Alabama

What we learned (and didn’t) about Alabama’s quarterback competition

Published

1 year ago

August 5, 2023

What we learned (and didn’t) about Alabama’s quarterback competition

Some combination of Jalen Milroe, Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson took the snap and dropped back early in Alabama football’s open Fan Day practice Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Going in pairs, they looked down the field and fired passes to receivers in the end zone.

Each one was complete. Tough day for the invisible defenders trying to compete against the competing quarterbacks.

Nick Saban has said the competition isn’t complete.

“Everybody’s getting reps at the position,” Saban said after the Crimson Tide’s first preseason camp practice. “Somebody’s got to take the bull by the horns. Somebody’s got to separate themselves. When that happens, we’ll tell you. Will be glad to tell you. When we’re going to take the cake out of the oven, we’re going to tell you when it’s time. But until then, there’s really nothing to talk about, nothing to say”

During Saturday’s open session, it seemed the head coach was telling the truth. After warm-up periods Milroe, Simpson and Buchner split off from the other quarterbacks, making it fairly clear who the starter candidates were.

As practice rolled along, none of them seemed to separate themselves. All three made some nice throws, whether an actual defense was involved or not.

Moving into 11-on-11 portions of practice, all three took snaps with the first-team offensive players. At that point, none of them had much time to make decisions, with Dallas Turner and the rest of the Alabama pass rush rolling through.

Milroe usually went first in drills, followed by Simpson, then Buchner, who took less first-team snaps than the others. That order can’t be completely ignored, but it’s also the same in which they joined the team, so it could be a matter of seniority.

All three had some miscues, an overthrow or miss by Buchner and Milroe here, a wobbly floater from Simpson there. Saban had noted Buchner had less experience in Alabama’s system than the others, and that might have shown up on a few occasions, but no player appeared clearly worse than the rest.

Afterward, the quarterbacks sat down at tables surrounding the field to sign autographs for Yea Alabama members who came out for Fan Day. Milroe kept his pads on and had the longest line, but the whole group seemed to get their share of interest.

So the battle doesn’t seem to be over. And really, not that much could be gleaned from a single practice, especially one where Saban knew media and fans were in attendance.

The rest of the college football world will know when the Crimson Tide is ready to tell them which of the three is most living up to the expectations their coach set for the starting job.

“We want all the guys when they’re in there, you play the position like it’s yours. Like it belongs to you,” Saban said after the first practice. “You’re out there competing. You’re not looking over your shoulder, you’re not looking at what somebody else does. You’re playing like you’re the man.

“That’s what we want each guy to do and see who can do that with the most consistency. So it’s important. You’ve got to be processed-oriented. You can’t be outcome-oriented right now, you’ve got to be process-oriented because that’s what you want to help your players to have the kind of consistency is you need to play winning football at the position, which is ultimately what we’re looking for.”

Alabama is scheduled to continue preseason camp through Aug. 26. The Crimson Tide opens the season Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

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Alabama

No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida men’s hoops downed by SEC foes, putting conference depth on display

Published

8 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida men’s hoops downed by SEC foes, putting conference depth on display

And the award for deepest men’s basketball conference goes to: the SEC.

How else to explain two top five teams — No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Florida — both losing Tuesday night at home to conference foes?

At least in the case of Alabama, the Tide lost to a ranked team, falling 74-64 to No. 21 Ole Miss. Meanwhile, the Gators shot an abysmal 21 of 31 from the free throw line in an 83-82 loss to unranked Missouri, which was not nearly as close as the final score indicates.

The best argument for the SEC’s depth isn’t just that Missouri won but that the Tigers led for almost 38 minutes on the road — at one point by as many as 19 points.

Turnovers played a crucial role in both Alabama and Florida faltering Tuesday night. The Tide threw it away a whopping 21 times, which Ole Miss turned into 19 points (the Rebels tallied only seven turnovers). Florida coughed it up 13 times to Missouri’s eight, allowing the Tigers to score 18 points.

Giving the ball to the other team usually doesn’t end well. What’s more surprising, though, is that this happened to both Alabama and Florida at home. Playing well on the road is tough. Playing well in front of a friendly, packed crowd shouldn’t be.

Certainly no one could have predicted that midway through January, the two undefeated teams in SEC play would be No. 1 Auburn (16-1, 4-0) and Ole Miss (15-2, 4-0). Given how tough this conference is, it’s unlikely anyone finishes with less than three losses — especially if Auburn star and national player of the year candidate Johni Broome is out for more than a week.

The SEC’s motto is “it just means more.” With the way this conference is beating itself up on as we inch closer to March, that line might need to change to “it just is more” — as in, more representation in the NCAA Tournament than anyone else. Because with the SEC’s depth, they’re likely to send a lot of teams dancing.

Required reading

(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

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Alabama

2025 Alabama Hi-Q academic competition kicks off

Published

16 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

2025 Alabama Hi-Q academic competition kicks off

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The first match of the 2025 Alabama Hi-Q season kicked off today.

The academic quiz competition for high school students with categories such as mathematics, history, physics and fine art and more.

Mobile County public and private schools compete in teams of eight to 10 students. At the end of the 15 contests, the top three teams win cash awards for their schools. Individual awards are given out, as well.

FOX10’s Lenise Ligon was invited to be the quizmaster, maintaining the tradition of fox10’s involvement. Bob Grip was quizmaster for 38 years.

Students from Mary G. Montgomery High School, Blount High School, Theodore High School, St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Satsuma High School and Barton Academy For Advanced World Studies competed in today’s event.

Blount got the win for the first match. There’s a challenge though and the win could go to MGM

St. Paul’s won the second match.

The competition ends in March when the overall winner is declared.

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Alabama

Ole Miss vs. Alabama Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Jan. 14

Published

24 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Ole Miss vs. Alabama Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Jan. 14

Alabama extended its winning streak to eight games on Saturday by beating Texas A&M on the road but will face another tough out on Tuesday when Ole Miss comes to Tuscaloosa.

The Rebels have been much improved in 2024 as Chris Beard continues to turn this program around and will look to score a signature win to propel the team to the NCAA Tournament by winning on the road as a big underdog. Ole Miss has been capable on both sides of the floor, will it be able to keep close to the Crimson Tide?

Here’s our betting preview.

Spread

Moneyline

Total: 153.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Ole Miss

Sean Pedulla: The Virginia Tech transfer has provided some necessary floor spacing for the Rebels, shooting 40% from deep as the team has been able to take a big jump offensively. While his defense leaves some to be desired, he has proven he can hang on the floor with his sound playmaking, ball handling, and shooting.

Alabama

Mark Sears: Sears hasn’t been able to replicate his scorching 2023, but he remains a high-value player on an elite offense for the Crimson Tide. Sears is averaging 19 points with more than four assists per game but is off of one of his best games of the season in which he closed out Texas A&M on the road with 27 points.

Ole Miss will face its first top-20 team in terms of KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rating, so there could be a bit of a setback for what has been an impressive season to date for the Rebels. However, I believe the offense can put points on the board against Alabama’s defense that plays drop coverage, and turns opponents over at a bottom 60 rate in the country.

The Rebels are a capable offense that has a bevy of players that can create off the dribble and attack Alabama in the paint, so I believe the visitors will be able to score at a healthy rate in this game.

On the other end, Alabama may be able to tee off from the perimeter against Ole Miss’ no-middle defense that lends itself to players open from beyond the arc. Further, if Sears can win in isolation sets, the rim should be easy pickings for the Crimson Tide to score at will.

In an up-tempo affair, I think both offenses rule the day and this game goes over the total.

PICK: OVER 153.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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