Life without Tua Tagovailoa begins now for No. 5 Alabama as it turns a page from the drama that unfolded over the weekend. The Crimson Tide (9-1, 6-1 in the SEC) will play its final game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium this season as it hosts FCS opponent Western Carolina (3-9) on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The game will serve as Senior Day for Alabama.

Today, we will break down where Alabama stands heading into this week’s game by providing three observations, two questions and one prediction.

Alabama might be without its starter at quarterback, but the Crimson Tide’s game plan will remain the same. Nick Saban said he doesn’t foresee any wholesale changes in his offense to compensate for Mac Jones behind center. Instead, the head coach expressed confidence in the redshirt sophomore, pointing to his solid performance against Arkansas as proof that he can handle the starting role.

“He’s smart. He understands the offense,” Saban said of Jones. "He’s made a lot of improvement throughout the course of the year. We have a lot of confidence in Mac, and I think Sark’s (offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian) done a really good job of helping him develop throughout the year. We’re not changing what we do. Mac is a very capable guy. He’s a smart guy, and we have a lot of confidence in what he can do and what he will do.”

Filling in for Tagovailoa earlier this season, Jones completed 18 of 22 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start against Arkansas. Against Mississippi State over the weekend, the right-hander played the entire second half, completing 7 of 11 passes for 94 yards.

“He knows that he has to go in there and be the starting QB, there are no questions about it,” offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr. said. “I feel like he has that time to prepare fully and also know it’s up to him.”