Back-to-back-to-back is a tough task to face. Before the Alabama Crimson Tide can even begin to think about repeating as national champions once again, they have plenty of issues to fix on the practice. The team might have won big against Virginia Tech, but even the most casual football fan would say there were plenty of problems on both sides of the ball. As the team begins a two-week preparation for Texas A&M, head coach Nick Saban is hoping the game served more as a wake-up call for players.
While many continue to question just what went wrong with the offensive line, Alabama did officially get two players back after suspensions. Cornerback Geno Smith and running back Kenyan Drake returned to practice, both players Saban deemed ready to go, saying, "It's up to them to sort of prove that they're better than those players and do a better job. If they do that, they'll be back in the lineup."
Having Smith back makes the Alabama secondary unit even more deadly. The sophomore was arrested for a DUI. He was projected to be a "star" on the defensive unit this year. Drake's reason for discipline was not as clear. Saban simply had said the running back would not be making the trip for Virginia Tech.
Drake's presence will come as a relief to TJ Yeldon. While the sophomore running back is perfectly capable of handling the starting spot, having quality talent behind him will help in relief. Drake rushed for 281 yards and five touchdowns last season as a rotational player. Freshmen Derrick Henry and Altee Tenpenny certainly did their best to make up for Drake's absence. They saw limited action.
While the Alabama defense appeared to pick up right where the unit left off, the offense is still working on the right personnel grouping. A key member to that rotation is fifth-year senior wide receiver Kenny Bell who mysteriously posted on Twitter that he was quitting the team and quitting football. Bell is one of Alabama's top deep threat receivers and one of quarterback AJ McCarron's favorite targets.
Saban addressed the Bell situation noting that he and Bell had a discussion and the receiver would be back on the practice field on Wednesday.
"Kenny's a fifth-year senior, he's done a great job in this program, he's played a lot of good football for us, he's made a lot of big plays, he's been a good teammate to a lot of guys on the team. He's certainly somebody I have a tremendous amount of respect for as a competitor," Saban said, via AL.com. "Sometimes we have personal things that we need to get ironed out."
McCarron expressed his excitement on Twitter about the receiver returning. The quarterback tweeted, "So glad one of my best friends I've ever had & will for life [Bell] is back with me this season. Wouldn't be the same w/o him." Alabama is expected to begin preparation for the Texas A&M game on Thursday.
