Alabama Football: Will QB Dilemma Hurt Nick Saban and Crimson Tide in 2011?

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The Alabama Crimson Tide were ranked No. 2 in the preseason top 25 USA Today Coaches' Poll, even though they have replace some big time players on offense.

New players must step up in the absence of Mark Ingram and Julio Jones, but perhaps the biggest loss is quarterback Greg McElroy. The Crimson Tide will must figure out who will manage the game for them, but they haven't identified who will be the starting quarterback.

Nick Saban must decide between A.J. McCarron or Phillip Sims. McCarron was viewed as the starter once McElroy left, but Sims has a great spring, which lead to a quarterback competition for the starting job.

Both McCarron and Sims have been splitting first-team snaps, and it's possible they will continue to battle for the job into the first couple weeks of the season.

Saban will name a starter before Week 1, but a lot will ride on the performance of McCarron or Sims during the Week 2 game against Penn State.

Should the eventual starter struggle against the Nittany Lions, then the other quarterback will get a chance to start.

Alabama's defense will carry the team in the early going, but if they don't get much production from the new quarterback then the Crimson Tide will be in trouble.

They're expected to be in contention for the tough SEC West, and many believe it will be Alabama to win the sixth BCS National Championship in a row for the SEC.

Saban will have both quarterbacks prepared for the upcoming season, but things definitely change from practice to a game.

Luckily for the Crimson Tide, they have running back Trent Richardson, which will help the eventual starter transition in the job. Having a safety blanket like Richardson in the backfield will greatly help McCarron or Sims.

At this point, it would be a mere guess as to who the quarterback will be for Alabama. Eventually Saban will make his pick, and it will be the best move for the team.

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