TUSCALOOSA -- The Million Dollar Band will march down Bourbon Street.

That's what you want to hear, right, Crimson Tide fans? That Alabama will clutch crystal in the Superdome after winning the BCS national championship trophy?

But what are the chances?

Pretty good, actually.

Nick Saban enters his fifth season here, with a statue in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium. He has done a masterful job resurrecting the program since he was hired in 2007 when Alabama fans ran through streets and yards to get a glimpse of his arrival.

In return, Saban has branded Alabama as the team to beat not only in the SEC, but across the country. That crimson-colored script A is to college football what a Coke can is to soda.

Look at Alabama's defense. It is loaded with talent upon talent at linebacker and in the secondary. The defensive line is simply unproven.

Offense provides a challenge with lack of running-back depth, but only if injuries or other unforeseen problems force the offense to dig deep into the bench.

Dare it be said there is too much talent at quarterback with AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims competing for the starting job? That's one potential pitfall for Alabama.

A quarterback soap opera could disrupt the ebb and flow of the locker room. So far, we have been told it's not a concern.

So if the running backs stay healthy, the quarterbacks play well, the offensive line lives up to the hype and the wide receivers and tight ends come along as expected, Alabama looks strong on paper.

What really appears to play in the Tide's favor is scheduling.

First and foremost, the SEC's rotating schedule drops South Carolina and adds Vanderbilt. That should be huge in Alabama's favor to trade the SEC East defending champs for the Commodores, who finished 1-7 in the league in 2010.

The Tide plays in two tough road environments early with Penn State and Florida. Arkansas and LSU come to Bryant-Denny Stadium, another big advantage with 101,821 fans mostly in crimson and white.

Probably the toughest road game could come at Mississippi State, where the Bulldogs hope to make more noise in the SEC West.

In the end, I say Alabama finishes its season 11-1, wins the SEC title and then wins in the Superdome for a second national title in three years.

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