Re: 2016 Season QB Thread (Moved QB Posts from Practice Thread)
I think the discussion about playing for the present or the future illustrates the tremendous pressure Nick Saban is under at Alabama. He's managed to avoid rebuilding, without the luxury of just leaving town like Urban Meyer did when faced with losing key players. Pretty much every other program, has had those peaks and then they have a down year or two while they get ready. I don't expect Ohio State to be in the playoffs this year, but Alabama is expected to be there, no matter who the QB is.
The real issue isn't expectations though, I think it is that every single year Nick Saban knows the team has potential to win a championship. This makes it hard to do really big moves. Coaching changes, choosing who starts, those are all colored by the realization that a championship is within reach and it's more about inching closer than rocking the boat.
So, at QB do you think he's going to go with youth just for the sake of youth? I don't think he can risk the season like that. Much like the notion that Kiffin might go with Barnett over other QBs because of personal preference, I just don't see that is being the primary factor. When in doubt, yes Saban might prefer youth/potential but that comes with risk as well. If Barnett or Hurts get the job, Alabama faces the potential of losing almost all their QB depth so that's another risk. In some ways that makes Bateman the safest choice of them all since it preserves the depth. But, does that mean Bateman wins the job simply because of that? I think those are all factors and none will become the deciding one by itself.
I think the discussion about playing for the present or the future illustrates the tremendous pressure Nick Saban is under at Alabama. He's managed to avoid rebuilding, without the luxury of just leaving town like Urban Meyer did when faced with losing key players. Pretty much every other program, has had those peaks and then they have a down year or two while they get ready. I don't expect Ohio State to be in the playoffs this year, but Alabama is expected to be there, no matter who the QB is.
The real issue isn't expectations though, I think it is that every single year Nick Saban knows the team has potential to win a championship. This makes it hard to do really big moves. Coaching changes, choosing who starts, those are all colored by the realization that a championship is within reach and it's more about inching closer than rocking the boat.
So, at QB do you think he's going to go with youth just for the sake of youth? I don't think he can risk the season like that. Much like the notion that Kiffin might go with Barnett over other QBs because of personal preference, I just don't see that is being the primary factor. When in doubt, yes Saban might prefer youth/potential but that comes with risk as well. If Barnett or Hurts get the job, Alabama faces the potential of losing almost all their QB depth so that's another risk. In some ways that makes Bateman the safest choice of them all since it preserves the depth. But, does that mean Bateman wins the job simply because of that? I think those are all factors and none will become the deciding one by itself.