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Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Here we go again. Alabama QB competition time is here again and this time it's a little different.
This should feel familiar by now. It's almost weird when Alabama doesn't have some kind of quarterback question at the dawn of preseason camp.
The 2018 edition marks the sixth time in Nick Saban's 12 Alabama seasons a new starter could assume the Crimson Tide's most important position. Since 2014, only the 2017 season had resolution before opening weekend, so this scenario is nothing new to the program.
This one, though, is different.
It'll break the mold in a few ways when practice opens Friday in Tuscaloosa.
First, it's the first time an incumbent will be challenged by someone already in the roster.
Jalen Hurts vs. Tua Tagovailoa is the matchup Saban would've loved in 2014, 2015 or 2016. It's proven vs. situationally proven. A two-year starter with a 26-2 record against the championship-game savior who stepped into a deep hole in January and delivered a ring.
In that sense, there isn't as much a wrong answer but different variations of correct.
There isn't the mystery of what each could bring to the offense.
We know. We've seen.
Hurts was the ultimate wild card in 2016 when he became the first true freshman Alabama starter since 1984.
That year followed the pattern of Tide seasons with a starting quarterback that almost defies convention.
Almost every time a new starter won the job, he wasn't required to make the difference. Wins came elsewhere.
Keep in mind three of the five seasons with new starters ended in national titles. Another saw the Tide earn the No. 1 seed in the playoff and the other it lost in the championship game.
By any measure, the last five first-year starters had successful seasons. They also stepped into favorable situations.
The three championship seasons had a defense ranked no worse than No. 3 nationally. Two of the three had Heisman Trophy running backs in Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015). Trent Richardson was a finalist in 2011 when AJ McCarron beat
Phillip Sims in a championship season.
Only once in those five seasons with new starting quarterbacks did Alabama rank better than 62nd in passing offense. The exception was 2014 when Amari Cooper broke all the receiving records in Blake Sims' season for a No. 29 passing offense ranking.
We note all of that because, again, this season is different.
The core of Alabama's generational defenses of the past two seasons are now in the NFL. That's 14 defensive players drafted the past two springs -- seven alone from 2017's championship team.
At some point that will catch up with an Alabama defense that ranked in the top three each of the past three seasons in points allowed. When it does, there could be a few track meets that need winning like the ones that popped up in the era of defensive transformation from 2012-2014.
The starting quarterback in 2018 will also be without four of the five leading receivers from last season. Calvin Ridley, now an Atlanta Falcon, could have made life easier on a passer in need of a reception. A talented group returns, though the obvious bell cow hasn't emerged as the sure safety net.
A higher burden on the quarterback position is what all that means. Flat out: There's more at stake for QB1 this fall.
At the same time, a capable backup figures to be available if the first option isn't consistent. And as recently as last week, Saban again said he's not opposed to finding roles for both in what would be another departure from previous quarterback derby episodes.
A healthy stable of big-time running backs is the other caveat. Damien Harris, Najee Harris and Josh Jacobs present a three-headed attack as good as any Alabama's rolled out in the Saban era.
That's a huge boost assuming the offensive line plays better than it did in spring practice.
Add it up and this is a good year to have a pair of quarterbacks who have meaningful game experience. There isn't quite the rush to have continuity since the opener with Louisville isn't quite the showdown as last season with then-No. 3 Florida State. That was less of a laboratory for experimentation as this one figures to be in Orlando.
The circumstances and bigger-picture situation with this Alabama football team also makes this a more important season at quarterback than those preceding.
Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Why this Alabama football QB battle has more at stake
This should feel familiar by now. It's almost weird when Alabama doesn't have some kind of quarterback question at the dawn of preseason camp.
The 2018 edition marks the sixth time in Nick Saban's 12 Alabama seasons a new starter could assume the Crimson Tide's most important position. Since 2014, only the 2017 season had resolution before opening weekend, so this scenario is nothing new to the program.
This one, though, is different.
It'll break the mold in a few ways when practice opens Friday in Tuscaloosa.
First, it's the first time an incumbent will be challenged by someone already in the roster.
Jalen Hurts vs. Tua Tagovailoa is the matchup Saban would've loved in 2014, 2015 or 2016. It's proven vs. situationally proven. A two-year starter with a 26-2 record against the championship-game savior who stepped into a deep hole in January and delivered a ring.
In that sense, there isn't as much a wrong answer but different variations of correct.
There isn't the mystery of what each could bring to the offense.
We know. We've seen.
Hurts was the ultimate wild card in 2016 when he became the first true freshman Alabama starter since 1984.
That year followed the pattern of Tide seasons with a starting quarterback that almost defies convention.
Almost every time a new starter won the job, he wasn't required to make the difference. Wins came elsewhere.
Keep in mind three of the five seasons with new starters ended in national titles. Another saw the Tide earn the No. 1 seed in the playoff and the other it lost in the championship game.
By any measure, the last five first-year starters had successful seasons. They also stepped into favorable situations.
The three championship seasons had a defense ranked no worse than No. 3 nationally. Two of the three had Heisman Trophy running backs in Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015). Trent Richardson was a finalist in 2011 when AJ McCarron beat
Phillip Sims in a championship season.
Only once in those five seasons with new starting quarterbacks did Alabama rank better than 62nd in passing offense. The exception was 2014 when Amari Cooper broke all the receiving records in Blake Sims' season for a No. 29 passing offense ranking.
We note all of that because, again, this season is different.
The core of Alabama's generational defenses of the past two seasons are now in the NFL. That's 14 defensive players drafted the past two springs -- seven alone from 2017's championship team.
At some point that will catch up with an Alabama defense that ranked in the top three each of the past three seasons in points allowed. When it does, there could be a few track meets that need winning like the ones that popped up in the era of defensive transformation from 2012-2014.
The starting quarterback in 2018 will also be without four of the five leading receivers from last season. Calvin Ridley, now an Atlanta Falcon, could have made life easier on a passer in need of a reception. A talented group returns, though the obvious bell cow hasn't emerged as the sure safety net.
A higher burden on the quarterback position is what all that means. Flat out: There's more at stake for QB1 this fall.
At the same time, a capable backup figures to be available if the first option isn't consistent. And as recently as last week, Saban again said he's not opposed to finding roles for both in what would be another departure from previous quarterback derby episodes.
A healthy stable of big-time running backs is the other caveat. Damien Harris, Najee Harris and Josh Jacobs present a three-headed attack as good as any Alabama's rolled out in the Saban era.
That's a huge boost assuming the offensive line plays better than it did in spring practice.
Add it up and this is a good year to have a pair of quarterbacks who have meaningful game experience. There isn't quite the rush to have continuity since the opener with Louisville isn't quite the showdown as last season with then-No. 3 Florida State. That was less of a laboratory for experimentation as this one figures to be in Orlando.
The circumstances and bigger-picture situation with this Alabama football team also makes this a more important season at quarterback than those preceding.
Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Why this Alabama football QB battle has more at stake
