He couldn’t have been sandbagging all along. He just couldn’t.

There was real concern, real uncertainty in the Alabama football building — real apprehension from coach Nick Saban — about the quarterback position.

There had to be.

“Nick doesn’t worry about anything,” an Alabama staffer told me Sunday night. “He fixes problems.”

Or in this case, he pulls out the file from previous seasons, where he won national championships (multiple), and began this dynastic run for the ages.

Suffocating defense — check.

Multiple run-game options, from running backs and quarterback — check.

Game manager at quarterback (who can make plays in the pass game) — check.

Greg McElroy won a national just like this in his 1st season as a starter. So did AJ McCarron, so did Jake Coker. Jalen Hurts was a legendary drive from a legendary player (Deshaun Watson) from doing it, too.

What in the world makes anyone think Jalen Milroe can’t simply follow the path of others before him, and lead Alabama to yet another national title?

And maybe do even more.

“I thought Jalen did a good job,” Saban said after Milroe’s 5-touchdown performance against punching bag Middle Tennessee.

Just like every other season opening starting quarterback at Alabama under Saban. Even Blake Barnett — whom Hurts replaced after starting the 2016 season-opener — completed 5-of-6 passes for 100 yards and a TD before Saban decided Hurts was the path.

Something tells me Saban knew all along this offseason that Milroe was the path, and all the machinations and faux trepidations were theater to keep the focus from 1 player and place it on an entire team.

You don’t win a championship with 1 player, a’ight?

Milroe beat Texas A&M last season in his only start, and played about as well as could be expected — even though those 3 TD passes were tempered somewhat with 3 turnovers (1 INT, 2 fumbles). He came in during a tight road game against Arkansas and extended a lead before starter Bryce Young returned.

He has experienced big games and big moments. He has been on the field in front of 100,000 fans, after a week of those outside the building questioning if he can get it done. He has felt the pressure of playing quarterback at Alabama and didn’t wilt under the weight of it all.

In fact, he thrived more often than not.

This wasn’t about a quarterback competition. This was about pushing the right buttons, motivating Milroe to zero in on preparation and be ready to assume the most high-profile job in college football.

Maybe Saban signed Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner from the spring portal because — stick with me here — he knew if Milroe was lost for any amount of time because of injury, the quarterbacks behind him weren’t ready to play. Maybe, just maybe, Buchner wasn’t a desperation addition.

Maybe he was just an insurance policy. Maybe — and I know this is going to shock everyone — Saban knows what he’s doing.

I wrote for the past 8 months that this was the most uncertain Alabama offseason, and with 1 game against an overmatched body bag, I’m all-in on Milroe. Why, you ask?

Because while that was a vanilla offense against Middle Tennessee — nothing close to what the Tide will show this weekend against Texas — Milroe looked smooth and confident under center, making throws to all 3 levels with relative ease and accuracy.

Obviously the Middle Tennessee defense isn’t the Texas defense. Or the Texas A&M defense. Or LSU or Tennessee or Georgia.

But that was also Milroe’s 2nd career start. How much better will he be by Week 5, or Week 8 or the SEC Championship Game?

“Experience is basically the accumulation of the things that you learn from the mistakes that you make,” Saban said. “That’s what experience is, and I think as (Milroe) continues to develop and gain experience, he’s going to play better and better.”

Alabama will keep playing suffocating defense. They’ll run the ball with a deep group of tailbacks, and a dynamic and dangerous QB run package.

And the quarterback will continue to manage the game. Until he doesn’t.

Until he becomes the focal point of the offense — which could begin as soon as this week.

Milroe says he wakes up every morning and looks in the mirror at the only guy who can make him better. He’s trying, he says, to constantly improve and build on every day.

Who does that sound like?

The coach who knew all along.