Alabama prepares for Virgina Tech

By Staff
The marquee game of the first weekend of college football features Nick Saban's fifth-ranked Alabama squad playing Frank Beamer's seventh-ranked Virginia Tech team in a nationally televised game.
This game could go a long way in determining who plays for the national championship in January, so both teams need to win this game.
The Crimson Tide will enter the game with what should be one of the best defenses in school history.
A good defense will not help, however if the offense struggles.
Julio Jones – who led the Alabama receivers in 2008 – returns, but the backfield and offensive line lost several key players.
Greg McElroy will start at quarterback, but he only attempted 20 passes last year. Left tackle Andre Smith, center Antoine Caldwell and right guard Marlon Davis are gone from last year's line, which could be problematic for McElroy early in the season.
Alabama's leading rusher from 2008, Glen Coffee with 1,383 yards, is also gone. Mark Ingram, who had 728 yards last season, should get most of the carries.
Alabama leads the all-time series with Virgina Tech 10-1, but lost the last meeting of between these two teams during the 1998 Music City Bowl.
There are high expectations for this Alabama team, and a win tonight could send those hopes higher. A loss could mean fans have to wait one more year before they can start talking about winning another national championship.