Nick Saban may not be Alabama's head coach anymore, but the players he recruited that remain in Tuscaloosa still seek his advice and live by his gospel.
For better or worse, Ty Simpson will be remembered as the last QB at Alabama from the Saban era. The others recruited by Saban that came after him have all moved on to other programs and will start elsewhere: Eli Holstein (Pitt), Dylan Lonergan (Boston College), and Julian Sayin (Ohio State).
Simpson is a former 5-star recruit coming out of high school, a fact that so many seem to have forgotten. A lot of rival fans and national media members assume Simpson is a mediocre QB because he has sat on the bench for three seasons. A foolish line of thinking.
It should tell you all you need to know about the confidence that Kalen DeBoer has in Simpson that Alabama never seriously pursued a QB in the Transfer Portal this offseason. They had faith in the room. They had faith in Simpson.
Simpson will make his first career start on Saturday, in a rainy road environment at Florida State. He has waited, trained, and prepared for this moment. But it's only natural for him to be nervous. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you channel it correctly.
That's what Simpson is trying to do. He talked to the media this week and mentioned seeking out his former head coach for advice.
Nick Saban spoke with Ty Simpson ahead of his first career start
“I was like, ‘What do I need to tell myself going into a game like this?’” Simpson said he asked Saban. “How to not get so anxious, how to not get nervous, how to not make it bigger than what it is?
“He was like, just play within yourself. Make sure that you keep your team out of negative plays and negative drives. He always said that if you end the drive with a punt, a kick - PAT, field goal, or a punt, then you know you’re in good shape and you’re not dead in the water. I’m taking that approach of making sure that, hey, I’m gonna make sure that I march down the field and do everything I can to move the ball forward and not go backwards.”
That's similar advice to what former Alabama QB AJ McCarron has said about what Simpson needs to do on Saturday, echoing his headspace for his first season as the Crimson Tide starter back in 2011.
Of course, each game can dictate what a quarterback needs to do. And the Kalen DeBoer/Ryan Grubb offensive system is different than Nick Saban's back in McCarron's day. DeBoer/Grubb want to attack defenses vertically.
Alabama's game plan on Saturday will be interesting. How confident is the coaching staff with Simpson right away? How will a weather forecast that calls for significant rainfall potentially impact what the Crimson Tide wants to do?
Alabama's defense looks like it can be elite, but Gus Malzahn and Tommy Castellanos will give it a significant immediate test. How the Crimson Tide defense performs will ultimately decide how much of the game ends up on Simpson's shoulders.