Alabama football has been notorious in the past decade for their playmaking and abilities on the gridiron. Every team that has faced them in the past has greatly struggled against this powerhouse of a football team. Many consider them the “Goliath” of college football due to their style of play and their complete dominance. Alabama’s QB position battle has caused massive issues in the current season. With the way that things have gone in the past few seasons though and the loss of their start quarterback Bryce Young, is Alabama still considered the “Goliath” powerhouse they once were?
High Hopes for QB1
Heading into the 2023 college football season, Alabama had a lot of high hopes going for them. The Crimson Tide started of a stellar performance against the C-USA foe MTSU. Jalen Milroe completed a successful 13 for 18 passes adding up to 194 total yards and three touchdowns. Milroe also scrambled for two more touchdowns. Impressed fans were optimistic heading into game two and the rest of the season. The Longhorns headed into title town for game two of the 2023 season. The atmosphere was electric and the whole college football world was tuned into this top 15 matchup. College Gameday, SEC Nation, and many other big networks were in Tuscaloosa for the game. It’s safe to say that Crimson Tide fans had all the confidence going into this game. Coming off a big win against MTSU had them undefeated and ready for a top matchup.
Celebration in Austin
Everything leading up to this game had excitement written all over it until the kickoff started and ended that feeling for Alabama. After a tremendous season opener, Alabama comes up short to Texas in game two falling 34-24 in a shocker sending Texas fans home happy and ecstatic. While fans were celebrating in Austin, many fans and residents in Tuscaloosa started to question Milroe’s ability to lead an all-time great dynasty in Alabama. After completing 14 of his 27 passing attempts with 2 touchdowns, the performance was followed by 5 sacks and 2 interceptions. Leading up to the USF game, there was a lot of speculation on if Jalen Milroe would start this game against the Bulls. This uncertainty started Alabama’s QB position battle. Fans wanted to see someone who they thought could insert more leadership into this game. Coach Saban must have thought the same as the Tide started with a new face in second string Tyler Buchner. This decision surely did not come lightly to the coaching staff, but Alabama fans were hopeful and excited to see what the second string had to offer.
Position Battle for QB1
Not long into the game, fans were not impressed by Buchner’s performance. They saw him pass a poor 5 for 14 in a 35.7% completion rate. His longest being 13 yards. Fans began to speculate and question if benching Milroe was the right move after all. Buchner, a transfer from Notre Dame this season hasn’t given much to prove in the first game either. He only recorded 27 yards with his longest being 20 against the Blue Raiders. At halftime, the Crimson Tide were even with the Bulls which isn’t heard of for a dynasty like Alabama. They decided to go with a new look in their third string Ty Simpson. This gave fans some excitement as they haven’t seen much from the redshirt sophomore in the past two years. As time progressed, fans got to see play after play by Simpson. Although Simpson was only able to get the ball off a few times, he was successful when able to do so. The pocket collapsed on Simpson multiple times and unfortunately led to 5 sacks. After an overall disappointing performance in Tampa, the Crimson Tide manage to sneak off with a narrow 17-3 victory. Buchner and Simpson’s performance against USF still have fans questioning if they are ready for the starting position and all the major tasks that come with it.
Position Battle Determined
The following week, the Ole Miss Rebels come into Tuscaloosa with an undefeated record seeking a win in the heart of dixie. Although Tide fans aren’t extremely confident for this matchup, they cannot let the Rebels come in and stun them. Their thoughts and questions surrounding the quarterback situation still consume their anxious minds. Sources have confirmed that Jalen Milroe will start for Alabama. His play will determine if he is likely to stay in. A quarterback is in many cases, the heart of not only the offense, but the team as a whole. Without that leadership present, teams start to crumble and lack a response to their competitors. Alabama fans have a right to be reasonably nervous as it is still uncertain who will fill this leadership role. Crimson Tide fans don’t need to get down on themselves just yet. A few bad games or mistakes don’t determine what the rest of the season could look like. Throughout Nick Saban’s tenure for the Tide, only two of his six national championships came from undefeated seasons.
Striving for Success
Although Alabama has a challenging schedule and conference play this year, anything is possible under Coach Saban. Alabama has home field advantage to kick off conference play against the Rebels which will be beneficial to the team as a whole. Having 100,000 fans in Bryant Denny screaming and shouting for joy in the Crimson Tide makes it hard for the opposing team to focus. Beyond Alabama’s QB position battle and the terror in Tampa early this season, Alabama still has what it takes. With the help of loyal fans, they can accomplish anything they set their minds too. Enough focusing on early season errors. It’s time to focus on each game in front is how Alabama can manage their success moving forward regardless of the situation.
