At about this time every week, I always look forward to getting my copy of Sports Illustrated.

As I peruse that particular week’s issue, I always focus on the pictures and read the stories that seem interesting.

On this week’s issue, Alabama fifth-year senior quarterback AJ McCarron is on the cover. McCarron is the 17th Crimson Tide player to be featured on the cover while Nick Saban has been leading the charge.

My first thought when I saw him on the front page was whether it would jinx the team, because it’s been said that teams or players featured on the cover of SI usually lose their games either the day of or week after the issue was published.

Fortunately for Alabama, the Crimson Tide has Chattanooga this week at home, so the jinx looks more like a hoax.

Usually when the magazine features a player on the cover, it has them in action playing their particular sport.

Not so for McCarron. The quarterback is sitting alone in a booth at Rama Jama’s just outside of Bryant-Denny Stadium, wearing an Alabama letterman jacket.

I asked my colleague whether he thinks McCarron actually wears the jacket, to which he promptly replied, “I’d sleep in it.”

A big question was asked whether McCarron is one of the best ever?

I understand why the question was posed, because McCarron is on the verge of leading the Crimson Tide to their third straight BCS National Championship title. All Alabama has to do is win out the rest of the way.

So, if McCarron helps lead Alabama to win its third national championship in a row, then I think it’s pretty safe to say that he’s the best.

What do you think?