Alabama football manhandled Louisville Saturday night and it was quickly obvious for the Crimson Tide, Tua Tagovailoa is the man at quarterback.
Saturday night in Orlando, Alabama football quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa removed all doubt. Borrowing some words from songwriter Danny Flowers, the CFB world needs to adjust to living on Tua time.
Gonna set my watch back to it
‘Cause you know I’ve been through it
Livin’ on Tua time
Alabama football will face several defenses in 2018 better than Louisville. Some of them will be MUCH better. A complete measurement of Tua Tagovailoa cannot be made until the competition becomes stiffer.
Nick Saban would argue against any attention to what ‘will be’ rather than ‘what is.’ As Alabama football fans we can consider that an advisory opinion. Barring future injury disaster, it is reasonable to predict Tua Tagovailoa will become one of Alabama football’s greatest quarterbacks. How great? Greatest since Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler great, seems almost a foregone conclusion. The famous Crimson Tide pair were both honored as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Younger Alabama football fans may wonder how good Joe Willie and Snake were. Those of us fortunate enough to see them play can tell you they were exceptional. Paul Bryant described Namath as the greatest athlete he ever coached. Namath’s accomplishments are even more astounding considering most of Joe’s football career was played on bad knees.
Kenny Stabler did not fully blossom until he became a professional. Like Namath, Stabler had laser-like passing skill that was often uncanny. Both men were fearless. Raiders head coach John Madden said of Stabler,
"The hotter the game, the cooler he got."
More than anything, they had a skill that can’t be taught. They knew how to will a team to victory. So often in Crimson Tide games and later with the Jets and the Raiders, Namath and Stabler dispensed belief against all doubt.
Like the two legends, Tua has the gift of throwing accuracy. Even more exceptional is his field presence, seemingly never stressed by any amount of duress.
After the Louisville game, Alabama football coach, Nick Saban said of Tua,
"Tua played well and made some really good throws — I mean, really good throws, very accurate throws, put the ball right on guys."
Saban was also quick to add that Tua needed to do some things better. Of course, Saban is correct. As exceptionally as Tua has played in his short college football career, he can get better. Perhaps, dare we say it, a lot better. A second half against Georgia and exposing a weak Louisville defense is far from a total body of work.
Even so, the limited evidence is a young man with considerable physical tools. Surpassing even the impressive passing precision is extraordinary poise. As Saban added,
"Tua does a really good job of keeping his eyes down the field when he’s scrambling in the pocket. I mean, the first touchdown was pretty amazing to be able to move in the pocket that way and still keep your eyes downfield and throw the ball, you know, to a guy like that, and he’s capable of making those kinds of plays."
Nick Saban is not often amazed. He also passes out praise sparingly. Saban sees every player as a work-in-progress. Still, he knows what he has in Tua now and how much more Tua has in him. That ‘much more’ is a level of special Alabama football fans have not seen for a very long time.
The rest of college football best get ready. You on the verge of what already is, in Tuscaloosa – Livin on Tua time.