OPINION

By Dave Curtis

updated 8:45 p.m. ET Nov. 4, 2009

Alabama's Mark Ingram and Rolando McClain struck a deal awhile back. On the rare occasions they collide during workouts, the potential All-Americans go soft.

"I won't try to kill him every time I hit him," McClain said on a teleconference this week, "and he won't try to run me over."

The rest of college football isn't so fortunate. When teams in different jerseys challenge the Tide, Ingram becomes one of the nation's most powerful tailbacks. McClain morphs into arguably college football's most ferocious linebacker. Together, they anchor the No. 3 Crimson Tide, who host No. 9 LSU in a Saturday showdown that figures to determine the SEC West champion.

The mutual admiration between Alabama's two best players stretches beyond a few practices. Ingram said this week that if given a Heisman vote, he'd choose McClain; a few minutes later, McClain put Ingram atop his hypothetical ballot.

Ingram, though, has the far better shot to win the award. Already he has eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark, his lone individual preseason goal, with five (and maybe six) games to play. His 125.5 yards per game give him the fifth-best average in the nation, and the second-best among players from BCS automatic qualifier conferences.

He has also enjoyed one of the signature "Heisman moments," racking up 246 yards and the game's lone offensive touchdown in Alabama's 20-6 win over South Carolina three weeks ago. Ingram bullied the Gamecocks' back seven in the game, showcasing his punishing style and compiling a highlight reel of broken tackles.

"He wants to make the other guy quit," Tide defensive back Javier Arenas said of Ingram on the teleconference.

McClain could draw similar raves. A basketball star as a youth, he committed to former coach Mike Shula's staff and stayed loyal when new guy Nick Saban took over. In three seasons in Tuscaloosa, he has transformed himself into a 258-pound nightmare for opposing offenses.

But the big guy's best asset might be his brains, which appear to match his brawn. In a game full of future defensive pros, McClain will rank as the most advanced player in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. LSU coach Les Miles raved about McClain during a Wednesday teleconference.

"He lines up the guys next to him," Miles said. "He understands backfield sets and what to expect. You can tell he's a very bright player. (He) understand the intricacies of the game."

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Those cerebral talents have only accentuated the way Saban, former defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and first-year DC Kirby Smart have developed McClain. With Saban in particular, coach and linebacker seem a perfect pair.

"He's the closest thing to Coach Saban on the field," Arenas said.

That aptitude, combined with Bama's other defensive stars (Arenas, defensive tackle Terrence Cody) and Ingram's consistency, have kept the Tide unbeaten. But LSU will provide Alabama with its toughest test of the season so far.

This season's statistics indicate that Saturday's game will follow the SEC's 2009 trends—defenders dominating, field goals outnumbering touchdowns and the need for a decent run game.

It seems like another perfect setup for Ingram, McClain and the unbeaten Tide. And with a win over the Tigers, the two players will move closer to another deal they've made: winning a conference championship in 2009.

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