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Jalen Milroe led Alabama football to an easy 56-7 win over Middle Tennessee in Week 1. After months of discourse about Alabama's lack of an answer at quarterback, it seems like Nick Saban has found his guy. SEC analyst Paul Finebaum isn't fully convinced yet, however. He needs to see more.
“I'm always hesitant to jump too much into it, but it was live competition,” Finebaum said. “It was much easier than the competition that he's been dealing with in scrimmages so far. You could see it.”
He has a point that Alabama's defense in practice is much tougher than Middle Tennessee's. But the output Milroe produced was very encouraging so far. He finished the game 13 for 18, with 194 passing yards and three touchdowns. He added 48 yards and two scores on the ground as well, leading his team in all categories.
Nick Saban obviously still recruits at a very high level. The roster construction alone is strong enough to keep them in contention. However, to compete for a national title, Alabama needed a quarterback. Saban didn't announce a starter until just two days ago. If Milroe hadn't convinced Saban in the offseason, maybe he has now.
“Not everything he did was perfect, but most of what he did was,” Paul Finebaum said. “He clearly has established himself as the guy.”
Week 2 brings a much greater test for Alabama football however. The Texas Longhorns are coming to Tuscaloosa looking to avenge last year's one-point loss. Can Jalen Milroe replicate this production against a much better defense? Time will tell.
“You're going to see this team rally around him. Is it a false flag? I will let you know in a week, but it is momentum, and I think Alabama needed it,” Finebaum said.
