Alabama Football: Why a 2-Quarterback System Is Not in Alabama's Future

Last year, Greg McElroy ran what amounted to a one-man show with him throwing over 85 percent of all the passes hoisted up last year for Alabama. The snaps that AJ McCarron did get was what most fans refer to as "garbage time." That is the time when the game is safely in hand and subs come in playing time.

In April, Saban said, "Until somebody separates, I have no problem [playing two quarterbacks going into the season]. I really don't. I like both guys. I have confidence in both guys. We have confidence in both guys, and I think our players do."

"One guy [Sims] hasn’t played at all in terms of college experience. The other has as a backup player," Saban said. "It’s important that those guys continue to develop the kind of knowledge, experience and confidence in doing their job, as well as instill confidence in the people around them that they can trust and respect them and believe that we can execute with those guys.

"How that all develops will be a real key to how far we can go as an offensive team next year."

Ultimately, though, it's going to come down to who gets it done when it counts—on Saturdays.

"I think the key to it is going to be how these guys play when the fur flies and that’s when the games come," Saban said.

But once that leader is named, look for Saban to play him almost as much as he did McElroy last year.

Most of those quotes by Saban back in April were meant more to sooth the anxiety of the eventual second string quarterback and let them know that while he may not be a starter, that Saban does indeed have faith that the team could win with them at the helm.

At heart, Saban is just not a two-quarterback coach. He likes the reliance of an experienced quarterback. He feels they are much less prone to mistakes and turnovers.

But the most important reason Nick Saban will not rotate quarterbacks is leadership. He not only wants one man to step forward and become a leader, but to keep him a leader.

The worst thing Saban could do is play with their minds and confidence by continually swapping them back and forth.

This is not the same kind of situation that was present at Florida when Chris Leak and Tim Tebow were both swapping some playing time. In that case, each had a totally different skill set to offer and were utilized at different times depending on the need for those skills.

At Alabama, both McCarron and Sims bring the same skill sets to the table. Both are traditional drop back passers, both have strong arms and both are not really known as running quarterbacks. Therefore there is not really going to be a time when one could offer something in a situation the other can't offer just as well.

If a second quarterback is played, you may expect Saban to play them at a predesignated time such as the second series of the second and forth quarter but little more.

That way the starting quarterback knows that he will be set down for that series whether he's doing good or bad, and it won't upset his psyche.

This is not to say however, that if the fall starter should fall into a slump, that he won't be replaced. But that is not rotation, but simply playing the man with the hot hand.

In almost every case, the old axiom is true, if you have two quarterbacks, you do not have one.