Saban made official what "everyone knows," it's an old job
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - Nick Saban made the official who witnessed the opening No. 1 Alabama is likely to be assumed: Old Tagovailoa is an early Crimson Tide player.
The top-ranked Tide coach did not wait for questions to be asked on Monday before saying Tagovailoa would start Saturday against Arkansas State, but although he admitted he was not much secret.
He said, Jalen Hurts who would win two more years would play his role.
"I think everyone knows that Tua will start this game and we will use jalen's skills in the future to help but we feel that he can benefit the team," Saban said. "I just want to be clear with everyone I've done in the past where we don't say who the starting player will be the first game and we give the two quarterfinals a chance to play in the game, exactly what we did in this game is not much different from what we have done in the past. "
That was only strengthened at this time because of the situation. Hurts has a 26-2 record as a starter and has led Tide to a pair of national championships.
Tagovailoa was a sharp game hero against Georgia in January after entering the second round, securing the quarter-finals of the offseason. Both players from Hawaii were very good at the start of a 51-14 victory over Louisville. He had 12 of 16 passes for 227 yards and two goals when he ran for the third.
"We make all our decisions here based on victory," Saban said. "Whoever we feel will give us the best chance to go there and win, that's who we will play, obviously, how you practice, how you prepare, I say it at first, who wins.
"In our opinion, one player is doing a better job so he gets a chance to get started and we have the opportunity to play good men and see and see how they are doing and we will continue to try to help both players improve and get better."
This became an interesting subject for Saban after repeated questions about the starter that led to the game. Saban received testimony with an ESPN reporter after a post-virtual question about the decision.
Saban called journalist Maria Taylor and apologized.
Taylor was part of the ESPN crew for Monday night's match between No. 20 Virginia Tech and No. 19 Florida State. He declined to comment when asked about Saban's statement in the past two days.
Saban felt pain to avoid criticism of Hurts.
"If I ask to defame the player and make the crown prince again, I might not answer it, and I have to learn better ways to react to it," he said. "And I will in the future and I pray every Sunday that I have never been angry, but that is the time and condition for me. I am somewhat disappointed by the way we end the game, the penalties we have, the mistakes we have, so the responsibility me and we apologize for that. "
Saban said he did not make the decision to work to let Hurts use the new NCAA rules that allow players who play in four games or less to redshirt. The pain is still two years left and plays an important moment in the opening.
"I don't know how you can prepare when you choose and choose when you will play the player," Saban said. "I don't know how you can do it, I have to make someone willing to play in the game, so if you have suggestions, I would love to hear it, but I don't know how you do it, I don't know how a player can choose if he wants to play and respect for his teammates. "
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