1. I don’t want to get on a soapbox, but …

If this were any other coach and any other team, we wouldn’t be sold.

Yet here we all are, blind lemmings racing toward the school of Saban.

Stop worrying, they say. Alabama will be Alabama. Are you really going to doubt Nick Saban?

The Tide will find a quarterback and make the Playoff and maybe even win the whole damn thing again.

They just love when the mean media doubts them.

But how could anyone not doubt what we’re watching play out before our eyes? After last weekend’s scrimmage at Alabama, Saban began his press conference by stating “everybody” got reps at quarterback.

If we’re taking him at his word, that means every quarterback: Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, Tyler Buchner, Dylan Lonergan and Eli Holstein.

Let’s stop right here before we get into what Saban says will be his postmortem practice response concerning the quarterbacks until he says otherwise. We’re 2 weeks into fall camp, and there has been no clear movement.

I spoke to 2 people who were at Saturday’s scrimmage, and both said none of the quarterbacks has moved into a different level of performance.

This, of course, mirrors what Saban said after the scrimmage: “I’m not a stats guy. We’re not interested in what their stats were. We’re going to be interested when we watch the film.”

This isn’t brain surgery. The reason no one has separated from the pack is they’re all about the same in terms of what they can do right now.

That doesn’t mean it can’t (or won’t) change as the season progresses, but right now Saban has a group of quarterbacks that has 1 game (the opener against Middle Tennessee) to figure out the extreme importance of ball security and game management — before the real season begins a week later when Texas comes to Tuscaloosa.

And this is the team that began the season ranked No. 3 in the USA Today coaches poll, and got 3 1st-place votes from those same coaches. A team that has been inconsistent on the offensive line over the past 2 seasons, its deficiencies overshadowed by the best player in the game (Bryce Young).

A team whose offensive line gave up 63 sacks in the past 2 seasons, despite the slippery and sometimes supernatural movement in the pocket and scrambling of the magician that was Young.

A line that gave up 167 tackles for loss in the past 2 seasons and only added from high school recruiting — 5 total recruits, including 4 blue-chip recruits led by top 5 overall OT Kadyn Proctor.

An offensive line that Saban said needed “more guys that play winning football.”

The staff feels good about the starting line and 1 or 2 backups. After that, it’s a crapshoot.

That’s the unit in charge of protecting the great unknown at quarterback, whose potential starters are throwing to a group of wide receivers who have more than 50 drops in the past 2 seasons.

“If you’re a receiver, why do they call you a receiver?” Saban said. “You’re supposed to be able to catch the ball, right? That’s what receiver means. You should never drop the ball.”

To recap: the quarterback, the most important position on the field and the current position in flux like no other on the team, is surrounded by inconsistencies from the offensive line and wide receivers.

Is it really that fair to expect 1 of the 5 quarterbacks to take shared reps in practice and make a clear and defining move? While they’re all unique in what they can do and bring to the team, they’re still working within the constraints of other issues on offense.

Milroe has the most experience and can stress defenses with his run game ability. Simpson and Lonergan are the most gifted throwers, but Simpson hasn’t played meaningful snaps and Lonergan isn’t ready to manage a game.

Buchner is what he is: a guy who Notre Dame recruited over with the transfer portal (Sam Hartman of Wake Forest) — but also a quarterback with good skills who is only entering his 3rd season of college ball.

This is the team that was penciled in at No. 3 in the nation by the coaches. A team that was picked last month at SEC Media Days to win the West Division and play in the league’s championship game. Some picked them to win the SEC.

If this were any other team with any other coach, there’s no chance they’re sitting at No. 3 in the coaches poll. No one else gets this mulligan (more on that later).

At the very least, no other team slides into the season with the rock-solid understanding that the coach in charge will make it work.

Maybe this time he won’t.

2. Following greatness

If the uneven fall camp from the offensive line and wide receivers isn’t troubling, consider that this is all happening with a new offensive coordinator/QBs coach and play-caller.

Saban has completely turned over all things offense to 31-year-old Tommy Rees. He said last month that Rees is, “one of the brightest young guys that I’ve seen in a long time in this business.”

Maybe we’re just overthinking this thing. Maybe all of these red flags are really just overreactions based on comparing the current group of quarterbacks to what has strolled through the Mal Moore Football Facility since 2016.

Jalen Hurts. Tua Tagovailoa. Mac Jones. Bryce Young.

That’s a Heisman Trophy winner and 3 Heisman finalists. That’s 4 quarterbacks who combined for 2 national titles, 3 national runners-up, and a TD/INT ratio of 271/42 over the past 7 seasons.

That’s an average TD/INT ratio of 39/6. Ridiculous.

It’s also ridiculous to believe any of the current 5 quarterbacks could come close to that number, but it’s even worse to compare their development to those quarterbacks.

Those previous quarterbacks also had a Heisman Trophy winner at wide receiver (DeVonta Smith) and 5 receivers selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.

Needless to say, Saban wasn’t complaining about dropped balls deep into the careers of Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle or Henry Ruggs III.

So maybe this is more than just the quarterback spot. Maybe this is the entire Alabama offense — other than running back, which Saban has praised since spring practice — not playing up to the previous standard.

Yet here we are — all of us — blindly following the Church of Saban. And frankly, why wouldn’t anyone?

The track record is overwhelming.

3. The Alabama mulligan, The Epilogue

Georgia has a new quarterback. So does Ohio State and Penn State and Clemson and Tennessee. They’re all ranked in the top 10 of the coaches poll. (The preseason AP Top 25 will be released at noon Monday.)

Only Kirby Smart at Georgia gets the Alabama mulligan, and mainly because the Bulldogs have won 2 consecutive national titles and have a projected starter (Carson Beck) who has been ready to play for 2 years.

Ohio State’s projected starter is former 5-star recruit Kyle McCord, who like Milroe, won a start when called into action (2021 vs. Akron). He’s also been coached by the same QB coach (head coach Ryan Day) for the past 3 seasons. And unlike Milroe, he’s a pure thrower.

Cade Klubnik started and won the ACC Championship Game for Clemson, and Tennessee’s Joe Milton III won the Orange Bowl against Clemson. Former 5-star recruit Drew Allar was the highest-rated pro-style quarterback in 2022 and played well last season as Penn State’s backup.

All 5 of those teams have better options at quarterback than Alabama, and are as good or better in the players around those quarterbacks. Yet only Georgia is ranked ahead of Alabama.

Admit it, we’re all lemmings — and Saban’s track record is blindly leading us to the idea that everything will be fine.

When maybe it finally won’t.

4. The unvarnished truth

Ole Miss had a scrimmage last weekend, and Lane Kiffin made a statement: He made wide receivers coach Derrick Nix the team’s head coach for the day.

This wasn’t a publicity ploy, it was shining light on an obvious problem with big-time college football: There are 12 coaches of color among the 69 Power 5 teams.

In a sport dominated by black players (more than 70%), 17% of its coaches are men of color. So Kiffin made the statement to bring more exposure to the issue.

And he did it by giving Nix the team for a day — and everything that goes with it. From handling pre-game meal, to speaking to the team before and after the game, to injury reports and managing the game and all other facets of the job.

“I just hope Black coaches that don’t get opportunities start getting opportunities, because it is ridiculous,” Kiffin said. “It’s really a system that needs to be fixed.”

It’s a system that needs more university presidents — who ultimately make the hires — to push athletic directors to put more minority candidates in front of them.

Among the elite of game: Georgia WR coach/pass game coordinator Bryan McClendon, Michigan OC Sherrone Moore, Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons, Florida assistant head coach/secondary Corey Raymond and Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor.

5. The Weekly 5

The 5 games that stress the Georgia win total (11.5).

1. Nov. 18, at Tennessee: An easy call. Think Alabama 2022, heading into Knoxville and dealing with that crowd and that Vols offense.

2. Sept. 30, at Auburn: A September schedule snoozer finally awakens with a tough roadie on The Plains — and the first big test for QB Carson Beck.

3. Nov. 11, Ole Miss: A strong Ole Miss offense sandwiched between a physical Missouri defense and the game of the regular season at Tennessee.

4. Oct. 7, Kentucky: A physical Kentucky team that will protect better and give QB Devin Leary an opportunity with a wildly underrated wide receiver corps.

5. Oct. 28, Florida (Jacksonville): A bitter rivalry game that was a 4th-quarter game in 2022.

6. Your tape is your resume

An NFL scout analyzes a draft-eligible SEC player. This week: LSU LB Omar Speights.

“A strong guy in the middle with great instincts and lateral speed. I can’t wait to see him in the SEC, playing against the best (in college football) and seeing how he reacts. I expect him to raise his level of play, and be more impactful. He has good size (6-1, 235) and a high football IQ. He’s a run stuffer, but also a guy that can disrupt with pass rush. He played more than 2,500 snaps in 4 years at Oregon State. These are the fun guys to watch, the guys that are using that 5th year to really hone their game.”

7. Powered Up

This week’s Power Poll: Ranking the SEC’s defensive lines.

1. Georgia: An elite mix of experienced upperclassmen (DTs Nazir Stackhouse, Warren Bronson, Zion Logue, edge Chaz Chambliss), and underclassmen the verge of huge seasons (edges Mykel Williams, Jason Walker, Marvin Jones, Jr.). The Dawgs are 10 deep on the line (including OLB/edges).

2. Texas A&M: Shemar Turner and Fadil Diggs and Shemar Stewart and LT Overton off the edge. A load to block. Then there’s the interior, with run stuffers Walter Nolen and McKinnley Jackson. Once DT Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy figures it out, it gets much more difficult to block the Aggies.

3. LSU: It begins with the best defensive player in the game, Harold Perkins — a linebacker who will line up at multiple positions and still rush from the edge. If DT Maason Smith returns to elite form, the interior of Smith and Mekhi Wingo is the best in college football. Edge transfers Ovie Oghoufo (Texas) and Paris Shand (Arizona) will help prevent talented DE Sai’vion Jones from extending on so many plays — and keep him fresh for pass rush downs.

4. Alabama: Tim Smith and Jaheim Oatis are tough to move in the middle, and freshman James Smith has made a move in both spring and fall camp. Then there’s pressure on the outside with Chris Braswell and Dallas Turner, who needs a bounce back season.

5. Arkansas: This is where coach Sam Pittman believes the Hogs will make huge strides in 2023. DE Trajan Jeffcoat transferred from Missouri, and DE Landon Jackson is a physical freak. The goal is 15-plus sacks from the Jeffcoat and Jackson.

6. Kentucky: It all begins on the D-line for the annually tough Kentucky defense. Cats are 5-deep on the interior, with Josaih Hayes, Deone Walker, Octavious Oxendine and North Carolina transfer Keeshawn Silver a difficult rotation to block for SEC offenses. Can edge JJ Weaver return to 2021 form and get double-digit sacks?

7. Tennessee: Can the Vols make the jump to the elite if the league? Tyler Baron has been close for 2 years, and now it’s time for a breakout senior season. Same with Roman Harrison. When he’s committed and motivated, DT Omari Thomas is unblockable.

8. Missouri: Darius Robinson made a jump in 2022 and became a disruptive end. Now it’s about production. Realus George and Kristian Williams are an undersized but vastly underrated interior duo.

9. Florida: The Gators are strong in the middle with Memphis transfer Cam Jackson, Chris McClellan and nifty 400-pounder Desmond Watson. Can Florida get production from freshman DEs Kelby Collins and TJ Searcy to keep double teams of edge Princely Umanmielen?

10. Auburn: The unit is full of transfers, but there’s a lot to like about it. Edge Jalen McLeod had 6 sacks in 2022 at App State, and Kentucky transfer DT Justin Rogers is a proven SEC commodity. Then there’s JC transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite, a proven pass rusher in the Big Ten at Maryland.

11. Ole Miss: Edge Jared Ivey and DT JJ Pegues are proven disrupters in the SEC. Can transfers NT Joshua Harris (NC State), Stephon Wynn (Nebraska) and edge Isaac Ukwu (7.5 sacks in 2022 at James Madison) make a significant impact?

12. Mississippi State: DT Jaden Crumedy is among the most underrated players in the SEC. A rare combination of run stuffer and pass rusher. The staff has high hopes for Kalvin Dinkins, an athletic and strong big body on the interior.

13. South Carolina: There’s no proven commodity, just guys who have flashed. DT Tonka Hemingway (4 sacks in 2022) is at the top of that list, a potential All-SEC player if he’s more consistent.
A healthy Jordan Strachan gives South Carolina a legit force off the edge.

14. Vanderbilt: The lines of scrimmage have been a major problem for Vandy under Clark Lea. Defensively, the Commodores are desperate for consistent production off the edge. When 295-pound DT Devin Lee is your best pass rusher, that’s a problem. There is hope Stanford transfer edge Aeneas DiCosmo can change that.

8. Ask and you shall receive

Matt: Do we see the Spencer Rattler of November 2022, or the Spencer Rattler of every other week in 2022? — Jerry Condon, Charlotte.

Jerry:

How about Spencer Rattler, circa 2020 — with a nice mix of the last month of last season? That’s the best Rattler: The risk-taker that’s not forcing throws, but taking chances with throws he can make — not throws he has to make. There’s a big difference.

He tried to do too much early on last season, and because the South Carolina offensive line was a work in progress, there were some serious missteps. They’ll be more consistent on the offensive line, and there are numerous weapons for Rattler.

Everyone wants to be Patrick Mahomes, but not everyone realizes he plays within the Kansas City Chiefs’ system. The wow plays are off schedule and highlight reels, but the plays that win big games are scheduled and practiced over and over and over.

That’s the player the South Carolina staff believes Rattler is in 2023. Making the plays he must make to win games, and adding some off schedule throws for the wow crowd. If that happens, the Gamecocks are a dangerous team in November, 2023.

9. Numbers

4. Ole Miss had big plans for TE Michael Trigg in 2022, and he was hurt (broken collarbone) in the first month of October and never heard from again. He played all of 4 games, and had 17 catches.

That will change this season. Trigg is more of a flex, and will be used like Florida used Kyle Pitts in 2019-2020 — to attack the center of the field with mismatches.

Trigg runs like a receiver and will be a difficult cover. He will line up on the line of scrimmage, in the slot, and at times, on the outside in 3rd-and-short yardage situations against man coverage.

The staff feels like Trigg, much like Pitts, can win on the outside and make big 3rd-down plays.

10. Quote to note

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, on the development of QB KJ Jefferson after last week’s scrimmage: “He ran the offense well. Friday, he threw the ball as well as I’d ever seen him throw. Crazy accuracy.”