VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. — It’s Nick Saban’s version of “are we there yet?” Alabama’s season-opener against Louisville on Sept. 1 is still more than two months away, and Saban knows a good portion of that time will be spent answering tedious questions about the Crimson Tide’s quarterback battle.
Like a parent on a long road trip, the head coach has become calloused to the constant badgering. When pressed Thursday about how difficult the choice between starter Jalen Hurts and national championship game hero Tua Tagovailoa will be, Saban’s face dropped slightly before spewing out the company line.
“Well, it won’t be difficult at all because I think what we’re trying to do is give the guys an opportunity,” Saban said during his annual Nick’s Kids Golf Tournament. “That’s the fair thing for both of them. And that’s really what our goal is.”
Hurts and Tagovailoa have been the topic du jour this summer as the public speculates who will be under center for the defending champions to begin the season. The two most recently made an appearance at the Elite 11 finals in Redondo Beach, Calif., over the weekend with each drawing praise for their performance in the event’s pro-day drills.
Both quarterbacks have also found themselves in the news this offseason pertaining to possible transfers. In April, Hurts’ father, Averion Hurts, said his son would become “the biggest free agent in college football history” if he failed to win the starting quarterback job this season. Last month, Tagovailoa revealed that he thought about transferring last season, stating, “I told myself if I didn’t play in the last game, which was the National Championship Game, I would transfer out.”
Both instances went viral resulting in more questions directed Saban’s way. However, despite the increased noise and nagging, the head coach remains adamant he won’t arrive at his decision any sooner.
“I think that both players, aight, need to know that they need to win the team, that’s what they need to do,” Saban said. “And the best way for them to do that is to stay focused on what they need to do, and I think anything that they do that brings attention to themselves probably erodes the opportunity for that to happen.
“So, I’d appreciate your help in just allowing that to happen, because it’s not going to happen any faster. You can’t make it happen faster. It’s going to be a process that we go through, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”
In short, we aren’t there yet, and don’t make Saban turn this car around.
