Former Alabama football star running back and 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram did an interview ahead of week 1 of the college football season, and he pushed back on the idea that Alabama and Nick Saban's program is headed in the wrong direction.

“I don't think they're heading in the wrong direction,” Mark Ingram said, via Steve Serby of the New York Post. “They lost two games last year by what, four points? Both on the last play of the game. Obviously there's a quarterback question mark, but there's NFL talent all over that roster. No. 1 recruiting classes over 10 of the last 13 years. There's no better person at developing talent than coach [Nick] Saban. I feel like we weren't really running the ball effectively and efficiently last year,, so I feel like we need to get back to running the football and stopping the run.”

Ingram also spoke on who he thought would win the quarterback job for Nick Saban's Alabama football team.

“I think Jalen Milroe is probably the front-runner to be the starter, and when you talk about dual threat-quarterbacks … he might be the fastest on the team full of NFL talent,” Ingram said, via Serby. “I think Alabama can get back to where they need to go, I think we're going in the right direction. If we get effective quarterback play, I think we'll be right there in the playoff. Don't count ‘Bama out, man. I think we're right were we need to be, and everybody doubting us, that's when we make people pay, when everybody doubts us and counts us out.”

It will be interesting to see if Jalen Milroe does win the quarterback battle. Other top programs like Georgia and Ohio State have question marks at quarterback as well, so Saban and the Crimson Tide are not the only program with this question to answer.

Alabama kicks off its season against Middle Tennessee on Saturday Sept. 2.