Why can’t Nick Saban, Alabama make a 2-quarterback system work?

The Alabama Crimson Tide have two quarterback options with Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts on the roster. In this case, two is better than one.

When a quarterback comes into a program with aspirations of being the man and is eventually supplanted by another option, a transfer becomes inevitable. For the Alabama Crimson Tide, they have seen this story before. It’s not uncommon for a top program loaded with talent to see players transfer so that they’ll get a chance to play elsewhere.

However, a bit of a surprise came for the program this week. Jalen Hurts announced that he wasn’t going to be leaving the program, as many assumed given the ascension of Tua Tagovailoa at the quarterback spot.

In his freshman year at quarterback for the Crimson Tide, Hurts led them to the National Championship Game, where they lost on a last-second touchdown by the Clemson Tigers. In his sophomore season, Hurts was back under center and the Crimson Tide was back in the National Championship Game.

Given the struggles of the offense and the fact they would stall out on drives frequently, they appeared to be headed for a second-straight loss in the National Championship Game, this time to the Georgia Bulldogs.

That’s when Nick Saban made the switch to then-freshman Tagovailoa and the rest became history. The Crimson Tide marked a remarkable comeback and Tagovailoa became an instant sensation in Tuscaloosa, as he delivered yet another title to a town that is full of them.

So that’s typically where the story writes itself and Hurts moves onto another program to be the man with Tagovailoa on the rise at Alabama. Except that isn’t the case here for the Crimson Tide and that should end up being the best result possible.

Saban has been steadfast in not committing to one or the other as the starter yet and sees the value in having two competent quarterbacks with the potential to put the Crimson Tide back in the title hunt once more.

Alabama will see plenty of new faces on defense and will face a bit of a transition period, therefore it’s important that the offense can continue to make strides with their quarterbacks. The left-handed Tagovailoa seems like the likely option, but Hurts has a ton of experience under his belt.

Hurts’ demeanor has been far different from that of most quarterbacks that have been in this spot before him. He sees the bigger picture and the chance for himself to help a team that wants to defend their trophy.

In his two seasons as a starter, Hurts has 40 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions with 4,861 yards. While those numbers aren’t high given the position he plays for a two-year span, the Crimson Tide are a run-heavy offense and Hurts also has shown the ability to take off. His ability to protect the ball has been a strength in his favor.

If Tagovailoa is indeed the man to start and lead the Crimson Tide going forward, Hurts can still be a big factor besides being a great teammate. He can come in and be key to running the option while also remaining a big threat to throw the ball.

Saban’s got something big brewing here with his quarterbacks. If Tagovailoa indeed lives up to the hype that he has built for himself thus far, he’s got a major weapon with Hurts, who has seen just about every situation and won’t be phased by anything a defense throws at him.

The versatility of what the program can do with the position here is key. They won’t have Calvin Ridley to throw to anymore, but they have young receivers that began making strides toward the end of the 2017 season.

In some situations having two quarterback options can be a bad thing, given neither has really established themselves as the man. That’s not the case here at all. Alabama has two quarterback options that they can be more than comfortable with leading the program to victories in 2018.