Alabama SI Cover Tournament: Shaun Alexander vs. Can Anyone Roll The Tide?

The first-round of the Nick Saban Regional wraps up with another legend vs. big-win matchup, as Shaun Alexander squares off against Alabama's 2013 season-opening victory against Virginia Tech as the Crimson Tide took its first step toward a possible three-peat.

BamaCentral is holding a 48-field single-elimination tournament to determine the best Alabama Sports Illustrated cover.

Vote on Twitter (@BamaCentral) or Facebook (@AlabamaonSI). The voting goes 24 hours for each matchup and the result added to the original post on BamaCentral.

First round

Nick Saban Regional

Game 4: Do You Know His Name vs. Can Anyone Roll the Tide?

Do You Know His Name?

Hint: He's the Leading Rusher In The NFL ...

Story headline: Must-See Seahawk

Subhead: He scores, he smiles, he leads the league in rushing -- and now that Seattle has become the cream of the NFL, Shaun Alexander is getting some long-deserved recognition

Excerpt (by Nunyo Demasio): The buzz starts when Shaun Alexander saunters into a bowling alley in Bellevue, Wash., not far from the Seattle Seahawks' training facility. Spectators flock to the 28-year-old tailback, in black jeans and a matching jacket, as he moves from lane to lane, greeting teammates and sponsors at cornerback Marcus Trufant's charity tournament. The crowd around Alexander swells every time he stops--people shoving one another, blocking the paths of waitresses, angling to get near him, to snap a photo. He heads for the middle of the floor, where there's room to sign footballs, posters and T-shirts, and the frenzy increases. A booming voice over the P.A. implores fans to form a single line, but the throng of roughly 100 ignores it. Alexander gladly interacts with the autograph seekers for a half hour, then departs so teammates can bowl in peace.

"You would have thought it was Michael Jordan," says quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. "It was almost dangerous."

Can Anyone Roll The Tide?

Story headline: How to Beat Bama

Subhead: The Crimson Tide [is] expertly coached, stacked with future NFL talent and confident of running the table, but opponents who are smart, willing and armed with the right personnel can take eight simple steps and make one giant leap past the bullies of the BCS. And the team that did just that in 2012 is up next.

Excerpt (by Lars Anderson): College football is a game of mercurial bounces, tip-of-the-finger deflections and freak injuries, and it requires good fortune as much as good fundamentals to navigate through a season undefeated. Just ask Kansas State, the reigning Big 12 champ, which lost 24-21 at home last Friday night to a big-hearted team from the backwaters of the Football Championship Subdivision, North Dakota State. The sport is riveting not just because Davids can beat Goliaths, but also because that one loss can crushed a title contender's hopes—even if that contender is littered with five-star recruits on its third string.

Which brings us to the question that hangs over the nation as the 2013 season gets under way: Can anyone take down No. 1 Alabama?

The Crimson Tide's opener last Saturday no doubt emboldened those who say yes.

Results

Can Anyone Roll The Tide d. Do You Know His Name, 72-18 percent.