Alabama QB competition article

RollTide_HTTR

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The opposite of your point though, is being able to move the ball consistently. That should be the goal instead as it puts way more pressure on the other team, both on offense (getting impatient) and defense (getting worn out). That's exactly what Clemson did to us...
Absolutely. I'm not saying that you want explosive platys only or that you should rely on them. I'm saying they aren't inherently negative. The negative it the inability to move the ball the rest of the time.
I was looking into numbers and what I found actually was Alabama had most of their success with relatively average quarterback play and a great running game. When Alabama aired things out the results became less consistent. Now that's not the only factor, but it is a factor.

I'm a big Saints fan, and I've used this example before, but Brees is a great QB. He wins a lot of games with his arm, but there are games he loses with them to. I pointed this out elsewhere, but for instance Blake Sims against Ohio State throws 3 picks. He had a good game throwing the ball, 237 yards and 2 TDs, but those 3 INTs were killer. So there's a live by the sword die by the sword aspect to airing it out. Running plays have less that can go wrong really. Furthermore though, if you can sustain a great running game, the stuff you do in the air becomes a bonus. The running game can just take the other team out of the game completely though, if they don't have the ball they can't score.

Alabama won championships on Mark Ingrams Heisman season, Derrick Henry's Heisman season, along with Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy's best seasons. I'd argue it isn't good QB play that's the problem, it's just that the more you rely on QB play the more little things that can go wrong. Three of the best seasons we've seen from Alabama quarterbacks in the Saban era didn't result in championship for example (AJ's senior year, GMac's senior year and Blake's senior year).
Alabama is the exception though right? We have been able to have sustained success through a very specific formula. Look at other teams that win championships or come close. They almost all have great to elite QB play and passing games.

And, this still doesn't say that inefficient QB play leads to success it just says that a balanced offenses that limits risk does.

I do think the formula is different in college than the NFL because of the talent gap between teams. QBs role and therefore the passing games role can be diminished but even then it can be limited when facing teams that recruit at a close enough level and have elite or high level QB play.

In the NFL you almost never see a team win a Super Bowl or have sustained success on the back of a strong running game and mediocre passing game anymore. The teams with sustained success do it on the back of QB play.

Also, I didn't mean to take a stance against ever running the ball or anything (at least not in college). I'm all aboard the run the ball train especially when you are lacking elite QB play. I was really trying to ask the question "Are there some inherent inefficiencies in a QB that gets the majority of his yards running the ball as opposed to throwing?" Basically, are all QB yards created equal? and I would bet they aren't.
 
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AlexanderFan

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All you really need is a quarterback who is good to great in one area and EFFICIENT in the other. Jalen is excellent at running, if he could be efficient at finding receivers for first downs he would be unstoppable.


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Intl.Aperture

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All you really need is a quarterback who is good to great in one area and EFFICIENT in the other. Jalen is excellent at running, if he could be efficient at finding receivers for first downs he would be unstoppable.


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That's a pretty good point.

This may be what people skeptical of Tua's imminent reign have in mind.

Maybe Jalen doesn't have to pass as well as Tua to hold onto the job. Maybe he only needs to be a little more effective down the field. That mixed with his legs is devastating.

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Crimson White

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You obviously need a good and consistently balanced offense these days, especially vs good defenses, and Hurts just can not produce that. I still maintain the bottom line is simply that he is not nearly as good as Tua in about any facet of the gameand perhaps not as good as or better than Mac in a proficient passing game. I think the best thing for Hurts and this team is for him to transfer out over the summer because there is the potential for a divided team in this sort of situation though I think the majority would be in Tuas camp. The entire team seems to play better for him even back into last season. The near wide receiver revolt and now Hurts dads comments just exacerbate the whole thing.
 

BamaMoon

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If you want to know what Bama looks like with a very good QB play and being dominant in most other areas just look back to the 2012 season. Remember how we took care of ND in the BCSNCG???

The point is we've rarely had good/great QB play along with the other critical areas. When we didn't have great QB play and still won NCs it was not because passing wasn't important, but it was because we won despite great QB play with being dominant in other areas on offense and especially on defense.

I think what we'll see with Tua is GREAT QB play with our typical dominant play in other offensive and defenses components.

This should be very fun to watch!!!

Infering average QB play makes us better some years is not seeing the big picture IMO.
 
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RollTide_HTTR

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If you want to know what Bama looks like with a very good QB play and being domimant in most other areas just look back to the 2012 season. Remember how we took care of ND in the BCSNCG???

The point is we've rarely had good/great QB play along with the other critical areas. When we didn't have great QB play and still won NCs it was not because passing wasn't important, but it was because we won despite great QB play with being dominant in other areas on offense and especially on defense.

I think what we'll see with Tua is GREAT QB play with our typical dominant play in other offensive and defenses components.

This should be very fun to watch!!!

Infering average QB play makes us better some years is not seeing the big picture IMO.
I think this is very possible. I still think the 2012 team is the best of the Saban era. But, we arguably have potential to be even better. Tua >>> AJ at this point in their careers and I think our WRs have potential to grow into the best unit we've had. Plus Damien and Najee could rival any one two punch we have had at RB under Saban. All we need to figure out is who should play where on the OL.
 

Bamabuzzard

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If you want to know what Bama looks like with a very good QB play and being dominant in most other areas just look back to the 2012 season. Remember how we took care of ND in the BCSNCG???

The point is we've rarely had good/great QB play along with the other critical areas. When we didn't have great QB play and still won NCs it was not because passing wasn't important, but it was because we won despite great QB play with being dominant in other areas on offense and especially on defense.

I think what we'll see with Tua is GREAT QB play with our typical dominant play in other offensive and defenses components.

This should be very fun to watch!!!

Infering average QB play makes us better some years is not seeing the big picture IMO.

The worse the qb play gets the more pressure it puts on other areas of the team to be perfect. Have we won titles with par to subpar quarterbacking? Yep, we sure have. But it was because other areas of the team were dominant that game or that entire year. The goal of any coach is for all positions to be a strength and eliminate as many "weaknesses" as possible. The better the quarterback play the less perfect the defense, special teams and running game has to be.
 

CoachJeff

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The only title we won with below average QB play was 2009. I'm talking about the title game. 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017 (second half and OT) were won with good QB play.

You can get far with an average or below average QB at Bama, but you are rarely going to win it all. Gotta have the QB show up.
 

CoachJeff

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Alabama Title Game QB stats:

2009 - 6/11 58 yds, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
2011- 22/34 234 Yds, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
2012 - 20/28 264 yds, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
2015 - 16/25 335 yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
2017 - (2nd half/OT) 14/24 166 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
 

rgw

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McElroy had his best game in a Alabama uniform in the SECCG. Didn't have a good BCSCG due to broken ribs from that SECCG but nonetheless I'd still say that every single champion under Saban had one game where they had to play exceedingly well to get there or secure it.
 

B1GTide

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McElroy had his best game in a Alabama uniform in the SECCG. Didn't have a good BCSCG due to broken ribs from that SECCG but nonetheless I'd still say that every single champion under Saban had one game where they had to play exceedingly well to get there or secure it.
Agreed - GMac made up for his terrible mid-season slump in that game. Auburn confounds me. There is no way that the 2009 Auburn team should have been able to hang with Alabama, but they almost beat you.
 

RTR91

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Agreed - GMac made up for his terrible mid-season slump in that game. Auburn confounds me. There is no way that the 2009 Auburn team should have been able to hang with Alabama, but they almost beat you.
Long story short -

Allegedly, the fire alarms were pulled in the team hotel in Montgomery a few times during the night. Then, the team gets slowed down on I-85 on its way to Auburn because of "traffic."

Once the game started, Chizik pulled out a few tricks in the first quarter to gain early momentum.
 

PA Tide Fan

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Interesting answer by Saban when asked if Jalen Hurts will still be around in the fall:

Saban:“I don’t know that I’m in a position to make that decision”

Perhaps not, but I think CNS is certainly in a position to influence that decision. IOW if he would name Jalen the starter then he would definitely stay. Sounds like something CNS would say when he's leaning toward Tua. That's my take. All we can do is try and read the tea leaves whenever Saban speaks.
 

BamaMoon

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Interesting answer by Saban when asked if Jalen Hurts will still be around in the fall:

Saban:“I don’t know that I’m in a position to make that decision”

Perhaps not, but I think CNS is certainly in a position to influence that decision. IOW if he would name Jalen the starter then he would definitely stay. Sounds like something CNS would say when he's leaning toward Tua. That's my take. All we can do is try and read the tea leaves whenever Saban speaks.
Two things might have happened in that meeting with Jalen's father:

1. CNS could have told him I've made up my find and Tua's starting.
2. CNS could have told him Jalen and Tua will complete for the job next fall.

We know it's not #1 or Jalen's dad tell it...so it's got to be something close to version #2. Jalen's dad is not dense and he is already reading between the lines.
 

RollTide_HTTR

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Is it just me or is Trent Dilfer suddenly the biggest Gump of all time...
Trent Dilfer: 'Tua Tagovailoa could go unbeaten as Alabama QB'

[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]"People said that I’m being hyperbolic with this comment, but I think Tua could go through his college career and never lose a game," Dilfer said. "I think he’s that kind of talent with the right supporting cast. I honestly could envision an Alabama team that beats everybody 50-3 with Tua as the quarterback. I just think he’s that kind of good. I could be wrong, but that’s what I think.
[/FONT]
[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]"In my eight years doing this, is the most unique prospect that I’ve ever coached. He can learn faster than anybody I’ve ever seen learn. He can change. Jeff Tedford was my quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator when I was in college. He would always tell me if you want to be a great quarterback, you’ve gotta be able to change the next rep. It’s okay that you made a mistake, but you’ve got to change the next rep, and if you can learn that fast, your ceiling is super high."[/FONT]
 

Intl.Aperture

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Is it just me or is Trent Dilfer suddenly the biggest Gump of all time...
Trent Dilfer: 'Tua Tagovailoa could go unbeaten as Alabama QB'
I'm the type of guy that would prefer he not say that.

I know he was asked to give his opinion and that's what it is but Tua just doesn't need the extra hype...and Dilfer is known to be somewhat hyperbolic with his opinions.

Next I expect him to be like, "And honestly I could see Tua performing a triple bypass on a pair of siamese twins if he's got the right supporting cast around him. And his ability to learn doesn't stop at football - I've never seen anything like it. I told him to close his eyes and then I replaced the football with a Stradivarius violin and he just started playing Smetana's "Ma Vlast"! All 6 movements! The sound was so pure that it cured my gout! But that's just my opinion. All the great violinists have the ability to change from one bar to the next, and that ability is really going to allow Tua to soar as a rocket scientist, because, at Alabama, I could honestly see him literally going to the moon on a rocket he built powered solely by the bluster of mine and everyone else'soverblown hype!"

I'm a huge Tua fan, but come on.

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