Guerry Clegg: Saban remains patient in naming starting quarterback

Nick Saban is tired of talking about his quarterbacks. So tired that he just might propose a new rule to ban all questions about quarterbacks. You know, for safety reasons.

This is how weary of addressing the quarterback competition he has grown. Asked to evaluate the cornerback depth and rotation "after the first spot," Saban instinctive dropped into defense mode.

"Well, what is the first spot? I don't know who the first spot is."

Then it became evident that Saban misunderstood the question.

"You talking about cornerback? Oh, you disappointment me. I thought sure it would be quarterback."

His evaluation of the cornerbacks could also serve as his assessment of the quarterbacks.

"There's a lot of competition there. I really haven't decided who will play in the game. Who will give up the fewest plays and who can be responsible and do their job?"

At both positions, one mistake can cost a team the game. But there's one significant difference. The quarterback has to do more than master the offense. He has to win the team.

Therein lies the real challenge for Saban and Georgia coach Mark Richt. The respective quarterback battles have been going on since winter workouts began in January. Granted, Georgia's competition took an unusual turn when Greyson Lambert transferred in from Virginia, prompting Jacob Park to leave. Lambert is pushing Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta for the starting job.

Still, both teams have had countless practice reps, film sessions, group meetings and one-on-one meetings to know who can make the plays. About all that is settled at Alabama is that Alec Morris, Cooper Bateman and Jacob Coker have separated themselves from David Cornwell and Blake Barnett.

What they haven't seen -- and won't see until the season starts -- is who the rest of the team will rally around. Who will make the fewest mistakes? Who will recover the quickest from those mistakes?

Their seasons start in six days. The preseason routine is over. They're now focusing exclusively on their opponents. That would suggest the Crimson Tide has a great

er sense of urgency since Alabama opens against Wisconsin, while Georgia plays Louisiana-Monroe. But that's not necessarily the case. Remember, this is Nick Saban. He's never spent much time wondering, let alone worrying, about what others think. So both teams could play more than one quarterback in their opener.

"We've been through this several times before," Saban said. "I think you can name a guy. But if we named a guy and then that guy wasn't the best performer and then we had to un-name him, what good does that do? So, sometimes, you run the risk of naming the guy before he's won the team or won the job, so then you have to un-name him. So does that do the player any good?"

Saban reminded everyone how the quarterback competition between AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims played out in 2011. Opening the season against Kent, McCarron played the first quarter and led Bama to a 21-0 lead. Sims played the second quarter and struggled.

"And I'm not saying that's our plan," Saban said. "But I think when you're trying to give some guys who are competing and they've all done a good job, you have to have some clear-cut evidence a guy really has won the job and he has won the team."

Richt appears no closer to reaching a decision or revealing his intentions.

"My gut is we'll probably keep going in some way, shape or form," Richt said. "It may roll into the game. There may be more than one guy playing. If it was today, my feeling is I'd probably play more than one guy."

When Bauta spent time running the scout team offense against the first team defense, that was seen as a sign that the race is down to Ramsey and Lambert.

"No, no," Richt said. "Matter of fact, everybody is getting evaluated. Our twos have gotten to the point where they function pretty good. Even the twos versus the one defense, they had success. Faton moved them. They did legitimately score a touchdown, had a long touchdown drive with Faton leading it."

Maybe this is much ado about nothing. Ohio State was down to its third-string quarterback, Cardale Jones, by the end of the season. That seemed to work itself out OK.

-- Guerry Clegg is an independent correspondent. You can write to him at sports@ledger-enquirer.com

This story was originally published August 29, 2015 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Guerry Clegg: Saban remains patient in naming starting quarterback ."