Saban on Jalen Hurts 9-26-18

[Intl.Aperture]

I don't care to get into the whole "What if Jalen has to lead the team?" or "What if Tua gets hurt and Jalen still can't pass?"

I want to focus on the narrative of a very young man who is mature beyond his years. A man who is younger than Tua but was in college a year before because he qualified early. A young man who is set to graduate in 3 years.

A young man who many thought was spitting in coach's face early in the season, who may have made a verbal misstep or not communicated the way he wanted. But, a young man who, through his actions, has demonstrated consistent selflessness, steadfastness, and dedication to his his teammates, his coaches, and the greater whole of Alabama football.

Through his actual behavior - not his Dad's or his Mom's or what insiders are say - Jalen has demonstrated himself to be a person of strong character. A friend and an ally who stands tall even when the scales are tipped against him.

Is he perfect? No. None of these kids are.

But in this modern age of understandable self centeredness I'm proud of the fact that we have Jalen Hurts on our team. Even if he decides to go elsewhere next season and even if this is all because he thinks it's the best thing for him to do.

He has thoroughly earned the respect of a coach who has the highest possible standards for his players. That really says everything that I need to know about Jalen Hurts.
I don't give a damn about Saban being blinded or not being able to see what he has - he sees all that. But if a young man can give enough of himself to so thoroughly earn the respect of the greatest college coach to ever play the game then I am thrilled to have him on the team in any capacity. Of course this is much easier to say now that Tua is the starter, but...

 

[dayhiker]

Sorry, but Jalen is not the answer if Tua goes down. Jones might not be either, but I really hope that Saban understands what he has and does not have in Jalen.

Gosh, me too. He only sees him in practice every day and again for hours and hours watching practice film.

I know this is a message board, but people act like this is a problem that is ours to solve. It isn't.

 

[81usaf92]

Sorry, but Jalen is not the answer if Tua goes down. Jones might not be either, but I really hope that Saban understands what he has and does not have in Jalen.

Unless we see substantial playing time from Jones going forward then I would say Jalen is the answer if Tua goes down. He probably has a shorter leash but nothing seems to suggest that we are looking at the Jackson and McCarron situation from 09 had gmac went down

 

[TideEngineer08]

Sorry, but Jalen is not the answer if Tua goes down. Jones might not be either, but I really hope that Saban understands what he has and does not have in Jalen.

It's not about him being the answer. I got news for everyone, Jones ain't ready either.

And I'll bet you we do beat Auburn last year if it weren't for the injuries at LB. Yes, we probably beat them if Tua comes in too. I'm willing to let this play out and just see how it goes before making anymore declarations, especially since the greatest coach in the game is leading the show.

 

[Al A Bama]

If there were remaining questions about Jalen Hurts' status, Nick Saban answered it Wednesday.

The same day news of former Clemson starter Kelly Bryant's transfer went public, Saban said they are "going to play him as much as we possibly can" moving forward.

How will this affect Tua's playing time and what do you guys think about this?

This means that Alabama OPPONENTS have a LOT to PREPARE for since the QB's games are totally different. It's enough for Defensive Coordinators to have nervous breakdowns trying to prepare to stop one or the other.

 

[deliveryman35]

Jalen comes in, immediately 8 to 9 in the box. No down field threat. Against teams with speed and talent we struggle. ie Clemson, Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma

Agreed. Against elite competition, Jalen has struggled mightily and has been held totally in check. Once November gets here, mop up duty with a big lead is the only scenario where I would feel comfortable with him in the game as our starting qb.

 

[Crimson White]

This means that Alabama OPPONENTS have a LOT to PREPARE for since the QB's games are totally different. It's enough for Defensive Coordinators to have nervous breakdowns trying to prepare to stop one or the other.

In a post above, I said that I think Jalen has improved, and that it's possible (though unlikely) we could win it all with him if we had to. That said, there isn't a thing he can do that Tua Tagovailoa can not do, and #13 can do nearly all of it better. I don't think a defensive coordinator would have to plan anything more to account for Hurts, other than cheating up more and playing man on the receivers.

You know how so many rival fans and even a whole lot of Alabama fans said last year that Tua played well but there was no pressure when he came in? Well, same difference. If Jalen had to start and play whole games vs good defenses, I expect we'd see more of the 2017 Jalen.

 

[crimsonaudio]

You know how so many rival fans and even a whole lot of Alabama fans said last year that Tua played well but there was no pressure when he came in? Well, same difference. If Jalen had to start and play whole games vs good defenses, I expect we'd see more of the 2017 Jalen.

That's a really good point, I hadn't thought about that.

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

I wss definitely wrong about Jalen transferring, fortunately. Glad he is staying with the team.

 

[jashleyren2]

The whole 2 quarterback thing is working well for us now. We have a guy that can manage the game when it's under control. He did well leading the team alone for 2 years. He doesn't give us that "it factor" when it comes to winning a title, though. Tua does that. I say, let's not overthink it, and just enjoy the benefits of having a guy who can throw it to the moon and hit a dime, and a guy that can take over when the game is out of reach, and keep it there. They both stay healthy. Sort of like a pitching staff in baseball.

 

[Crimson White]

The whole 2 quarterback thing is working well for us now.

When I hear "2 quarterback thing" I think 2 guys of about equal ability but maybe with their own strengths, that get about equal playing time.

We don't have that. We have a starter that is clearly much better than the next guy, and about any other qb in the nation for that matter, with a 2nd string guy that can manage when the other team is blown out. That 2nd string guy may or may not be able to beat the good defenses to win titles. I hope we don't have to find out.

 

[BamaMoon]

I've been as critical about Jalen's play as anybody (except a few) on this board. It was always about his play, not his person.

Now, about his person: I believe Jalen is setting an example of team over me that will become Crimson legend. He'll probably have a "teammate" award named after him when he's done for how he's handled this, despite his A-day Media comments. Even if he transfers as a grad transfer after this year, the way his handled "playing second fiddle" has been impressive.

Now, about his play: Yes, I think he's improved but somebody already made the point that his improvement is being displayed when there's nothing on the line. He's got nothing to lose to throw balls now he held on to last year. Plus, he's smart enough to learn than some 50/50 balls are worth throwing and it pays off more than it bites you. He'll never be Tua or anything close to it, but if the unthinkable happens, he'll obviously be CNS first choice off the bench. Yes, he'll regress more to 2017 form, but our offensivie identity will toughen up too. We've got the talent to win it with Jalen if push comes to shove. He's improved enough to help us win a 2016 type matchup with Clemson IMO. It will be razor thin, but I think he could do it. But like everyone else, I kinda like this new offensive identity and having the confidence that Tua can pass us to a win under the most dire circumstances and that most games are as "easy" as the chair we are watching from!

 

[theballguy]

Even though we went on and won it all, it still eats at me.

Why?

I really don't get this kind of thinking.

 

[Go Bama]

My money says we win the national championship with or without Tua. With Tua, all victories are double digits. If Tua goes down, we’re still more than in the hunt with Jalen. We’re still making the playoffs, and will have a better QB than we had last year.

I’m tickled pink Jalen is staying.

 

[BamaMoon]

Why?

I really don't get this kind of thinking.

I'll answer: Because I don't ever like losing to Auburn. Even though we got what we wanted (a NC) they did too (beating us). And even though we know their #1 goal is misdirected, it stinks losing to them when we had an ace in the hole and (even though injured) a better team overall.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I'll answer: Because I don't ever like losing to Auburn. Even though we got what we wanted (a NC) they did too (beating us). And even though we know their #1 goal is misdirected, it stinks losing to them when we had an ace in the hole and (even though injured) a better team overall.

I look at it like the biggest troll move in the history of the world, to lose to them (and they were on cloud 9 because they were a shoe in for the playoffs at that point), but then have them lose to Georgia, fall out of the playoffs, and watch us win it all. Biggest troll move of all time, and it eats at them more than they will ever admit. And although I'll never be pleased with a loss to them, I couldn't be happier with the way things ultimately turned out.

 

[deliveryman35]

I look at it like the biggest troll move in the history of the world, to lose to them (and they were on cloud 9 because they were a shoe in for the playoffs at that point), but then have them lose to Georgia, fall out of the playoffs, and watch us win it all. Biggest troll move of all time, and it eats at them more than they will ever admit. And although I'll never be pleased with a loss to them, I couldn't be happier with the way things ultimately turned out.

I guess that’s one way of looking at it. I think this was the only time in our storied history where we won the NC and lost to the barn in the same season.

 

[BamaMoon]

I look at it like the biggest troll move in the history of the world, to lose to them (and they were on cloud 9 because they were a shoe in for the playoffs at that point), but then have them lose to Georgia, fall out of the playoffs, and watch us win it all. Biggest troll move of all time, and it eats at them more than they will ever admit. And although I'll never be pleased with a loss to them, I couldn't be happier with the way things ultimately turned out.

Troll move or not, we owe Georgia and Kirby on that one for sure.

And, if Auburn beat Georgia we're not in and Tua's not here more than likely.

 

[Blueguitar]

The harsh reality, you probably don't win a championship without Tua this year.

Probably true, but that is all the more reason why the way Saban is using JH makes perfect sense. If our championship hopes may be riding on TT, why risk injuring him by keeping him in once the game is out of reach, even if it is in the second quarter? And with all respect to Jones, Hurts almost certainly is our second best option, so why not take the opportunities to help him continue to improve in game situations? Overall he has played better as a sub in 2018 than he usually played as a starter in 2017, at least with regard to passing accuracy and touch.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

Troll move or not, we owe Georgia and Kirby on that one for sure.

And, if Auburn beat Georgia we're not in and Tua's not here more than likely.

People keep saying that but I'm not sure that's true