Last season saw the Alabama Crimson Tide put together yet another impressive run, before falling short to Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It appeared that the Crimson Tide had overachieved last season and squeezed every bit out of a team that may have not been expected to make it as far as they did, but that was last year. Alabama finds itself facing many of the same questions coming into its 2015-16 campaign, three of which stand out more than the rest.

Quarterback

Blake Sims ended up having a very impressive season after seemingly being in a dead heat for the starting Quarterback spot with Florida State transfer Jake Coker. Now, Blake Sims is gone and Jake Coker is, once again, perceived to be leading the race for the starting Quarterback spot in Tuscaloosa. To many Alabama fans (including myself), the thought of Jake Coker running the offense is a bit scary. During the short time he had under Center with the starters he looked very shaky and uncomfortable. That being said, he has had over a year in the system at this point and has most likely gained a greater level of comfort with the offense. With a couple of young Quarterbacks right behind him, he better show that he's improved early on in the upcoming season, or else he may not be the starter by the end of it.

Defensive Backs

Much like last year, Alabama finds itself needing some new DB's to come into the starting spot and play well. With the loss of All-American Landon Collins and Nick Perry the Crimson Tide is going to have to rely on two new Safeties to fill the void. The thought of having two new DB's in the secondary is a little nerve-wracking in a conference full of high-powered offenses, but if the Crimson Tide finds their guys in these positions then their defense could be one of the best ones in the SEC. It'll definitely be something to watch for early on.

Lane Kiffin

Last season Alabama averaged 36.9 points per game, which was good for 15th in the country. Much of the credit for this achievement has to be given to Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin. Kiffin's offense was different from the Alabama norm. Fans saw many more deep passes and short scoring drives, and much less running the ball and controlling the clock. Now, with the loss of Biletnikoff Award winner Amari Cooper and a brand new starting QB, the team might have to resort to its old ways of running the ball for minutes at a time. If Lane Kiffin proves that he can adapt to the situation and manage the offensive using the tools that he has then the Tide could recreate the success from last year. However, don't look for the Tide to average 37 points a game again this year.

Conclusion

Alabama finds itself faced with some uncertainties going into 2015-16, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that they can represent the SEC in the College Football Playoff yet again. It will definitely be tough though, considering the strength of schedule that the team will have playing in the SEC West. If they can answer these questions by their third game against Ole Miss then look for Alabama to be right atop the rankings again at the end of the season.