It’s the question every college football fan is wondering and asking themselves, who is it going to be, Jalen Hurts or Tua Tagovailoa. It is the debate that won’t be known until the season opener comes around in September when the Alabama Crimson Tide takes on the Louisville Cardinals in Orlando, Florida.
The starting positions at Alabama do not come easy, and players usually have to wait their turn in line. That is unless you’re of a rare breed like Jalen Hurts. Hurts won the starting job over former Alabama quarterback Blake Barnett back in 2016. A unique style of play for the Crimson Tide, he led them to a perfect 12-0 season, SEC champions, and a playoff appearance.
In a National Championship game against Clemson and a once in a lifetime player DeShaun Watson, Hurts answered every score that Clemson made. The difference, Clemson had the ball last.
Over two years, Hurts holds a 26-2 record and is 1-1 in national championships. The 2018 national championship game is what the debate all comes down too. Hurts was benched at halftime against Georgia.
Struggling to find his Mojo, Saban made the boldest call of his career and benched him for Tagovailoa. It turned out to be one of the most spectacular comebacks in a national championship game and the best in the playoff era. Now people are calling for Tagovailoa to start.
Tagovailoa finished the game 14 for 24,166 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
Georgia prepared for the Crimson Tide as good as anyone could, and when Tagovailoa came in, they were stunned and shellshocked. Kirby Smart was a former defensive coordinator under Nick Saban, and he learned from the best, arguably the greatest of all time. He is one of the best defensive minds in the country. Even so, Saban didn’t teach him everything.
Do I believe Tua is a great player? Yes. Do I think Jalen is a great player? Yes. Tua is by far a better passer, and Jalen is by far a better runner. The difference is the experience. Don’t forget Hurts only has two losses on his record; one was to a once in a lifetime player, who it took two times, and everything he had to beat Alabama. The second loss was against Auburn, who at the time was the hottest team in the country during that three-week span. Those are two acceptable losses.
Nobody can deny that what Jalen has done is incredible. And nobody can judge Tua off of one spectacular performance, even if it was in the biggest game of the year. The question is can Tagovailoa play like that all season?
That will be answered this fall camp when the team prepares for the season, and Nick Saban makes the call. The excellent outcome for Alabama will be, no matter who starts the Crimson Tide will have one of the best backup quarterbacks in the country.
I believe Jalen Hurts will be the starting quarterback come week one when Alabama takes on Louisville. His ability to stay calm and collected, added to his experience I think will get him the job. To me, nobody can deny a 26-2 record, Hurts is a huge reason they were able to play for a national championship both his freshman and sophomore years. If Tua Tagovailoa does start, I think it will be mid-way through the season as a result of Jalen Hurts struggling and his inability to adapt.
Alabama will be in the pursuit to win back-to-back national championships. If they do, it would be Nick Saban’s seventh title, and a second time with winning back-to-back titles under him as a coach.
