BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Alabama.

If that word isn't ringing in the ears of Gene Chizik, Les Miles and every other coach in the SEC today, it should be.

Roger Goodell said it four times Thursday night during the first round of the NFL draft.

Trent Richardson at No. 3 to Cleveland.

Mark Barron at No. 7 to Tampa Bay.

Dre Kirkpatrick at No. 17 to Cincinnati.

Dont'a Hightower at No. 25 to New England.

What do they all have in common? They all played their college ball at, say it with me, Alabama.

That's not a foreign word to the NFL commissioner. He uttered it four times during the first round of the 2011 NFL draft with Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, James Carpenter and Mark Ingram.

That matched the SEC record for first-rounders from a single school previously set by Auburn in 2005 and LSU in 2007, although only Auburn had three picks in the top 10. Alabama equaled that four-in-round-one record for the conference Thursday night. Again.

Why should that matter to Auburn, LSU and the rest of the SEC? That's your competition. To keep up, to catch up, you have to do more than fight five-stars with five-stars. You have to fight first-rounders with first-rounders.

The last time Auburn beat Alabama, the only time in the last four meetings, the Tigers suited up two first-round NFL draft picks in Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, and Newton was the No. 1 overall pick. That's not a coincidence.

It's been conventional wisdom for some time among college basketball coaches. If you want to win a national title in that sport, you need at least two future NBA players in your starting lineup.

College football is no different. If you want to win a BCS title, you need future NFL players on your roster.

Look at the SEC's performance in the NFL draft during the league's run of six straight BCS championships. Each of those teams had at least one first-round pick during the next NFL draft and multiple draft picks overall.

Florida: 2006 title, two 2007 first-rounders, one 2008 first-rounder.

LSU: 2007 title, one 2008 first-rounder, one 2009 first-rounder.

Florida: 2008 title, one 2009 first-rounder, three 2010 first-rounders.

Alabama: 2009 title, two 2010 first-rounders, four 2011 first-rounders.

Auburn: 2010 title, two 2011 first-rounders.

Alabama: 2011 title, four 2012 first-rounders.

Kevin Scarbinsky is a columnist for The Birmingham News. His column is published on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

It takes more than a star or two to win a national championship, but you better start with a star or two to make a run at it. Nick Saban's program - excuse me, organization - has raised that bar. Alabama's the "It" college program now at all three levels based on, to use a draft word, measurables.

From high school to college. Check the recruiting rankings.

In college. See the crystal footballs. Look but don't touch, please.

From college to the NFL. Count the draft picks.

Alabama has had at least one first-rounder for the fourth straight year, 11 in all during this stretch, and there's been a definite thread running from signing day to draft day. Take the 2008 signing class. The NFL has.

Five of the 32 players Alabama signed in Saban's first full-year class have become first-round draft picks: Dareus, Jones and Ingram in 2011, Barron and Hightower on Thursday night.

There should be more in 2013. Consider that Barrett Jones, Robert Lester, Michael Williams and Damion Square, each of whom signed with Alabama in 2008, could be drafted a year from now.

Throw in 2010 second-rounder Terrence Cody, and six members of the 2008 class already have been drafted. Courtney Upshaw will add to that number in this draft, and he may not be alone.

Bottom line: If you want to keep up with Alabama, or catch up to the Crimson Tide, you better hope the NFL commissioner steps up. To the podium. To call your players' names. A lot more often.

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