The overriding question when it comes to the 2014 Alabama Crimson Tide is, obviously, just who will replace three-year starter AJ McCarron at quarterback.
As the SEC Network debuted Thursday, Nick Saban was part of the fledgling network’s opening day “ceremonies” and was, of course, asked about the quarterback competition between Florida State transfer Jacob Coker and McCarron’s 2013 backup Blake Sims. The head coach was genial in his responses, although, as expected, gave nothing away as far as who may be a front-runner.
When a similar line of questioning came from the mere mortals who cover the team on a daily basis? That was a different story and different tone.
“Nothing. Nothing. I mean, I don’t know. What do you want me to say?” Saban said when asked how Coker and Sims would be used in Saturday’s scrimmage and if there would be any difference from the first scrimmage. “They’re both going to take an equal number of snaps, just like they did last week. And if you keep asking questions about it, we probably won’t give you their stats again.”
Well then. Take that, bastard media lowlifes. If you want meaningless scrimmage statistics, best step your game up.
It would help both Saban and the media if one of the two grabbed the job by the throat and ran away with it, but neither has. By all accounts, Coker, the favorite to win the competition in the minds of more than a few observers entering summer camp, and Sims have essentially been dead-even throughout the course of the first two weeks of camp. That would seem to bode well for Coker, who didn’t officially join the Tide until the summer; Sims, on the other hand, had all spring to immerse himself in new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin‘s and still hasn’t been able to gain control of the starting job.
Neither Saban nor Kiffin have given any indication as to when a starter will be named. Alabama opens the 2014 season two weeks from Saturday against West Virginia in Atlanta.