http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2005/07/30/a9b_sec_0730.html http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050730/SPORTS06/507300351/1345/SPORTS http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/sports/112271498718780.xml&coll=3 http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/30/Sports/Elite_program_brings_.shtml (I LOVE their headline) http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/football/article/0,1426,MCA_478_3965368,00.html http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGBPWHQ4RBE.html And just a remind who LSU does not want to act like... Return to glory is a Bear of a trip Mike Shula has made gains in the restoration of Alabama's storied program, but he knows much more is expected. [size=-1]BY MIKE PHILLIPS[/size] [size=-1][email protected][/size] HOOVER, Ala. - The look is a bit different now -- a calmer, cooler Mike Shula begins his third year as the coach at Alabama, where Bear Bryant still looks down on the Crimson Tide, and where every Bama fan expects the team to win every game. Shula, the son of the legend, returned to his alma mater three years ago to direct a program in shambles. He looked so nervous, so young and green when he showed up at that year's SEC media days -- an annual three-day event at the Wynfrey Hotel just outside Birmingham. It was standing-room only that day as more than 200 members of the media packed the large ballroom to greet Alabama's newest coach. There was still a buzz Friday when Shula arrived to kick off the final day of the event, but the room was half empty. Most of the national media hit the road after hearing from Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. THE HOT SEAT But still, this is Alabama, and Shula knows what that means. He has brought the Tide back a bit, but Bama is a long way from being Bama, and Shula's name has appeared on some preseason hot lists. ''When I took the job my name was on the hot list from Day One,'' said Shula, a former Alabama quarterback who knows all too well what it means to play and coach there. ``I'm not worried about that. When you win people are going to say good things about your team, and when you lose they are not going to say good things about your football team.'' It has already been a long ride for Shula, who showed up at Alabama just after the school had been hit with probation and a loss of scholarships -- eight in 2002, seven in 2003 and six in 2004. ''We've got 25 freshmen this year, and we're back up to 77 [of 85] scholarships,'' Shula said. ``Eight true freshmen will be on the field this year. Eight is a pretty good number as we rebuild on scholarships. We feel like we have had two good recruiting classes.'' Alabama had something else last season: one of the top defenses in the nation. Almost no one was as stingy as Alabama, which led the nation in pass defense a year ago and was ranked second in overall defense. Still, with the loss of quarterback Brodie Croyle the offense suffered, and the Tide finished the season 6-6 -- a long way from glory. THE CROYLE QUESTION Croyle, whose career has been ravaged by knee injuries, is back with the constant question: ``How good can Alabama be if Croyle stays healthy?'' ''I guess I heard that question 50 to 75 times a day last spring,'' said Croyle, who suffered a right knee injury in the fourth game of the season after a 3-0 start. ``I feel stronger and better right now than I have felt since my junior year in high school.'' EXPECTATIONS Shula has nine starters back on defense, and the other two starters saw a lot of time a year ago. So the expectations, which are always there with Bama, are rising. ''We have high expectations,'' Shula said. 'People ask me, `How close are you?' I think we're close. But close is a dangerous word. Close can get you on the hot seat. Close can get you fired.'' Everyone knows just how important it is for Shula to win this year. ''You are always on the hot seat at Alabama,'' Croyle said. ``You could win the national championship one year and win eight games the next year, and you would be on the hot seat. That's what makes it Alabama.'' Everyone expected Don Shula's son to win, but Mike Shula said no one has greater expectations for him than he has of himself. Such expectations have grown with time -- and Shula has grown, too. ''He is different now,'' Croyle said. ``The team has changed, and he has changed, too. He has learned a lot just like we have. ``But he hasn't changed as our coach. He is still the same calm and cool leader for all of us to rely on.'' And just like Shula -- with whom he shares the experience of playing quarterback at Alabama -- Croyle also has learned something through time: to trust in his coach. ''It has been a roller coaster here. We have had three coaches, and that's tough,'' he said. ``It seems like with every coaching change you lose a little trust. ``But this is our third year with Coach Shula, and we have as much trust in him as you can have in anybody. He earned that over time. Now any of us would do anything for him.''
