking corps that returns all four of its starters from a season ago, including All-American inside linebacker C.J. Mosley and top pass-rusher Adrian Hubbard on the outside.

"[DePriest] played very well for us," Saban told reporters. "He made a mistake. He didn’t do the right thing. It wasn’t a very smart thing to do, and there has to be consequences sometimes when you don’t do the right things. Hopefully, he’ll learn from it, it will make him better and he’ll have a better chance to be successful in life."

Saban also announced that star wide receiver Amari Cooper would miss the next few practices with a strained foot. The preseason All-SEC selection led the team with 59 catches, 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, setting nearly every Alabama rookie receiving record in the process.

Cooper wore a black no-contact jersey during practice on Tuesday.

"He’s going to be out for a few days," Saban explained, "and then he will be day-to-day. I don’t think he’s going to be hurt for a long time."

Luckily for Saban, Alabama is loaded at wide receiver. Kevin Norwood, Christion Jones, DeAndrew White and Kenny Bell all have starting experience and freshmen such as Chris Black, Robert Foster and Raheem Falkins are pushing for playing time as well.

"The receiver group has progressed very, very well from where we were at this point last year," offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said at UA's media day on Aug. 4. "We have a couple of new players, a lot of returning guys, a lot of guys who've played a lot of games. Obviously we had some injury issues last year that helped us develop some younger players."

Alabama was able to welcome back tight end Malcolm Faciane on Tuesday after he finished a 30-day suspension for violation of team rules. The 6-foot-5, 267-pound redshirt sophomore was in line for more reps this season after the departure of Michael Williams, but will have an uphill battle now that backups such as Harrison Jones and O.J. Howard have begun making their case for playing time.

"I don’t like suspending players," Saban said. "If we’re going to punish any players or suspend any players, it’s going to be in their best interest to change their behavior so they have a better opportunity to be successful. If it’s not going to do that, I don’t see any reason to do it.

"It’s almost like raising your kids. If you’re going to spank them and it doesn’t change their behavior, why spank them? If you take their computer or their cell phone away from them and it changes their behavior, I’d say that’s the thing to do. We would only do it in the best interest of the player."

MIAMI -- Alabama became the first team to repeat as BCS champions, as the Tide rolled through Notre Dame on Monday night, 42-14, to win the Discover BCS National Championship, their third title in four years. Here is how it went down.

It was over when: Following a three-and-out from Notre Dame, officials blew a call on Alabama's punt return, ruling that Christion Jones was hit by an Irish player. He was hit by a teammate. Instead of an Irish fumble recovery and some early momentum, the Tide marched down the field for a 14-0 lead and never looked back.

Gameball goes to: The offensive line paved the way for Alabama's run game and protected AJ McCarron all night. Alabama scored touchdowns on its first three drives and made it look easy, taking any chance away from the Irish early. This was an historic group.

Stat of the game: The longest drive against Notre Dame in the regular season was 75 yards. On Monday, Alabama had drives of 82, 80, 97 and 86 yards.

Best call: We'll change this to worst call: The Jones fumble that wasn't. It looked like a pivotal play at the time and ended up not mattering in the grand scheme of things, but it was an awful, awful call.

Second guessing: Not to take away from Alabama's defense, but Notre Dame's No. 1 scoring defense look disheveled throughout the night, missing tackles left and right, blowing assignments and getting the ball taken to it all night.

What Alabama learned: The Tide are a dynasty. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Nick Saban has his third national title in four years, and his fourth overall. The scary part? Alabama may be even better next year.

What Notre Dame learned: Everyone who said the Irish were lucky to be here feels a little validated. It was an historic season by almost any measure for Notre Dame, but one has to wonder just how far this program is from being the best of the best after a demoralizing Monday night.

MIAMI -- Notre Dame is down 28-0 to Alabama at halftime. The "S-E-C!" chants are out. And -- something that I find worse than anything else -- fifth-year senior captain Kapron Lewis-Moore had to be helped off the field after suffering what looked like a very painful right-knee injury.

It is ugly, and there is no sign of letting up.

Yes, possibly the worst call in national title-game history happened on the game's first punt, when Notre Dame recovered a Christion Jones fumble and the officials threw an illegal contact flag even though it was another Tide player who bumped into Jones. But there is no mistaking that Alabama is taking it right to Notre Dame, from T.J. Yeldon turning a Manti Te'o missed backfield tackle into a 10-yard gain, to Eddie Lacy tossing Danny Spond aside and getting a five-yard rush.

Notre Dame's defense was supposed to give it a chance. It surrendered just more than 10 points per game this season, the best in the nation. Instead it surrendered touchdowns on the game's first three drives, and the offense has not done much to keep it off the field.

Alabama is outgaining Notre Dame 309-124. The Tide have 153 rushing yards to the Irish's 31. They have dominated time of possession, holding it for 19 minutes, 46 seconds of the first half. They have held Notre Dame to 0-for-5 on third downs. The Irish have three penalties, too.

Notre Dame's improbable run to this night began with an unranked squad facing issues on both sides of the ball with a daunting slate ahead.

It will take something far more improbable during these next 30 minutes if the Irish wish to give themselves a chance in this Discover BCS National Championship.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama trailed for the first time all season when Ole Miss scored a touchdown early in the second quarter, but the Crimson Tide answered with two quick scores and held off the Rebels to win 33-14 Saturday night.


The offense looked efficient but not outstanding. The Tide never hit on the big play they’ve become accustomed to this season. Still, it was a coming-out party for freshman wide receiver Amari Cooper, and quarterback AJ McCarron was sharp yet again for the Tide.

Alabama’s defense gave up 218 yards to the Rebels’ up-tempo offense, but it continued to force turnovers with three interceptions. On the season, the Tide have forced 15 turnovers while giving the ball away only twice.

It was over when: Leading 30-14 in the fourth quarter, Alabama put the game away with a 13-play drive that resuled in a 24-yard field goal from Jeremy Shelley. The drive took more than six minutes and eliminated any chance for an Ole Miss comeback. Eddie Lacy started it with a big run, and Coooper made two key catches to convert on third down.

Game ball goes to: When wide receiver DeAndrew White went down with an injury in the first quarter, Alabama needed somebody to step up in his absence, and Cooper answered the challenge. The freshman wide receiver finished with eight catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Cooper’s performance shows how deep the Tide’s wide receiver corps is this year.

Stat of the game: McCarron passed Brody Croyle’s Alabama record of 190 consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception when he connected with Brent Calloway on a short pass in the first half. McCarron finished 22-of-30 for 180 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He now has 206 consecutive pass attempts without a pick.

Unsung hero: Starting cornerback Deion Belue never returned from the locker room for the second half due to a shoulder injury, but he made his presence felt in the first half. Belue had five tackles, including one for a loss, and one of the Tide’s three first-half interceptions. His loss was a clear blow to UA’s defense, as Ole Miss moved the ball better in the second half.

What it means for Alabama: The nation’s No. 1 team had its moments. McCarron continued to be efficient. The defense gave up yards but forced turnovers. Even the special teams got a lift from Christion Jones’ 99-yard kick return for a touchdown. Still, it wasn’t a flawless game. The biggest thing to take away might be the injuries, though. No word yet on the severity, but both White and Belue left the game.

What it means for Ole Miss: The Rebels came into the game as a heavy underdog, but they weren’t intimidated by the hostile environment or the opponent. Ole Miss hung with the Tide throughout the game and put together quite a drive in the third quarter against Alabama’s defense. More than anything, the game should give Ole Miss confidence as it dives into SEC play.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn’t want his team taking Western Kentucky lightly, and although it might not have looked exciting, the Crimson Tide cruised to a 35-0 win as they get ready for Arkansas next week.

Quarterback AJ McCarron finished 14-of-19 for 219 yards and matched a career high with four touchdown passes. Freshman sensation T.J. Yeldon had just 25 yards rushing but caught four passes for 47 yards. Fellow freshman Kenyan Drake added a 32-yard touchdown run late in the game.

The defense gave up 224 yards to the Hilltoppers, but the unit forced four turnovers to keep the shutout intact. Junior college transfer Deion Belue made the first interception of his career at UA.

It was over when: You could make a case it was when Western Kentucky got off the bus, but the Hilltoppers made it closer than the experts predicted. Still, when McCarron connected with Christion Jones on a 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0 with 6:53 remaining in the first half, there was no coming back.

Game ball goes to: The easy choice would be to give it to McCarron, who tied a career high with four touchdowns, but wide receivers Christion Jones and Kevin Norwood each caught two scores and gave the Tide the big play ability they lacked a year ago. Now a junior, Norwood has emerged into a playmaker and one of McCarron’s favorite targets.

Stat of the game: Alabama committed just one penalty all game. This has to make Saban happy after the Tide committed seven penalties for 55 yards last week against Michigan.

Unsung hero: The Alabama pass rush looked to be more effective against the Hilltoppers and leading the way was redshirt freshman Xzavier Dickson. The outside linebacker seemed to be in the backfield all game. His biggest play came midway through the second quarter when he sacked the quarterback, forced a fumble and kept WKU off the board.

What it means for Alabama: Regardless of what head coach Nick Saban says, this was just a tune-up for next week’s showdown at Arkansas. Alabama’s offense looked efficient and McCarron keeps improving. The defense didn’t give up the big play, but WKU showed it could move the ball. Turnovers were key and will be key again next week.

What it means for WKU: Nobody expected the Hilltoppers to win or even keep it close for that matter. They didn’t look scared, though. This is a good football team who has the talent to compete in the Sun Belt this year. Playing in this type of environment can only help down the road.

Alabama could be without one of its top young receivers for the 2012 season, as true freshman Chris Black will miss three to four months after injuring his shoulder during practice on Sunday.

Nick Saban said Black will need surgery to repair his shoulder.

Black, who was part of a highly-touted receiver class for the Crimson Tide, enrolled at Alabama in January. By all accounts, he had a pretty solid spring and caught three passes for 61 yards and a 44-yard touchdown in Alabama's spring game.

The former Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast standout was the No. 2-rated wide receiver coming out of high school and had the potential to be a deep-play threat in Alabama's offense.

"He wants to play so bad he can't see straight," Saban told reporters Thursday. "This is one of the unfortunate things. We feel bad for him, but everybody here is going to be very, very supportive, and he's going to be an excellent player for us in the future."

The good news for Alabama is there is good depth at receiver. Juniors Kevin Norwood and Kenny Bell are looking to make names for themselves this season, while the team has been impressed by youngsters Amari Cooper, who enrolled early, Eddie Williams and Cyrus Jones. Sophomores DeAndrew White and Christion Jones also have big-play potential.

DGB getting work at tight end

With injuries piling up at tight end for Missouri, freshman Dorial Green-Beckham got some work there Thursday. While he ran with the third-team offense behind Bud Sasser and Brandon Holifield, it sounds like he was a matchup issue lining up in the slot.

This really shouldn't come as a surprise, as there was talk coming out of Mizzou's camp this spring that Green-Beckham would get a look at the tight end/Y-position this fall. With his size and speed, he could really frustrate defenses inside. His size and speed makes him a natural mismatch, especially for opposing linebackers, through the middle of the field.

Overall, DGB has reportedly been turning heads both inside and out for the Tigers thus far in camp.

Tennessee moves practice east

The Vols are gearing up for what they hope is the ultimate bonding experiment, as their practices have been moved to Milligan College in Elizabethton for the next six days.

"We wanted to do this to limit ourselves from the distractions and simulate what used to be very common as it relates to team chemistry and getting to know each other, building leadership and togetherness," coach Derek Dooley said.

Improving on the chemistry of this team was a top goal for this coaching staff heading into the fall, and this road trip could certainly help with that.

While Tennessee's team is on the road, all of the football offices and operations will be moved into Tennessee's new football training center.

Dooley also announced a couple of injuries Thursday. Highly-touted junior college wide receiver transfer Cordarrelle Patterson missed Thursday's practice with a shoulder sprain. The good news for the Vols is Dooley said the injury isn't expected to be serious.

However, freshman linebacker Kenny Bynum could be out for while after tearing his meniscus. Surgery is still being evaluated.

Ja'Juan Story transferring from Florida

The Gators have parted ways with reserve wide receiver Ja'Juan Story, coach Will Muschamp announced Friday.

Story, who signed with Florida in 2011 but had yet to play a down for the Gators, met with Muschamp on Thursday to inform him of his intentions of leaving.

"Ja'Juan came me to Thursday afternoon and indicated that he wanted to transfer," Muschamp said in a statement through the school. "He just felt like this wasn't a good fit for him and he needed a fresh start. Ja'Juan is a good student and was a good teammate and we wish him the best of luck."

Story redshirted in 2011, but spent the year on Florida's scout team. He's the fourth player to transfer from Muschamp's first class at Florida.

Ole Miss QBs still even

Another practice is in the books at Ole Miss, and the quarterback position is still unclear. Through the ups and downs from the first week of fall practice, Barry Brunetti and Bo Wallace are still even, coach Hugh Freeze says.

"It's a process," Freeze said. "They are getting better. Yesterday and today they took steps in the right direction. We still made some very poor decisions at times, but everything is still relatively new to them. Even though they had some practices in the spring, they shared those reps with four guys. You do see them getting better, and they did make some really nice throws today.

"Right now I don't feel that there is enough to say that one is ahead. I think you're going to see both of them play the first few weeks."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama has won two of the past three BCS national championships, but Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said his team’s offense has yet to become the kind of attack he wants it to be.

Last season, when the Crimson Tide went 12-1 and defeated LSU 21-0 in the Jan. 9 Allstate BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans, it ranked 69th nationally in passing (215.1 yards per game) and 31st in total offense (429.6 yards).

“We’ve never been quite the style of offense I’ve wanted to be here,” Saban said. “We’ve always had such good backs, and our offensive line has been pretty good. It’s hard not to feed those guys the ball. When I was at LSU, we were a lot more explosive with our quarterbacks and wide receivers. We need to continue to develop that balance.”

Last season, Crimson Tide tailback Trent Richardson led the SEC and ranked No. 5 nationally in rushing with 129.1 yards per game. In 2009, when Alabama went 14-0 and defeated Texas 37-21 in the BCS National Championship Game, Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram ran for 1,658 yards with 17 touchdowns.

“I think we’ll never forget who we are,” Alabama center Barrett Jones said. “We can always run the football. I’m not saying we won’t open things up, but I don’t think we’ll ever forget our identity. Our identity is we don’t care how many people you put in the box, we’re always going to run the football.”

Alabama might be more equipped to open up its offense heading into the 2012 season. Quarterback AJ McCarron is entering his second season as a starter, after completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,634 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.

McCarron threw the ball down the field more effectively against LSU in the BCS title game, completing 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards. He has an even better command of the Tide’s offense now.

“It was about midway through last year when I could really say something to the guys and really tell them what I wanted to happen,” McCarron said. “Now it doesn’t matter if it’s a run play or pass play. Receivers will come to me and say, ‘Who do I need to block?’ Even before the ball is snapped, I’ll point it out. Guys will come to you and ask for advice. It’s something that’s really cool. I’m just trying to get the best out of everybody around me.”

Jones, who is moving from left tackle to center this coming season, said he’s noticed a difference in his quarterback during spring practice.

“Toward the end of the year, I think he really started to develop the confidence you need to play quarterback in the SEC,” Jones said. “He’s really started to take a lot more responsibility for the offense, and is making a lot more calls and is more comfortable with our scheme and what we’re trying to do. He’s doing a lot more of it on his own this year.”

Even though Richardson left Alabama for the NFL draft after his junior season, McCarron might have better weapons around him. The Crimson Tide signed arguably the best crop of incoming freshman receivers, including Chris Black of Jacksonville, Fla., and Amari Cooper of Miami, who enrolled at Alabama in January. Sophomore Christion Jones of Adamsville, Ala., has been one of the Tide’s most explosive receivers during spring practice, and another highly regarded freshman, Eddie Williams of Panama City, Fla., joins the team this summer.

“They’re really good,” McCarron said. “I know we’re going to have some growing pains to start out with. The system’s not easy to learn, but in the short amount of time they’ve been here, they’ve done a good job so far. Amari and Chris Black, and the new guys coming in are different types of guys, but they’ve done a good job of learning and listening to the older receivers. They know the way and how it’s done, which is going to help them in the process.”

The Tide also lost offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who was named Colorado State’s new coach. Saban hired Washington offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier to replace him.

“He’s younger,” McCarron said. “Being younger, he kind of relates to you a little bit more outside of football. Nuss just brings a lot of energy to practice, and he’s hyped up. I think it’s because he drinks like nine cups of coffee a day. He definitely has a lot of energy, and it helps practice go a lot smoother. He definitely has some different ideas, which have been cool to learn.”

McCarron said the Tide will keep much of its offense in place, but Nussmeier has added a few wrinkles.

“I think we’re going to be in the gun a little more,” McCarron said. “Nussmeier likes going four or five wide, and even spreading out the running back and putting him out there. We’ve been doing a lot of that.”