If there’s a word that best describes Alabama this football season, it’s intense.

It starts with the Crimson Tide’s new coach, Nick Saban, and his reputation as a taskmaster. It continues with the fans, which showed up 92,000 strong for Alabama’s spring game.

It even reaches down to junior quarterback John Parker Wilson.

“John Parker is really intense,” says center Antoine Caldwell. “He is probably the most focused and intense quarterback I have ever been around. He is always focused on ways to improve his game.

“And he is really intense on getting everything just right and playing to the best of his ability.”

Alabama returns plenty of ability, even if it didn’t do much in Mike Shula’s final year.

Nine starters return on offense, led by Wilson and receivers D.J. Hall and Keith Brown. Alabama’s offensive line returns 101 career starts among its five starters. Behind Wilson in the backfield, though, the Tide will miss tailback Kenneth Darby and fullback Le’Ron McClain.

Cornerback Simeon Castille returns as one of the SEC’s best cover men, but the Crimson Tide’s defense took a hit up the middle, losing its two starting tackles, two linebackers and a safety to graduation.

There’s also a new scheme to learn, led by new defensive coordinator and former University of Tennessee assistant Kevin Steele.

“We did make some progress and improvement in the front seven,” Saban said. “We don’t have a lot of depth at that position. We don’t have a lot of size. You know, we’re going to have to adapt the way we do things probably to be able to persevere this year.”

Persevere might not be a word Alabama fans want to hear.

Saban left the Miami Dolphins after two seasons and signed a deal worth $4 million per season to return to the SEC after five seasons at LSU. Expectations have hit a high-water mark.

But the reality is Alabama is coming off a 6-7 season and a 2-6 record in conference play. Last November, the Crimson Tide lost its fifth consecutive game to rival Auburn and lost to Oklahoma State on a last-second field goal in the Independence Bowl.

“There’s no waving a wand and making all that happen,” Saban said, referring to Alabama’s turnaround. “We work hard and go from where we are right now to try and get where we want to be. There’s no real formula for what the timetable is to do that.”

There are, however, some good building blocks.

Brown needs 157 yards to become Alabama’s all-time leading receiver. Wilson threw for 2,707 yards. Castille had six interceptions and three fumble recoveries, both team highs.

That’s the potential. But there’re plenty of questions left to be answered in an SEC West that includes league favorite LSU, as well as Arkansas and Auburn.

“I definitely think we’ll be competitive,” Castille said. “A lot of people ask me, ‘How do you think coach Saban will do with it being his first year and all?’ I don’t look at it as his first year; I look at it as my last year, and I want to go out and make this year the best possible. I want us as a team to make as much noise as we possible can.”

Drew Edwards may be reached at 865-342-6274.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.