The new redshirt rule has changed the way teams use their roster -- most notably the true freshman.
You can now play up to four games and retain that year of eligibility.
Nick Saban in July said he liked the rule because it doesn't force them to make as many difficult decisions that could burn a redshirt with one appearance. He has expressed concerns recently about the way upperclassmen have used the rule to transfer midseason before playing a fifth game.
So far, nobody has left the Crimson Tide roster to preserve that year.
And with the freshmen, only six are no longer eligible for a redshirt after playing in all five games.