The Fix: 5 questions facing Alabama in 2014

The Fix is a look at major storylines following this year's top college contenders, and how teams will handle these challenges heading into the season.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are a mainstay atop the modern era of college football. Since Nick Saban joined as head coach in 2007, the team has claimed three national titles, 19 All-Americans, and a 74-15 record. 

An infamous last-second missed field goal that was returned 109-yards by Auburn's Chris Davis kept Alabama from what could have been a third straight national title in 2013. 

Here are five questions standing between the Crimson Tide and their third national championship in four years. 

Roster turnover

Alabama churned out eight picks in the NFL draft for the second year in a row, something that has become a bit of a hallmark for the program under Saban. Including players that went undrafted, 12 starters on both sides of the football will not be returning for the coming season, meaning half of the roster will be adjusting to increased roles on the fly.

The Tide's new starters will have a fair amount of time to fit into their new roles. Alabama does not play a conference game until Oct. 4 against Ole Miss. 

A new QB

Among those newly available starting jobs for the Crimson Tide is the ever-important starting quarterback gig. 

Incumbent QB A.J. McCarron left for the NFL, leaving a massive opening at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Senior Blake Sims spent the off-season training in South Florida with QB guru Ken Mastrole, whose recent projects include Tajh Boyd, Teddy Bridgewater, and EJ Manuel. Sims looked shaky in his first day of practice with the team, but he did so while taking the reps with the first-team offense.

Sims' main competition for the starting role will be Florida State transfer Jacob Coker. Coker likely would have been the Seminoles go-to guy if not for the emergence of Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. If Coker gets the opportunity to handle the first team offense, he will undoubtedly leap at the chance to run with the job.

The rise and fall of T.J. Yeldon

This seems impossible to believe, but star running back T.J. Yeldon appears to be getting tossed on the back burner in favor of super sophomore Derrick Henry. Yeldon is the only Alabama back to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons to start his college career. This includes notable alumni such as Eddie Lacy, Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Shaun Alexander. 

Henry boasts his own pedigree, rushing for 12,124 yards in his high school career, breaking Ken Hall's 51-year-old national high school record. The speculation is that Henry will become the go-to guy for the Tide sooner or later, possibly as early as this coming season.  

The NCAA Playoff era

2014 marks the debut of the college football playoff system. The top-16 teams in the nation with be featured in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion.

Barring an unforseen collapse, the tide will unquestionably be in the top-16 at the end of the season. The question is whether a season spent battling the rest of the talent-laden SEC with help them prepare for the elite competition or wear them out by the end of the year.

What will Lane Kiffin's influence be? 

Where Kiffin goes, drama is sure to follow. The early signs are positive, with players across the board saying they enjoy working with the notorious player's coach.

The question on everybody's mind is how much the new offensive co-ordinator will sway Alabama's style. Kiffin says to expect the same Saban ball from a Saban lineup, while Saban expects Kiffin to put the ball in the hands of their playmakers more often.

The trend may be best tracked through the air. Kiffin led a dramatic shift in philosophy at his last stop at USC. The Trojans went from passing on 42.2 percent of their plays before his arrival to airing it out 52.2 percent of the time.