Heisman Watch 2018: Top 5 hopefuls look ahead to Week 3

2018 Stats: 25 of 35, 455 yds, 6 TD, 46 rush yds, 1 rush TD
Next Game: @ Ole Miss

If there was ever really a question whether Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts was the Alabama starting quarterback, it’s now been completely answered. There have even been rumblings of Hurts being redshirted if he’s not forced into action this season.

All that aside, Tua is about to face the same test that really made many question whether or not Hurts could get the job done – a road game in Oxford, Mississippi against the Ole Miss Rebels.

While this Ole Miss defense isn’t quite as formidable as the 2016 version of the Land Sharks, it’s still a big step above Louisville and Arkansas State. Tagovailoa will need to be judicious on his long passes against a secondary that loves to ball hawk.

So far, Tua has passed every test put before him. The raucous crowd at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium will be like nothing he’s ever faced. The Alabama defense will definitely be put to the test by another could-be Heisman candidate, Jordan Ta’amu, and his group of talented receivers, giving the Alabama offense potentially less time and number of possessions to get the job done.

Ole Miss is fighting for their own SEC legitimacy and they’ll be looking to derail Tua and the Tide.