Alabama players optimistic about season despite concerns

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) JB Closner thinks Alabama fans fretting over the two biggest preseason question marks can rest easy.<br> <br> How will an offensive line with three new starters fare? The Alabama center figures that will be answered in the positive in Saturday night&#39;s opener against Middle Tennessee.<br> <br> ``That&#39;s what we&#39;ve been talking about. That&#39;s what we plan on doing,&#39;&#39; Closner said.<br> <br> Question No. 2: Do Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle and running backs Ken Darby and Tim Castille look as good as they did before their injuries last season?<br> <br> ``Yeah, if not better,&#39;&#39; Closner said. ``That&#39;s a great feeling.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Those kind of optimistic sentiments abounded Tuesday for the Tide, which is hoping for a season notable for wins instead of the injuries that made last year a struggle after a 3-0 start.<br> <br> Croyle hasn&#39;t played since a knee injury in the third game of 2004, but long since pronounced his right knee fully recovered.<br> <br> ``Y&#39;all won&#39;t talk to anybody today that&#39;s more excited about Saturday than me,&#39;&#39; he told reporters Tuesday.<br> <br> Unless it&#39;s Darby (pelvic injury) and Castille (knee), who sat out spring practice while recuperating from their own surgeries.<br> <br> Coach Mike Shula senses increased anticipation leading up to his third season, and shares it. ``I&#39;m kind of with our fans,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> Then again, there are some unresolved issues facing the team including the injury concerns.<br> <br> Plus the Tide was picked to finish third in the SEC West and isn&#39;t ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.<br> <br> Mark Sanders, Antoine Caldwell and Chris Capps are new starters on the offensive line and several contenders for playing time missed practices with injuries during fall camp. With 24 starts, Closner is the line&#39;s elder statesman.<br> <br> ``We feel better about our offensive line now than we did when we first got here in fall camp,&#39;&#39; Shula said, adding that the performance picked up in the final week or so.<br> <br> Placekickers Jamie Christensen and Ryan Saxby, meanwhile, are battling for the starting job and Shula said they might continue to ``kick it out&#39;&#39; through the week.<br> <br> Still, Tide players aren&#39;t shy about their expectations, especially with nine starters returning on the nation&#39;s No. 2 defense and a backfield that once again appears healthy.<br> <br> A secondary that helped spearhead the top-ranked pass defense returns intact and has a combined 99 career starts.<br> <br> ``You can talk to anybody down there, and they&#39;re going to say we&#39;re not going to settle for anything less than an SEC championship,&#39;&#39; Croyle said. ``If we don&#39;t get that, then we feel like we didn&#39;t have the year we were supposed to have. We have the talent to do it, it&#39;s just a matter of going out there and performing.<br> <br> ``That&#39;s the only way we&#39;re going to be happy.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> TIDE TALK: Two players moved into starting positions on defense during fall camp. Sophomore Simeon Castille will start at cornerback ahead of Ramzee Robinson, who was slowed by a back injury. Justin Britt won a starting tackle spot over Jeremy Clark. Shula said he considers both Robinson and Clark as co-starters rather than backups and all four will log considerable playing time ... Saturday&#39;s game is just the sixth time Alabama has opened at Bryant-Denny Stadium since the 1941 season.<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)