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HURT: Saban's shell game at QB pays off
Cecil Hurt | Sports Editor
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts looks to the sideline during the first half against Southern California Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Arlington, Texas.
Tony Gutierrez | AP
It's the oldest hustle in the book, the shell game. Three shells, one pea and the hustler keeps them moving, focuses your eyes on one while the pea rests under another and as soon as you start to figure that out, there's another shuffle and then you finally figure it out and there's only one problem. You're flat busted.
That's why Nick Saban did for weeks with the quarterback situation at Alabama. Every time, it seemed, that one candidate had a lead, suddenly the buzz began to grow about another. When it seemed that Saban was on the verge of naming a starter, he'd mention a different name, or two until nearly everyone was exhausted in figuring it out.
"Everyone wrote about (the quarterbacks), but did anyone write that one of Southern Cal's players said 'I wish we knew who Alabama's quarterback was going to be.' Isn't that supposed to be the point? Or is that one of those hypothetical questions that ya'll like to ask?"
Through this week, Saban kept up the shuffle. He wasn't being dishonest, just elusive, and that, as he noted, is all part of the job. Going into the practices at the first of August, Cooper Bateman was considered the leader, thanks to seniority and Saban's fairly constant theme of "executing the offense" and "not forcing things." As time went on and Alabama did some scrimmage work, there was a big Jalen Hurts buzz. Last Monday, Saban said the competition to start was down to Bateman and Blake Barnett and there was speculation that maybe Hurts would sit and learn as true freshmen tend to do. But by Thursday on his radio call-in show, he seemed about to burst with the information that he had never said that Hurts wouldn't play, more or less a sure indication that Hurts would play.
Confused yet? There's more. By Saturday, most of the usual information outlets were sure that Barnett would get the start. But no one seemed clued in to the fact that his tenure would last until the middle of the first quarter, when Hurts would come in and fumble. The whole episode was then promptly declared a disaster. That opinion lasted a it two more strikes, which is when Hurts started to show the ability that had created the tremendous buzz in the first place.
By the time the 52-6 rout was over, Saban had a win -- and had stayed one step ahead of everyone looking at the quarterback question, which he said was essentially handled "according to plan, no matter what."
"For now," he added. "Did you ever make a 'for-now' decision. So we made a decision today for now. That's the only decision we made, and I am not speculating on what we're going to do in the future."
That means there may not be anything more definite this week than last week, as Western Kentucky -- a good team with nothing like the reputation of a Southern Cal -- comes to town. It's hard to imagine that, based on his performance against USC, that Hurts wouldn't be the starter. But Saban didn't say that. Barnett struggled in the first half, but came back in the second half (with a comfortable lead) and looked more relaxed.
Can there be a controversy after a 52-6 win over ranked opponent? Maybe that's not the right word. But can Saban keep the shells moving for another week? Don't be surprised if he does.
TideSports.com - HURT: Saban's shell game at QB pays off
Cecil Hurt | Sports Editor
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts looks to the sideline during the first half against Southern California Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Arlington, Texas.
Tony Gutierrez | AP
It's the oldest hustle in the book, the shell game. Three shells, one pea and the hustler keeps them moving, focuses your eyes on one while the pea rests under another and as soon as you start to figure that out, there's another shuffle and then you finally figure it out and there's only one problem. You're flat busted.
That's why Nick Saban did for weeks with the quarterback situation at Alabama. Every time, it seemed, that one candidate had a lead, suddenly the buzz began to grow about another. When it seemed that Saban was on the verge of naming a starter, he'd mention a different name, or two until nearly everyone was exhausted in figuring it out.
"Everyone wrote about (the quarterbacks), but did anyone write that one of Southern Cal's players said 'I wish we knew who Alabama's quarterback was going to be.' Isn't that supposed to be the point? Or is that one of those hypothetical questions that ya'll like to ask?"
Through this week, Saban kept up the shuffle. He wasn't being dishonest, just elusive, and that, as he noted, is all part of the job. Going into the practices at the first of August, Cooper Bateman was considered the leader, thanks to seniority and Saban's fairly constant theme of "executing the offense" and "not forcing things." As time went on and Alabama did some scrimmage work, there was a big Jalen Hurts buzz. Last Monday, Saban said the competition to start was down to Bateman and Blake Barnett and there was speculation that maybe Hurts would sit and learn as true freshmen tend to do. But by Thursday on his radio call-in show, he seemed about to burst with the information that he had never said that Hurts wouldn't play, more or less a sure indication that Hurts would play.
Confused yet? There's more. By Saturday, most of the usual information outlets were sure that Barnett would get the start. But no one seemed clued in to the fact that his tenure would last until the middle of the first quarter, when Hurts would come in and fumble. The whole episode was then promptly declared a disaster. That opinion lasted a it two more strikes, which is when Hurts started to show the ability that had created the tremendous buzz in the first place.
By the time the 52-6 rout was over, Saban had a win -- and had stayed one step ahead of everyone looking at the quarterback question, which he said was essentially handled "according to plan, no matter what."
"For now," he added. "Did you ever make a 'for-now' decision. So we made a decision today for now. That's the only decision we made, and I am not speculating on what we're going to do in the future."
That means there may not be anything more definite this week than last week, as Western Kentucky -- a good team with nothing like the reputation of a Southern Cal -- comes to town. It's hard to imagine that, based on his performance against USC, that Hurts wouldn't be the starter. But Saban didn't say that. Barnett struggled in the first half, but came back in the second half (with a comfortable lead) and looked more relaxed.
Can there be a controversy after a 52-6 win over ranked opponent? Maybe that's not the right word. But can Saban keep the shells moving for another week? Don't be surprised if he does.
TideSports.com - HURT: Saban's shell game at QB pays off
