Cooper Bateman Starts at QB over Jacob Coker for Alabama vs. Ole Miss

Alabama will be taking the field Saturday night in Tuscaloosa for its huge SEC showdown against Mississippi with Cooper Bateman starting at quarterback. 

Per ESPN.com's Alex Scarborough, Bateman was announced as the starter over Jacob Coker during pregame introductions. Coker started Alabama's first two games, completing 30 of his 47 attempts for 427 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Coker would eventually appear though late in the first half, per CBS Sports.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has made sure to get both of his quarterbacks work, as Bateman has gone 18-of-25 for 149 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Wisconsin and Middle Tennessee. 

Speaking to Matt Zenitz of AL.com at the end of August about his quarterback situation, Saban said he didn't understand the need to make a declarative statement about whom his starter would be. 

"My question is, is it just like a known fact that you have to do this a certain way, that if you don't have a starting quarterback that means you can't get ready to play well, [that] if you play more than one guy...that we can't play good?," Saban said. "I don't know."

Even though Bateman is starting, Coker will almost certainly see action at some point based on how things have played out in the first two games. 

The Tide will need all their offensive weapons clicking Saturday, especially the quarterback, because Ole Miss has scored 149 points in its first two games. It hasn't been against elite competition, but it's hard to rack up point totals that high in consecutive weeks by accident.