but I’d say he’s pretty entrenched.

with neither special expertise nor insight, that my guess is that it is his to lose. Entrenched sounds “not like Saban.”

Bama has the best 1 – 2 combo of RB’s in college football. Therefor I see Greg comming back and being a game manager. I however wouldn’t doubt it if AJ came in more often and ran the offense to gain experience.Seems to me that would be the wise thing to do. Build the #2 QB up through game experience rather than throwing him in the fire. But then again I’m an engineer not a coach.

playing time next year. Saban will not want what happened to Texas to happen to Bama. I suspect GMac starts, but I really look for Saban to let AJ have a shot in real game situations right from the start.

If at some point down the line GMac gives us some pretty horrible games, like SC last year, I could AJ even starting. We are a running team, but we will pass as much as we run next year. We have to open up in order to keep getting the Julio’s and Sims’ to come our way. Our offense next year will be much higher scoring.

If AJ works harder and is more productive, then I expect him to start.

I would have said yes, McCarron will at the very least push McElroy in the spring, and that could very well happen. I think there is even a possibility of a three way competition between those two and Sims. However, I do not think that is the key to the offense next season. As much as I hate to say it, we need to copy what Auburn did with Cadillac and Ronnie, and get Ingram and Richardson on the field at the same time!

If you hadn’t lost since 8th grade, and you kicked ass for all but two games really, and sputtered on two others, I’d say pretty entrenched…

947 total plays, 601 run attempts for 3011 yds (63.5%), 346 pass attempts for 2631 yds (36.5%), 5.96 ypp in 2009

902 total plays, 568 run attempts for 2585 yds (63%), 334 pass attempts for 2396 yds (37%), 5.52 ypp in 2008

45 more plays, but only 12 more pass play attempts.

That isn’t GMac’s fault my friend

The other interesting stat is the fact that the team scored 52 offensive TDs in 2008 and 2009.

Tiffin had 6 more FG attempts in 2009, and made 10 more FGs over 2008.

So in conclusion: Greg can only run what is signaled in to him. He ain’t Bret Favre, checkin’ AP outta carries, nor should he be. Furthermore, we were more efficient at burning clock in 2009, but less efficient at actually finishing drives with TDs.

can we wait till G Mac loses a game before we start thinking about benching him. He is a damn fine QB, that is accurate and smart with the ball. If the line holds up, we will see an even more balanced offensive attack next year. I hope we can get Julio a 1k + season next year, he would be close to breaking the 3k mark already at many other schools. I would like to see AJ get some snaps though, but just for experience sake…

IMO its GMac’s to lose, but don’t think for a minute that AJ won’t get some serious looks and playing time also.
Case in point….. What CNS did at lsu… using a senior and a jemarcus at the same time
also…. Terry Grant and Roy Upchurch….. Grant was the man in 2007 but was replaced and Roy though injured is a possible pro prospect, but a freshman Ingram, started in front of him last year. Sooooo, may the best man win.

Let’s just hope that with the talent at the QB spot behind McElroy that it will push him to be even better his senior year. This happened in 2008 with Upchurch and Coffee at the RB position.

I submit to you

Todd Boeckman

Boeckman was recruited in 2002, but redshirted and grey-shirted, extending his stay with Ohio State for two more seasons. After Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith graduated after the 2006 season, Boeckman beat out fellow quarterbacks Rob Schoenhoft and Antonio Henton for the starting job. In 2007, he passed for 2,375 yards and 25 touchdown’s and was named first team Big Ten. He also led the Buckeyes to the BCS National Championship Game on January 7, 2008. He threw for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Buckeyes fell to Louisiana State 38-24.

Boeckman entered the 2008 season as a 6th year Senior.1 He was named the starter for the 2008 season, however after losing 35 to 3 in the 2008 USC game, he lost the starting job to Terrelle Pryor. In the 2009 Fiesta Bowl against the University of Texas, Boeckman threw a touchdown pass to Terrelle Pryor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Boeckman

Greg is the clear starter, but if A. J. really improves and makes things close and Greg struggles next year, then we could possibly see a switch. I’d say it’s unlikely though. I expect McElroy to light things up next year.

Didn’t he de-commit? Does Saban ever trust you back in the fold after somethting like that? Does anyone know the real story with AU’s qback? If Urbie suspends you a half a game against a cupcake for trying to blind someone, what must you really do to get thrown off the team?

Listen, no way he gets beat out. Even if it’s even on the practice field, experience and record count. Greg’s worst games this year came during the time when he himself admitted that he got a bit overwhelmed. That won’t happen this year. He’s been through it, adjusted to life as Bama’s Quarterback (which is a position with slightly less power and more visibility than the Lieutenant Governor in Alabama), and is ready to concentrate and focus on winning games. AJ McCarron may be the next coming of Joe Willie, but there’s no way he starts over a 14-0 National Champion QB unless that QB gets injured.

Obviously Saban was referring to people who would be returning, and just said the position instead of the name.

That said, McElroy is completely under-rated. He is one of the most accurate and best passers to ever come to Alabama, and is IMO in the same ranks as a Namath or Stabler.

In fact, he has better stats than Stabler. Who on average completely on 59% of his passes, for only about 1000 yards the 2 years he started.

Same story with Namath. Only 54% of his passes were completed, but in ’64 he completed 64%. The years before that, 49% and 51% completion. He never passed for more than 1000 yards, and had less than 800 yards the last 2 seasons.

Meanwhile, McElroy completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,508 this year alone. That is only 200 yards less than Namath had on his entire career.

McElroy is an elite QB, make no mistake about it. One of the most accurate passers in the game. He put up those numbers while being extremely careful with the football. He matched the # of INT’s Namath had in his best year with only 4. Namath had 7 and 8 the other years. But in the year Namath had only 4 INT’s and his highest completion %, he had only 800 yards on the season and only 5 TD passes. McElroy had 17 TD’s on the year.

2 of the most legendary QB’s to play at Alabama who went on to legendary NFL careers, and their stats look like highschool stats in comparison to McElroy. And McElroy had one of the worse pass blocking lines in the top teams. Constantly under pressure and never getting much time. The reason why he had a slump in the middle of the season is because he was going through the receivers too quick because he was trying to get rid of the football.

What more do you guys expect from a QB? Do people not recognize an elite QB when they see one? I’m pretty sure Saban knows what a gem he has in McElroy.

Your telling me you think a QB who through for 2500 passing yards, with 17 TD’s and only 4 INT’s on the year is going to lose his job?