Blake Sims is expected to make his first career start Saturday against West Virginia. (Getty)
They went 11-2 last year with an appearance in a BCS bowl game. For 99 percent of college football programs, it would have been a season for the ages.
For Alabama, it was an abject disaster. And the second-ranked Crimson Tide is out to make amends when it opens the season Saturday afternoon against West Virginia.
The Tide will be breaking in a new quarterback, with fifth-year senior Blake Sims expected to start over Florida State transfer Jacob Coker. But ‘Bama has eight returning starters on offense, including star junior running back T.J. Yeldon. It’s also the debut for Lane Kiffin as the Tide’s offensive coordinator.
Florida State transfer Clint Trickett, who confessed earlier this week that his first kiss was with Nick Saban’s daughter, Kristen, gets the start under center for the Mountaineers.
Here’s what you need to know about the game:
The Basics
WHO: Alabama vs. West Virginia
WHEN: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
WHERE: The Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
LINE: Alabama by 25 1/2
How to Watch on TV & Online
TV: Unless you live in the Chicago or San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose TV markets, you’ll get the game on ABC. If you’re in one of those markets, you’ll get Cal-Northwestern on ABC and Alabama-West Virginia on ESPN2. Click here to check out ABC and ESPN’s coverage maps.
LIVE STREAM: If you have a cable subscription that includes ESPN, you can watch online for free at WatchESPN.com on desktop or the WatchESPN app for mobile.
Heavy’s Pick
Alabama 48, West Virginia 7
‘Bama on a neutral field against a team that went 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big 12 last year? We’ll gladly lay the 25 1/2 points and take the Tide to cover.