I agree, but I also don't think this is really a "2 quarterback thing." Tua is the starter, and stays in the game until it is out of reach. It just happens that in our first four games that means his day is done really early. We will eventually probably have a game that is competitive for four quarters, and then Tua will get all the snaps, and probably put up some monster stats.
Saban on Jalen Hurts 9-26-18
- Thread starter Kpro
- Start date
all the more reason to get Tua off the field as early as is feasible in every game.
I just can't buy that. The only thing that came between Hurts and a championship against Clemson was a last second score. I don't know how much better Hurts is, and I'd say yes if he lines up against Georgia or Ohio State or the like it could be an issue.
But, Alabama won a championship in a game when G-Mac had broken ribs and was 6/11 passing. Hurts might not have what it takes to win against 5% of Alabama's opponents, that might be true. But he has what it takes to win against 95% of them, so in almost every scenario in which Tua has to miss time, Hurts is a perfectly capable replacement.
Doesn't bother me one teeny tiny bit. Alabama lost one SEC game and won a championship. I don't share the obsession with fans of that team.
And this is Hurts greatest value. Saban knows Hurts won't blow a big lead, considering he never has. So he can keep Tua healthier by inserting Hurts earlier than a normal backup. A healthy Tua is way more important than a 4,000 yard passing Tua.
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I don't know how to tell you how to get in touch with Coach Saban, but maybe he has another opening for an analyst.
Some of yall seem to be taking offense to B1Gs statement but I would wager he's not wrong and it's not a knock on Jalen. I called the 2016 game before it started. I told my buddies Clemson would win cause of our QB situation. We also had an outstanding defense, better than this years, but give a Heisman QB 99 plays and he's going to beat you if your offense can't move the ball. Truth is its a new year and Jalen is doing the mop up duty now so we still don't know if he's capable of putting enough points up or converting enough 3rd downs to win against the other big 3 in a game from start to finish. He's improved but how much is still a question mark.
Agreed. I don't know why people are so up in arms over BIGs comment. Especially since that is true of probably every team with a legitimate shot at the playoff. If their staring QB goes down their backup likely won't be able to win them a Championship.
Your totally right- and so is B1G, but it just doesn't feel like the right time to say it- and we ALL know it already.
It just feels a little off-color for the moment, and I usually think B1G strikes a good tone.
But with everything going on in football with transfers, the thing to focus on right now is a kid who is sticking with his team and doing everything he can to get better at the game and at his position. That's worth a round of applause and we could leave the obvious at the door.
We all know he ain't the answer, but that feels like piling on at the moment. It sounds like he's a real standup guy who makes others around him better by his example.
Worked well for Ohio State.
Out the following teams, which team would most likely win a title with their backup?:
Alabama (Jalen Hurts)
Ohio State (Tate Martell)
Georgia (Justin Fields)
Clemson (Chase Brice)
Oklahoma (Austin Kendall)
Washington (Jacob Eason)
Auburn (Malik Willis)
I didnt like losing to Auburn, either, especially as it seems like it was avoidable. But sometimes, lessons need to be learned, and if this was a needed lesson, I'll take the Nattie over the barn any day. My Auburn friends dont talk about it, because they stunk up the joint so bad for the next couple of games, and they pretty much know they are 8 weeks away from a good thrashing, and us probably with another championship.
The worst thing about losing to Auburn has been UCF, and I can handle that.
The worst thing about losing to Auburn has been UCF, and I can handle that.
I mean sure but Ohio State was an outlier. And no idea. Probably us by virtue of us being Alabama and having CNS but idk why that matters.
Jalen has improved significantly since the Championship game. Don't discount his ability to pass against Georgia if he needs to this year...I think we'd be in better shape this year than last for sure.
I don't think minutes played will affect Tua's Heisman chances....a 70 percent plus completion rate, amazingly high TD pass percentage per attempt, 3+ TDs in two quarters of play and amazing highlight reel of TD passes should do just fine.
Here's part of where I get caught up in defending Hurts. I said on this very forum that the game could be a train wreck. I had grave concerns, but they had more to do with the OC situation than anything else.
People still to this day discount what went down, even though it was arguably the worst OC situation a team has found itself in with only one week to prepare for a championship game. Yes, OCs have changed prior to the bowl game, but that typically happens with something like a month to prepare, Hurts and Sark had one week of prep time, one week! This is a true freshman, 18 year old, playing in front of a huge crowd, and he has one week to get used to a completely new play caller?
Now you can say oh well the offense wasn't that different, and Sark was already familiar with the team, but he wasn't and Hurts wasn't used to him calling the plays! And we saw that in the actual game, we saw an issue with timing of the plays, we saw Clemson defenders being ready for the play and Alabama unable to counter that. There's no question at all, 100%, any analysis of the game will show this, that the actual calling of the plays was disruptive. Yet, because Alabama lost 35-31, because Hurts struggled (he did put Alabama in the lead the last time he had the ball, so his poise wasn't the issue) and Clemson scored in the last second to win the game, that Hurts couldn't win that game.
I strongly refute that and I always have! My assertion is and will continue to be, that if Kiffin had been focused and capable of doing his job (unlike the Washington game, which is why he wasn't OC for the Clemson one) that Alabama would win that game, and it would have been with Hurts at quarterback. Kiffin could have and would have beaten Clemson twice in a row.
And just go back and review, consider the plays that the calling of the plays (not necessarily the play calling itself, but the timing) disrupted the offense, and consider how different the outcome would have been. All it would have taken is one or two offensive plays to turn out differently, and you can find more than that, that were disrupted. That's not even counting the fact that I consider Kiffin to be a better play caller in the first place. So... that's one that's always stuck with me, Alabama wins if Kiffin does his job! Period.
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Bro, no disrespect intended WHATSOEVER - but, I think your take on this has been printed in more places than the bible.
I show up to a Best Western, open the drawer by the bed and there's a copy of your defense for Jalen's championship performance.
Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff in there - I just don't know if it's for me. Ya know?
I don't know about that, but our running game and defense would have to improve. Problem is, without #13, our running game would be under more pressure than now because the passing game wouldn't be as efficient.
Voodoo on all that anyway. Don't put that evil on me Ricky Bobby!
I see no reason to play Jalen as many snaps as possible, except for misplaced loyalty. OTOH, I see no reason not to play Tua as few snaps as possible. Perhaps the two aren't that far apart...
I keep seeing people argue he couldn't beat Clemson though, like the whole offensive coordinator thing didn't happen. I'm not defending his performance, I'm saying you don't pull the rug out from under the guy and he plays better, you don't screw up when you get the plays in, and it makes it harder for Clemson to do what they did. I can watch and pinpoint plays where the play calling was an issue, where Clemson sniffed things out, etc.. So yeah each time I see someone act as though the coordinator situation central to the performance, wasn't an issue, I'm probably going to point out what I think should have been obvious and yet remains a consistent omission.
Jalen could have beaten Clemson. That's not a defense of his performance, that's just derived from watching the game and pointing out an issue that was obvious.
Edit: Just so we're clear on what happened, the way some people talk about it is like Alabama got beat by three touchdowns or something. Alabama got beat on the last drive of the game after taking the lead with very little time remaining. Yes, I can point out numerous things, including Jalen's play that would have resulted in a win if done differently, but it's just categorically false to come to the conclusion he couldn't win, because he obviously could have. To draw the conclusion that you knew all along Jalen wouldn't be able to win is to ignore the very obvious fact that he could.
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