Alabama Football: The right mix at quarterback for The Citadel

Alabama football has two less than healthy quarterbacks and a third QB not yet ready for a starting role. What to do against The Citadel?

Against FCS opponent, The Citadel, Alabama football is not expected to need an offensive explosion to win. Don’t make the mistake of suggesting that to Nick Saban. The response may be a ‘tinhorn’ story or something even more direct about the foolishness of such conjecture.

The Georgia Southern game, which led to the ‘tinhorn’ story, is Nick Saban’s classic example of how a superior team can flirt with a disaster, simply by taking an inferior opponent too lightly. Not since Georgia Southern ran through a Tide defense, full of future NFL players, like ____ through a tinhorn, has the Crimson Tide made such an error.

For Nick Saban, less than a complete commitment to any game is a sin. A sin against the work ethic required of champions. And if not a sin, a serious affront to an opponent who deserves not being disrespected by letting up against them.

For all the reasons above and more, Tua Tagovailoa will not be given a day off against The Citadel. On Monday, Saban was asked about resting Tua for a game.

"No. Why would we do that? I mean, to say this was not an important game or he doesn’t need to play? I think we need to do a better job of the people playing around him, doing what they’re supposed to do so he doesn’t get hit. And he needs to do a better job of stepping up in the pocket and getting rid of the ball, which he had several opportunities to do."

Saban closed the press conference responding to how much is the Crimson Tide banged up… and he added his emphasis about the proper mindset for any and every game.

Tua is going to play…

So Tua will play Saturday unless he further hurts/injures himself this week in practice. Nick continues to suggest Tua is hurt but not injured. Playing with an injury can make the problem worse and delay recovery time. Playing ‘hurt’ is part of football.

Some Alabama football fans think Tua looks more injured than hurt. If that is correct, continuing to play is happening with the full blessing of the Alabama football training and medical staff, not to mention the Tagovailoa family.

Against The Citadel, he may play two or three series. Any running with the football will be limited. Considering the level of risk, it seems when he throws it will be with max-protect formations, meaning six or seven blockers. A given is the Alabama football offensive line accepting the challenge of treating pass protection like they a guarding a porcelain doll.

Jalen may not play

Jalen Hurts is described as day-to-day. Watching him warm up last Saturday, perhaps that designation should be amended to days-to-day. Practically, Tua and Jalen both need to be healthy for Georgia and close to healthy for Auburn. Why risk Jalen’s recovery going backward against The Citadel?

Mac Jones may not be ready but…

Playing Mac a lot on Saturday makes sense. Even splitting his time with Josh Jacobs running the Wildcat makes some sense. Alabama football does not need style points against The Citadel. It just needs to win and not make a single injury worse in the process.

If Mac plays a somewhat ragged game, it will still benefit his development. If he plays well, it could accelerate it.

The problem in all this opining of what Nick Saban ‘should’ do is Nick does not believe in leaving anything to chance. And he is correct, of course.