Ad Disclosure
The best division in college football is off to a quick start in 2014. Arkansas is currently the only team with a loss and the SEC West currently has five teams ranked in the AP Top 25, including four inside the top 10.
Despite the division’s immense success, there are still several position battles left to figure among the SEC West squads. As teams move closer to final decisions, we break down one of the most prevalent battles ongoing… in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama QB
Players involved: Blake Sims and Jacob Coker
Who will probably start: Blake Sims
Who should start: Jacob Coker
Why? I’m not saying that Blake Sims hasn’t done a good job with the starter’s reps thus far in Alabama’s first two games. The fifth-year senior has limited his mistakes and thrown for 482 yards and has two touchdowns with just one interception. He clearly has the support of his teammates and higher familiarity level of Nick Saban’s playbook compared to Coker.
Speaking of Coker, the FSU transfer finally got his first taste of game action in an Alabama uniform against FAU this past Saturday. He had some lowlights, including a rough play to end the first half, but there were times where Coker displayed just how strong of an arm he has. How about when he delivered a 40-yard strike to ArDarius Smith after getting blown up by an FAU defensive player? That’s certainly not a throw everyone can make.
Saban addressed the quarterback “controversy” after the game and in his weekly press conference on Monday.
“This is not one that’s going to be a popularity contest,” Saban said. “It’ll be what’s best for our team, and the decisions and the judgments will be based on one thing, and that’s what’s going to help our team have the best chance to be successful and win.”
RELATED: Two weeks in, nothing’s changed about the Alabama QB situation
Coker finished the game with 202 passing yards and one touchdown – a stat line that won’t blow you away. He looked lost at times and admittedly was dealing with first-game jitters, which can be attributed to some of the misplays he had in the first half on Saturday.
But what’s the popular football adage?
“Your biggest improvement is between game one and game two.”
Sims can be the quarterback Saban needs, but in the end I think Coker is the quarterback Saban wants. Coker arm strength provides the Crimson Tide with a viable downfield passing game, which they’ll need if they’d like to make it back to Atlanta.
Both quarterbacks will play again this weekend and continue to develop, but you should see a much more improved and comfortable Coker leading the offense.
In the end, it’s Coker that’s the pro-style quarterback with a big arm in Saban’s pro-style offense. In other words, he’s a perfect fit. His 6-foot-5, 230-pound prototypical quarterback frame doesn’t hurt either. The transition to Alabama may take him a few games to get his comfort level back, but once he does I believe Coker will shine. He is the right quarterback for Saban, and ultimately, the one that can take him farther this season.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
