BamaFootball4Life

Saban's Sophomore spike
Call it the "Year 2 Bump" or "Bounce" or any other fancy name. No matter how you refer to it, statistics do suggest teams often have major improvements from a coach's first to his second season on the job. Five prime examples work in the SEC. Florida's Urban Meyer, Georgia's Mark Richt, Alabama's Nick Saban, Arkansas' Bobby Petrino and Auburn's Tommy Tuberville all saw substantial jumps in their win totals from their first to second year at either previous or current stops.

College Football Beat
Alabama expects to play most of Saturday's game against Western Kentucky in its nickel or dime defense. The Hilltoppers often feature three- and four-receiver sets, necessitating the scheme for the Crimson Tide. "This is a big challenge for us," Saban said. "They're really similar to West Virginia in how they run the ball, with option and zone reads. And sometimes, it affects the next week in terms of getting back to basics."