A certain anxiety grips this corner of the college football web two Saturday afternoons every August.

Scrimmage time in Bryant-Denny Stadium brings the speed and intensity of a regular-season Saturday but it’s easier to tangibly lose these dress rehearsals than claiming victory. A quick spin to the message boards and social media echo the concerns that became reality last Saturday.

The first rumor of an injury spreads quickly, especially in this week’s scrimmage since members of the Red Elephant booster club can attend along with friends and family members. Reports of reserve running back Jerome Ford going down quickly escalated into existential threat to the Alabama dynasty.

Nick Saban later said it was a sprained ankle for the No. 3 running back in the rotation and he should be back on the field in a week.

Precautions are taken to cut down on the injuries like Alabama experienced in the first scrimmage, Saban said. Middle linebacker Joshua McMillon, in line to start for the first time in his five seasons, went down with a knee injury Aug. 10 that could have him out for the season, AL.com reported Sunday.

“I don’t think football is a dangerous game,” Saban said after Saturday’s second scrimmage of August, “but you have to do it correctly. You have to play safely. You have to keep your face up. You can’t put your head down. That’s going to enhance head injuries. Wearing the right kind of shoes can help foot and ankle injuries.”

The scrimmage consisted of 55 to 60 plays conducted exactly like a regular game with coaches in the booth using headsets, Saban said. Alabama averaged 133 snaps in the 15 games that counted last fall.

This Saturday’s scrimmage snaps were divided up with the first-team defense facing the second-team offense and vice versa. There were also situational simulations with the first teams facing each other.

A number of players were held out of this week’s scrimmage as they recovered from previous ailments. Tight end Miller Forristall, linebacker Terrell Lewis, defensive lineman DJ Dale, defensive lineman LaBryan Ray and offensive lineman Matt Womack were spectators on the cloudless Saturday afternoon in the mostly empty stadium.

Saban said this group had been practicing to varying degrees but were sidelined for the game simulation Saturday. A few other players, who Saban didn’t name, saw limited reps in the scrimmage.

Bad injury news from scrimmages have a history here. Bo Scarbrough tore his ACL in the spring of 2015 behind closed doors in Bryant-Denny. Walk-on receiver Donnie Lee went down with the same injury in 2017.

And a year ago, Saban announced Chris Allen had torn his ACL after the second scrimmage in August. Various sprains and strains have also hobbled starters coming out of the two scrimmage weekends of the past.

This is hardly unique to Alabama or college football as a whole. For years the NFL has wrestled with how to manage the four preseason games with high-profile injuries piling up in meaningless games. Players like former LSU running back Derrius Guice missed the entire 2018 campaign with an ACL tear in a preseason game. And Scarbrough, now a reserve running back on the Seahawks roster, went down with a hand injury in Seattle’s first preseason game this month.

“The question to me is,” Saban said Saturday, “they practice a lot less in the NFL than they used to and they have just as many or more injuries,” Saban said. “So, how relative is all that?”

“And if you’re going to play football, you need to practice football a certain way so that you don’t get injured. Player safety is the No. 1 thing we’re always concerned about in terms of the way we practice and the things we do with our players. That’s No. 1.”

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.