Alabama QB competition article
- Thread starter Redwood Forrest
- Start date
Most of the time a transfer is going to be behind the returning starter, which is just another reason that it wasn't smart for him to transfer. If Jalen Hurts had been the one to transfer to Arizona State, he probably wouldn't be starting either.
There has been a lot of revisionist history about Barnett since he departed, but most of what we heard from the time he came to Alabama was how he looked good and was the future QB at Alabama once he got some experience and bulked up. He also recruited hard for Alabama when he was in high school, so I got no problem with him.
No doubt he has talent. He has a very strange delivery but the ball just explodes out of his hand. Talent isn’t the issue with him. He was completely overwhelmed again USC and had the “deer in headlights” look. It was clear after the first 2 series he was never going to start again for Bama.
He quit on the team in the middle of the season. I’m sorry but I have no sympathy for him. He can go live his life with his high-profile surfer wife (if there is such a thing). Apparently he’s a father now too so football shouldn’t be his top priority now anyway.
Actually, after the first 2 series vs USC he played pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLr8PqqOM90
The 3 games he played at Alabama he was 11 of 19, 2 touchdowns, 0 turnovers, and a 189.5 qb rating according to this source https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/blake-barnett-2.html
On the other hand, Hurts turned over the ball 14 times that season, and fumbled way more than that which were recovered.
I don't feel sorry for him either. My only point, as noted, was that I think he would have had a chance to play more had he stuck it out, because by the end of that season, good defenses had figured out Hurts, and his lack of a passing game, lack of an ability to read defense, lack of pocket presence, well, it hurt us. In my opinion it cost us a national title. It didn't have to be a great game by a great qb to win that one and it still stings. Just an average game at qb would have sufficed.
Last edited:
He also lacks loyalty and accountability. On the field he lacks consistent throwing accuracy. He can make an NFL throw on 1 play and then miss a WR by 5-10 yards the next.
Even if he had his stuff together between the ears he would have lost to Jalen based on decision making. Barnett has NO problem throwing INT’s in practice.
He did very well in garbage time. Stats sometimes don't tell the whole truth. Watch that game replay sometime and notice how Barnett looked like he had just been through Vietnam. 1000 yard stare. A panicked look. Then notice how Hurts looked after that fumble. Hurts was better put together above the shoulders and there is very little you can do to fix that especially in the season.
It's a moot point anyway because Barnett has been gone for nearly 2 years. Somebody just mentioned his name, and I don't even remember the context.
We have Tagovailoa now, and he's better than Barnett or Hurts. At least I think so.
We have Tagovailoa now, and he's better than Barnett or Hurts. At least I think so.
Last edited:
Stats or not, it was clear that the team responded much more to Hurts than Barnett in 2016. CNS and the coaching staff use that as a factor for giving a guy the starting nod.
Ironically, I think this ultimately led to why CNS gave Tau the opportunity in the second half against Georgia. By all accounts there had been an up-swelling of support for Tua for much of the latter half of the season in the lockerroom, but Jalen's failure to lead us to a lead against Georgia was the perfect tipping point for CNS to let Tua do his thing.
I think it'll go down as the turning point of the second half of CNS's career at Bama, especially if Tua leads us to another title or two in the next 3 years.
I saw an interview (post Tua's finger surgery) with Fbaum and Greg McElroy discussing this very topic. GM said ultimately, Nick Saban will start the quarterback that is most accepted by the team or aka "Wins the team". He went on to say that scrimmage game stats do matter to some degree. But ultimately its whichever player the team sees as "their leader".
Obviously this isn't a total separate matter from "upside" and "talent/ability" and becomes more of a factor when all else is even (like between Barnes and Hurts at the beginning of that season). Now that Tua has proven his potential on the biggest stage and having seen how the team responded by better production with him under center, I think Tua's in the catbird seat. Just don't mess it up (get injured, break the rules, commit a crime, get the big head) and he'll be the guy next year.
Saban didn't make the change because Tua was better - he made the change because the TD scored by Georgia at the end of the 1st half had Alabama spiraling out of the game. Saban didn't just need better QB play - he needed something that would give the entire team a spark. He hoped that Tua would provide that spark, and he had nothing to lose.
Alabama still loses that game if the defense doesn't play better in the second half.
Alabama still loses that game if the defense doesn't play better in the second half.
It's a pretty good bet he'd not have made the change if Tagovailoa wasn't better. I think it was pretty clear to anybody that watched the two qbs last season, and I'm pretty sure that Saban watched them more than anybody did, that #13 is better in nearly every facet of the game. That isn't to say that Saban will necessarily play the better qb, and he didn't when we lost at Auburn, but when push came to shove, and the national title was on the line, with Hurts again failing to produce, it came to Tagovailoa.
If Saban knew that Tua gave Alabama the best chance of beating Georgia, how do you explain Jalen starting the game? A lot of people knew that Barnett was better than Jalen. We all know how that worked out.
I didn't say Saban knew that Tua gave Alabama the best chance to beat UGA (though I believe it's safe to say that by halftime he did think that). I said "I think it was pretty clear to anybody that watched the two qbs last season, and I'm pretty sure that Saban watched them more than anybody did, that #13 is better in nearly every facet of the game."
Evidently Saban thought all year, even in the Auburn fame, that Jalen Hurts gave Alabama a good chance to win ballgames, and we did win ballgames. He's very conservative regarding offense. As has been noted many times, the O.C. wanted to play Tagovailoa earlier. There was darn near a revolt among the wide receivers. Saban evidently sacrificed offensive production for conservative ball control. Then came crunch time, when the lack of an offense was going to cost us another national title. So play the guy that can move the team. Yes. The defense did play better in the 2nd half. The entire team played better because now we had a chance to win the game. Roll Tide Roll
Nothing to lose is exactly right.
A lot of people call the switch the gutsiest call of Saban’s time in Tuscaloosa. I’ve never thought so.
If Jalen had stayed in, there’s a 100% chance we lose that game. Sitting in the locker room at the half, you don’t know how Tua will respond — nobody could have predicted what actually happened. But you know if you don’t make the change, it won’t end well.
So I don’t think it was gutsy. Saban had no choice.
It's all about risk management. That's why Saban played Tua when he did. Its also why he would have likely played Tua against Clemson had things gone differently with our defense.
You know exactly what you are getting with Jalen game to game. He is a risk adverse QB with limited passing ability and elite athletic ability. There is no reason to make a change at QB if you believe you can win the game with that. And, with our Defense we can beat 99% of teams that way.
Tua, was more of an unknown. Saban knew he was a better passer than Jalen and had dual threat ability but its possible to know how anyone (especially a QB) will really perform in a high pressured game situation. Add in that he was a TF and Saban had every reason NOT to play him. So again, there is no reason to bench Jalen unless you feel you absolutely have to. Its why I thought Tua might get a shot vs Auburn but I think the difference was the bowl practices and the Auburn loss gave Saban more comfort in the idea of playing Tua.
You know exactly what you are getting with Jalen game to game. He is a risk adverse QB with limited passing ability and elite athletic ability. There is no reason to make a change at QB if you believe you can win the game with that. And, with our Defense we can beat 99% of teams that way.
Tua, was more of an unknown. Saban knew he was a better passer than Jalen and had dual threat ability but its possible to know how anyone (especially a QB) will really perform in a high pressured game situation. Add in that he was a TF and Saban had every reason NOT to play him. So again, there is no reason to bench Jalen unless you feel you absolutely have to. Its why I thought Tua might get a shot vs Auburn but I think the difference was the bowl practices and the Auburn loss gave Saban more comfort in the idea of playing Tua.
Latest threads
-
Maybe aTm's Pockets Aren't So Bottomless After All -- Layoffs In The Athletic Department
- Started by 4Q Basket Case
- Replies: 1
-
Time to un-vacate 2005-2007 on field victories and un-forfeit the 1993 season?
- Started by CmdrThor
- Replies: 9
-
-
-
SIAP there was an article that Joe K interviewed for assistant coach
- Started by mlingerfelt31
- Replies: 11
-
Final Home Midweek for Alabama Brings Samford to The Joe- Started by Diamond Tide
- Replies: 0