Alabama and LSU walked off the field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome eight months ago as the top two teams in the country.
By John David Mercer, US Presswire
Alabama and coach Nick Saban celebrated last year after a second national title in three seasons.
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Will that remain true when the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll is unveiled at noon ET Thursday?
The Crimson Tide were dominant on defense that Monday night in New Orleans en route to a 21-0 victory. But they have some rebuilding to do on that side of the ball.
Safety Robert Lester is the lone holdover from the starting secondary. The same scenario is true at linebacker with Nico Johnson.
That doesn't mean Alabama will struggle to stop opponents. Dee Milliner and C.J. Mosley are among the major contributors from last season who are ready to take on more responsibility.
Six starters are back on offense, led by quarterback AJ McCarron, who had a breakthrough performance in the title game. He will be asked to shoulder more of the load this season with All-America running back Trent Richardson now in the NFL.
Eddie Lacy steps into Richardson's spot and will be fortunate to run behind a veteran offense line anchored by Barrett Jones and D.J. Fluker.
The story is very different for LSU. The Tigers will have a new quarterback while returning several key performers from their defense.
Zach Mettenberger has earned rave reviews for his performance this spring as the team's new signal-caller. His top receiving option is Odell Beckham Jr. LSU should again be strong on the ground with four running backs that combined for 30 touchdowns last season all in the mix for carries.
The defense starts with cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, who finished fifth in the Heisman voting. Safety Eric Reid is another all-conference performer in the secondary. The Tigers will also be strong up front with Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery among their talented linemen.
Fresh off a two-year NCAA bowl ban, Southern California is again eligible for the poll and could return at No. 1.
Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley enters the season as the Heisman favorite after a 2011 season with 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns passing.
Barkley is blessed with one of the nation's best receiving tandems in Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, who each had 1,000 yards receiving. USC got a boost to its running attack with the late addition of Silas Redd. The Penn State transfer will share the load with Curtis McNeal.
The Trojans defense allowed almost 375 and 24.6 points a game last season but has the advantage of eight returning starters. One of those is defensive end Devon Kennard, who will miss at least half the season after surgery for a torn chest muscle. T.J. McDonald is the star of a veteran group of defensive backs.
The final possibility for the top spot is the team that started at No. 1 last year. Oklahoma returns Landry Jones, the school's all-time leading passer, along with seven other starters on an offense that should again be prolific.
Running back Dominique Whaley has recovered from a broken ankle ended his season after six games, while Kenny Stills is expected to be one of the top receivers in the Big 12.
The defense should be in good hands with defensive backs Tony Jefferson and Aaron Colvin returning as the top two tacklers from last season. Tom Wort leads a group of talented linebackers behind a line that includes Stacy McGee and Jamarkus McFarland.
All four are deserving candidates. Only one can be No. 1. The mystery will be solved in a matter of hours.
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