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Nothing goes unnoticed when it comes to Alabama football, and this fall the perennial powerhouse has a huge problem on its hands when it comes to its quarterback play.
After Jalen Milroe started the first 2 games, including last week’s home loss to Texas, coach Nick Saban decided to give Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner the start on Saturday at South Florida.
It didn’t go so well. In fact, it went terribly, as Buchner went just 5 for 14 for a paltry 34 yards in the rainy weather in Tampa that didn’t help his cause. Buchner was replaced by Ty Simpson late in the 2nd quarter, and Simpson was marginally better, but not enough to ease the big-time worries in Tuscaloosa.
Simpson was 5 for 9 for 73 yards, and he had a 1-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the game as the Tide escaped with a 17-3 victory.
Count ESPN college football commentators Paul Finebaum and Matt Barrie among the observers who see what everyone else sees — a troubling issue that could get worse as the Tide enter SEC play next Saturday against Ole Miss.
“I have friends who are calling for the 4th-string quarterback, who is a promising freshman. That’s how ridiculous this is,” said Finebaum on Sunday on The Matt Barrie Show. “What (Saban) really has to worry about is that locker room. … The clock is ticking for him to save the season.”
Barrie couldn’t understand why Saban went away from Milroe, who can at least make plays with his legs.
“I can’t figure out what they were doing in the fact that you got a guy that you at least know is athletic,” said Barrie. “Help me understand this.”
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
