Alabama couldn't have won the title without Tua, but it's reasonable to assert that without Hurts they wouldn't have played for one. At what point should Tua have started? That's a complicated answer, but I'd argue that for him to start the Miss. State game or prior to that would have jeopardized the season.
Let's start at FSU. Would anyone really have wanted to throw Tua into the teeth of that defense? Remember, Tua looked great against the second team defense at A-Day, but was noticeably behind Hurts facing the first team defense. He did have a good performance against Fresno St. the following game, but that's not much of an indicator he was big game ready. The following game against Colorado St., the entire offense looked out of sorts with him in, and Saban actually pulled Tua so that Hurts could come in and move the ball and put the game away.
That was followed by two stellar outings that showed Tua was progressing. However, fast forward to the Tennessee game and you see some of the risk. I specifically cited a pick six as one of the risks of putting Tua in when the game was on the line, and fortunately in that game it was already out of reach when Tua threw one.
Then we move forward to the Miss. State game. I'm not sure Tua could have played much better. Alabama's offense was kept off the field most of the game, Hurts came in and had what might have been the best game of his career when you consider what was on the line. That's the point where I wonder if Tua had started are we sure that turns out the same way? One big mistake and Miss. State might have won the game.
From the Auburn game on though, you start to get the sense that Hurts might be regressing while Tua might be game ready. Even the Clemson game though, Hurts didn't make the sort of mistakes that put Clemson back in the game. Alabama suffocated Clemson, and part of that was Hurts playing a very clean, risk adverse game (he actually had pretty good stats).
The Georgia game though, things obviously came to a head and I was demanding Tua in the second half myself. You just knew he was the only one that could do what was being asked of the quarterback. Even then though, disaster was narrow averted. On third down, in Tua's second drive he was very nearly sacked, resulting in a second three and out. Instead he miraculously escapes and continues the drive. He gets on track and brings Alabama back. Then there was some clock management issues late that might have cost Alabama a few yards, and Hurts was brought in to set up the field goal. Finally, we know about the sack. I illustrate those things not to disparage Tua, but to point out that if you substitute him earlier in the season, when he was less prepared, there are plenty of things that could have gone wrong.
I think it's pretty logical to argue that Tua should have started the Clemson game for example, or came in during the Auburn game. I can get that argument. But while I contend that he deserves to be the starter now, I find it a bit presumptuous to assume Tua's sheer talent would have always overcome his inexperience throughout the entire season.
There’s no “M” in “NC” anymore; unless, of course, one counts 2017 UCF...
There never was. It was just something people added to be snide. The real national champions were all selected by actual, real life selectors. Are Oscars mythical because people voted on them?
