Nick Saban has perfected a winning formula at Alabama, but this season his team has a notable difference.

True freshman Jalen Hurts has emerged at quarterback for the Crimson Tide, the first time Saban has ventured into a season with a first-year player behind center. ESPN college football analyst Tom Luginbill joined The Paul Finebaum Show on Monday to explain how Hurts presents a new challenge for Saban.

“This is completely uncharted waters for Nick Saban to sit there and say ‘Okay guys, we’re going to play a true freshman,'” Luginbill told Finebaum. “Well, with that, comes flashes of great moments and some real bone-headed plays.”

Alabama has proven capable of winning with a first-time starter at quarterback in the past, but playing with one who is less than a year removed from high school is a new obstacle to conquer. Saban’s offenses have been predicated on a strong running game and downfield passing, but Hurts provides a new wrinkle that the coaches will need to figure out how to utilize.

“I think Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin are far more on the same page offensively about what they want to do than maybe outsiders looking in think,” Luginbill stated. “They want to run the football, they want to have a controlled play-action passing game and they want to be able to put the ball vertical and create big plays. But now you’ve added an element of a quarterback that can do all these magnificent things that isn’t really tailored to what they’ve been on offense. So you don’t want to hold the kid back, you don’t want to completely, drastically change your offense, but you’ve got to accentuate his strengths.”

Hurts is a dynamic player at the position and could further elevate Alabama’s offense if used correctly. The Crimson Tide haven’t had a player like him before, but if anyone can figure out how to make it work, Saban is a pretty strong candidate.