5 Storylines We'll Be Watching When Alabama Faces Texas

TUSCALOOSA, AL — It's officially 24 hours before the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0) will take the field at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns to kick off the day's slate of games.

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Texas (1-0) leads the all-time series with Alabama by a wide margin of 7-1-1, with the Tide's first and only win against the Longhorns coming in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, California.

Texas won the very first matchup when the two teams took the field in Tuscaloosa in 1902 and it would be more than a century later before the Crimson Tide secured the program's first and only win over the Longhorns to date.

"Everybody has heard that we're 20-point favorites in this game and the last time we were 20-point favorites and went into Texas, we got our ass kicked," Saban said during his weekly radio show on Thursday.

The week leading up to Saturday's contest has been busy with media fanfare, while Tide coach Nick Saban and his team have been focused on preparations and maintaining the same regimented routine that has resulted in so much prior success.

Ahead of Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff, here's a look at five of the storylines we'll be paying close attention to when the two squads take the field.

1. TEXAS RUNNING BACK BIJAN ROBINSON

A native of Tucson, Arizona, Texas junior running back Bijan Robinson has been far and away the most talked about offensive threat that the Tide will see on Saturday.

Indeed, the 6-foot, 222-pound ball carrier is in his third year with the Longhorns and currently ranks 21st all-time in school history for rushing yards with 1,830.

Robinson also received high praise in the preseason, landing on several watch lists, including the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award, the Doak Walker Award, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and the Wuerffel Trophy.

Ahead of the 2022 season, Robinson was chosen as the Big 12's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, which followed a sophomore campaign that saw him put up 1,127 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

"He can do everything," Saban said during his Monday press conference. "He's got speed, he's got power, he's a very instinctive runner that sets up his blockers well, has a burst and got great hands — a good receiver. They use him a lot in the passing game, so this guy is as good of an all-around back as there, probably is in the country or is certainly one of the best of all the guys in the country and his production really sort of shows that."

During the Longhorns' opener against Louisiana-Monroe, as Patch previously reported, Robinson carried the ball just 10 times for 71 yards and a touchdown in the 52-10 blowout.

It's also worth noting that Texas sports depth at running back, which will be crucial in keeping Robinson's legs fresh against one of the best defenses in the country.

On the offensive side of the ball for the Longhorns, Tide fans on Saturday can expect to see carries by Texas running backs Roschon Johnson and Jonathon Brooks — both of whom logged commendable performances on the ground during the season opener.

"[Robinson] is a great player," said Tide linebacker Will Anderson, Jr. during a media availability earlier this week. "I've watched a little bit [of film] so far. You know, he's very explosive. He can run. He go on the outside, inside — a very versatile running back. Like I said, it's going be a great challenge for us, but we're going to prepare the right way to go play this game on Saturday."

2. CAMERON LATU'S RETURN TO THE LINEUP

Tide fans will be relieved to hear that senior tight end Cameron Latu will take the field on Saturday after suffering a minor knee injury at the start of fall camp.

Fans will recall that it was the Salt Lake City product who patiently waited his turn for the Tide, earning the starting job to open the 2021 season against Miami. This would prove the start of a season that saw Latu snag eight touchdown passes to break the Alabama record of seven that was previously held by Irv Smith, Jr.

Latu went on to finish last season with 26 catches for 410 yards.

Saban said during his weekly radio show on Thursday that Latu returned to practice last week ahead of the Tide's matchup with Utah State to open the season. However, the decision was made to give Latu an additional week of physical contact and conditioning in practice to get the tight end ready for game speed.

"Hopefully his anxiety level, because of his experience, will not affect how he plays in the game," Saban said. "And he's had enough experience that he'll be able to take it to the game and play well because he had a great spring and he was having a great summer before he got hurt. So we have a lot of confidence that he can be an impact player for us."

3. EXTREME HEAT

Sweltering conditions are not likely to catch the Crimson Tide by surprise.

Still, with highs on Saturday expected to be in the mid-90s, conditioning and hydration during this earliest and hottest stretch of the season will most definitely prove an obstacle for both teams as they look to minimize heat-related cramps with a blazing sun directly overhead.

Saban commented earlier this week that the team's nutrition staff has taken special care to monitor players — with some athletes receiving sodium shots or IV fluids — in a proactive attempt to address the individual needs of each player to best prepare their bodies for the game and the Texas heat.

To paraphrase the Crimson Tide coach, while backs and receivers may only require a five minute rest before they can take the field, bigger players with less stamina will not have that luxury.

"[Heat is] not something that's new for us to have to deal with," Saban said during his press conference on Wednesday. "But I do think that part of preparation is what you do off the field: how you hydrate, how you eat, how you sleep, how you rest. All those things are really, really important when you're getting ready to play in difficult circumstances, difficult conditions and the heat certainly creates a difficult circumstance, no doubt.

This was a notion that isn't lost on 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and Tide quarterback Bryce Young going into Saturday.

"We have hydration tests that we take throughout the week that keep us updated," he said earlier this week. "Our staff has done an amazing job of making sure that we understand how important it is."

4. TEXAS ON SPECIAL TEAMS

One talking point mentioned on more than one occasion this week by Saban is the need for the Tide to minimize mistakes on special teams as it faces one of the more talented specialist units the team will likely see this season.

"They do a really good job on special teams and play with great effort," Saban said during his Monday press conference. "[They] blocked a punt last week and made plays and [Xavier] Worthy has been a really good punt returner. He's averaging 15 yards or something a punt return. They've got a lot of good players. They've got really good schemes and it's gonna be a very challenging game for us."

To Saban's point, the sophomore wideout and return specialist from Fresno, California, has already proven to be a catalyst for the Longhorns. During Worthy's freshman season, which saw him appear in 12 games for Texas, his performance was good enough to see him named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year after grabbing 62 receptions for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns.

But it's Worthy's blinding speed and quick footwork as a returner that has likely been a point of focus on the practice field this week for the Tide.

It's worth noting that despite seeing only a handful of appearances in the return game last season, Worthy seems poised for a breakout year after his performance against Lousiana-Monroe last week.

Against the Warhawks, Worthy fielded three punts and averaged 11 yards a return. This included a career-best return of 21 yards during the win.

"A lot of guys that we recruit, they didn't have to play on special teams in high school because thy were the star player on the team," Saban said. "But what players really have to understand is you can't really make an NFL team ... if you can't play on special teams."

5. STEVE SARKISIAN

Apart from Bijan Robinson, no other name has been mentioned with as much frequency this week as former Crimson Tide offensive coordinator and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Saturday will mark the first time the Saban protégé will face off against the legendary Crimson Tide coach and the week started off on a controversial note in Austin following comments from Sarkisian that many in the Texas fanbase viewed as an concession of defeat before the two teams even take the field.

"My goal is to be in Dallas on Dec. 3," Sarkisian told reporters on Monday, referring to the Big 12 Championship Game. "This game [against Alabama] has no impact on that. We don't impact them going to the SEC Championship. But it's an awesome opportunity. Great setting for college football."

While the interpretation and intention of his comments can be debated, Tide players and Saban voiced nothing but respect for Sarkisian in the lead-up to Saturday.

"[Sarkisian] has done a really good job there — [he's] a very good offensive coach," Saban said on Monday. "They've got a great system and scheme on offense. They've got some really good players on offense."

Apart from any controversies or debate, Sarkisian's offensive prowess is difficult to argue against, especially when considering the success seen by the Tide offense during his two stints in Tuscaloosa.

"He understands defense," Saban pointed out. "He likes to see what you're in if he can, so that he can run a play that's going to be an effective play against that particular look or give his players the best chance to be successful."

Tide signal caller Bryce Young also had high praise for his former coach and spoke to his meticulous and thoughtful nature when it comes to offensive X's and O's.

"[Sarkisian] has a really good system and I think it's a lot about having an eye for that stuff," Young said on Tuesday. "Just for my time with him coaching me and him being [offensive coordinator] here, he just was always one step ahead. As far as knowing what he had, he always had a process to him and there was a lot of stuff he just kind felt it out. That was just kind of natural, off instinct, so I was able to learn a lot while he was here."

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