SHADED BOX FOR JUMPAN EARLY TOP 10 FOR '101. Alabama (14-0, ranked No. 1 in 2009)Too much talent returns for the defending champs to start anywhere else2. Ohio State (11-2, No. 5)If the Rose Bowl was any indication, Terrelle Pryor is ready for greatness3. Boise State (14-0, No. 4)The Broncos return 21 of 22 starters, but are they ready for the pressure4. Iowa (11-2, No. 7)The Hawkeyes have experience at QB and welcome back the bulk of a nasty defense5. Virginia Tech (10-3, No. 10)The Hokies return arguably the best group of skill players this side of Tuscaloosa6. Oregon (10-3, No. 11)Jeremiah Masoli will be a Heisman contender and the Ducks will be a year wiser in '107. Miami (9-4, No. 19)The talent has returned to Coral Gables, but can the Hurricanes consistently deliver?8. TCU (12-1, No. 6)The Frogs will return 16 starters, including QB Andy Dalton, and have a favorable schedule9. Georgia Tech (11-3, No. 13)If Derrick Morgan and Jonathan Dwyer return, the Jackets should contend again10. Arkansas (8-5, not ranked)This year's Ole Miss? Don't count on it -- 10 offensive starters return and Ryan Mallett is way better than Jevan Snead
As Thursday night became Friday morning, it was apparent for everyone that the Crimson Tide were back.
Whether that ruined your day or caused you to smile at your "'S' the Coach" sticker on your car, there is no debating the simple truth that Alabama and Nick Saban are on top of the college football world. And, after Thursday's 37-21 win over Texas in the BCS title game, they're not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
That, however, appears to be among the few certainties this morning among the nation's college football elite.
USC coach Pete Carroll reportedly is heading to the NFL. Florida's Urban Meyer may or may not be the coach in Gainesville next fall, and if he is, he may or may not be doing it full time with the Gators.
There is an offseason of questions ahead from the long-term fallout of the coaching carousel -- especially if Carroll leaves the Trojans for another shot in the NFL -- to the immediate changing landscape as players decide whether to enter for this year's NFL draft.
Who knows how those questions will be answered for some of the nation's premier programs such as those that have to replace veteran star quarterbacks (how's it feel Oklahoma, Texas and Florida)? Or the reactions from those that will have to deliver as favorites and frontrunners rather than trendy, fun-to-follow, BCS-nightmare underdogs (we're talking about you TCU and Boise State)?
What appears to be as solid as the ice on your front step this morning, though, is the Tide. Yes, Alabama loses a chunk of its salty defense with the departure of Terrence Cody and Javier Arenas. Yes, Saban's biggest recruiting job of this offseason would be convincing All-American Rolando McClain, who is a surefire first-round draft pick, to return for his senior season. Yes, there will be the challenge of staying on top rather than getting there, and maintaining your spot on the mountain is always more difficult than getting there. Yes, coordinators Kirby Smart and Jim McElwain have found homes on the short lists for just about every job around.
But this is Saban, the man that scowled through the post-national championship Gatorade shower and takes time off about as often as the Pope takes a three-day bender in Vegas.
"People who make those statements sort of just look at the periphery of well, 'You've got Julio Jones, you've got Mark Ingram, you've got Trent Richardson, the quarterback's coming back, so therefore everything's going to turn up roses,"' Saban told the media at a news conference Friday. "But that's not necessarily the case. You've got to build a team."
The team is built. The expectations have been established. The roster is stacked -- a product of back-to-back recruiting classes filled with more stars than any of the Ocean 11 movies. Now, how they maintain it will determine whether the Alabama is back to the Bear-era of dominance or whether it has simply returned to the sport's elite.
"Every success brings a new set of problems," Saban said. "Being able to manage that is what allows you to be successful with more consistency."
E-mail Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com