Alabama Football: Why Bryce Young is the best QB in CFB

Others can rave about their quarterbacks. Alabama football fans know better. Our guy, Bryce Young is the best.

He was the best in college football last season. He is the best in college football this season. Although there is some small space for debate, a legitimate claim is Bryce Young is the best Alabama Crimson Tide QB of all-time.

Before diving into why Bryce is the Alabama Football QB GOAT, a reminder, of sorts, is in order. Hopefully, Crimson Tide fans will get to enjoy watching a crimson or white-clad Bryce Young for eight more games, in a run to another National Championship.

After that, it won’t be the same rooting for him in an NFL jersey. We’ll still follow his NFL successes as we do all former Crimson Tide players. If Bryce later becomes another former Crimson Tide QB to lead a team to a Super Bowl win, we’ll celebrate. But for many of us, it would not be as special as his Alabama football career.

Memories fade with time. If Bryce Young leaves Tuscaloosa without winning a National Championship, he might not get all the credit he deserves. Hence the purpose of a reminder through the lyrics of an old song from 1970.

From a Joni Mitchell song, later covered by the Counting Crows,

"Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone."

Alabama football fans, don’t make a mistake with Bryce Young

Look beyond Bryce’s stats, which are great, though off pace somewhat this season. Even look beyond Young being the only Crimson Tide quarterback to win a Heisman. Look instead at his presence on the field. It was first evident last season in Gainesville, FL. We saw Bryce, in the hostile environment of The Swamp, in his first SEC road-game start, lead the Crimson Tide to a tough victory.

Late in the third quarter, Florida cut the Alabama lead to 28-23. After Alabama led 21-3 early, the Gators outscored the Tide 20-7 and had seized momentum. On the last play of the third quarter, a Tide, first-down rush gained two yards. Then Bryce connected with JoJo Earle for 18 yards.

With three more Bryce Young completions (and assists from Florida penalties), Alabama had a first-and-goal at the Florida two. The Tide ran twice and passed once to gain one yard. Will Reichard made a 24-yard field goal. The 14-play, 64-yard drive for three points took six minutes off the clock. It also provided the winning points in the game.

It can be said Alabama was lucky to beat Florida. Without penalties on the field goal drive, it might not have won. It also would not have won without Bryce Young, who in his third start, never wavered.

From that afternoon in Gainesville, the Alabama Crimson Tide has been led, by the always calm, always confident Bryce Young.

No performance showed Bryce at his best more than the Tide’s last drive of regulation in the 2021 Iron Bowl. Many Alabama football fans have watched it over and over. Every time I see it, I am amazed by Bryce’s composure. I don’t think a thought of coming up short, ever entered his mind.

Watch the 97-yard drive and overtime highlights below.

One player cannot win a football game. But one player can choose not to lose, and it can motivate his teammates to extraordinary achievement. That is Bryce Young – not just as a football player, but as a person.

In the minds of Crimson Tide fans, every Alabama football season is supposed to end with a National Championship. Maybe such expectation is crazy – but not this season, because Bryce Young deserves one.