Alabama Coach Nick Saban On Starting QB Battle: 'How About You Forcing Me To Play You?'

Alabama football coach Nick Saban does not want to flip a coin to decide on a starting quarterback.

And it's that close with No. 4 Alabama's season opener on Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee, and the real season opener on Sept. 9 against No. 11 Texas.

Leftover transfer portal addition Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame has not taken over the position left by NFL overall No. 1 pick Bryce Young - now with the Carolina Panthers. Buchner may be closer to third team than first at the moment, even though he played at Notre Dame for Alabama's new offensive coordinator - Tommy Rees.

Jalen Milroe appears to be in the lead. He started a game last year when Young was hurt and flashed a lot of dual ability at times. Ty Simpson red-shirted last season. Milroe and Simpson did not grab the position over spring drills, so Saban brought in Buchner from the NCAA Leftover Portal. He was ranked No. 31 among quarterbacks in the portal by 247 Sports.

Saban may be entering the John Parker Wilson zone. Wilson was Alabama's quarterback in Saban's first year in 2007 when the Tide finished 7-6 with a win in the Independence Bowl. Saban steadily recruited better quarterbacks as the years went by and the national championships began multiplying to six. There does not appear to be a quarterback Heisman candidate on the roster.

Alabama coach Nick Saban and quarterback Byrce Young (center) won the SEC title in 2021 and won the Sugar Bowl last season. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

"Somebody is going to take the bull by the horns," Saban said as August practices started. "Somebody is going to separate themselves. When that happens, we'll tell you."

Crimson Tide Quarterback Battle May Take A While

It has not happened yet. And now it looks like Saban will be extending the quarterback derby through the early part of the season. It will not end with the opener and maybe not in time for Texas.

"What I tell the quarterbacks is, it's not up to the coaches," Saban said Tuesday, even though it is. "If you're looking over your shoulder to see if the coach is going to do this or that, how about you forcing me to play you?"

Saban wants one quarterback to make his decision easy.

"Force me to play you," he repeated. "Force us to play you. When you get your reps, you get a chance to play, you play so good we don't have any choice but to play you, rather than worrying about all this other stuff."

Sounds simple enough. At least, until the next portal carousel.