The college football season gets underway tonight, and the Southeastern Conference’s out-of-conference match ups are sure to get the 2009 season off with a bang. No. 5 Alabama  vs.  No. 7 Virginia TechAlabama opened last season with a match up against then No. 9 Clemson, and after a dominating 34-10 victory against the Tigers, the Crimson Tide went on to a 12-2 season.”Playing against a good team like Clemson in the first game and playing well and winning enhanced our confidence and really brought us together as a team,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban in a teleconference Wednesday. The Tide hope to build that same confidence as they head to Atlanta to face Virginia Tech in the Georgia Dome. ”I think we are going to find out where we are,” Saban said. “This game is only going to prepare us to be a better team even if it doesn’t work out the way we want it to work out. It will prepare us to be a better team when we play SEC opponents on the road and some of the great SEC teams we’re going to have to play down the road.”The Crimson Tide may be without sophomore wide receiver Julio Jones and sophomore running back Mark Ingram on Saturday as they await an NCAA ruling on their eligibility.”That is up to the NCAA,” Saban said. “I don’t think it’s my decision to do anything. We are hoping for a response, and we want to do things the right way from a programs standpoint and for the players’ best interest.”Jones led the Tide with 58 receptions for 924 yards and four touchdowns last season. Ingram rushed for 728 yards last season and led the Tide with 12 rushing touchdowns. Saban said he was not considering the possible NCAA action as the teams prepare for this weekend’s match up.”I’m not really into speculating what might not be,” Saban said. “I got enough problems with what is, so let’s just focus on what is right now.”  Saban said defensive end Brandon Deaderick, who was shot in the arm during an attempted robbery Monday, will most likely not play Saturday.”He’s very fortunate, obviously, not to be injured any worse than he is,” Saban said. No. 13 Georgia at No. 9 Oklahoma StateGeorgia also opens its season against a top-10 opponent, as they face Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.”This game against Oklahoma State is going to draw a lot of attention, and that’s good for your program,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt.The Bulldogs had to replace quarterback Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and senior Joe Cox has been charged with that task.  “I think Joe has done a wonderful job of leading our football team,” Richt said. “He’s been our No. 2 guy for a while now. Our No. 2 guy should be ready to play at a moment’s notice, and he’s done that.”Cox appeared in three games last season for the Bulldogs and completed 11-of-15 passes with two touchdowns; one came in the Bulldogs’ loss against Florida.Georgia also had to replace running back Knowshon Moreno who rushed for 1,400 yards last season. Richt said he expects his running backs to carry the ball at least 25 times a game. “Right now I’ve let [sophomore] Richard Samuel get the majority of it,” he said. “[Sophomore] Caleb King’s hamstring is not coming around, so he probably won’t make this trip.”  King and Samuel rushed for a combined 390 yards last season and each reached the endzone once.—-Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]