Nick Saban says Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts will continue to play for Crimson Tide

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"It's the same thing as always, using both of them," Saban told ESPN on Thursday. "It evolves a bit as you go, our team has evolved, I can not tell you exactly how it's going to work, it will be the person who helps our team to play the best, and they both played a role in doing that. "

Tagovailoa started the first three games of the # 1 Crimson Tide and is in first place nationally in ESPN's total QBR metric at 98.3 (out of 100). He led 20 units as a quarterback from Alabama, with 14 touchdown attempts and another with a field goal. Tagovailoa has 36 yards out of 50 for 646 yards, eight touchdowns and no interception for an Alabama offense leading the country with an average of 56.7 points per game. The Tide outshot their opponents 170-28 through three games.

Hurts also played every game and entered the first half of each contest. He has 19 of 28 passes for 248 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Hurts, a junior, was 26-2 as a starter from Alabama before being beaten by Tagovailoa, the hero of last season's national league match.

"I understand how unique this situation is," said Saban. "I do not know of any other precedent in college football where one guy has started 28 games, won 26 and then someone has taken his place.This has never happened.This is difficult for Jalen, and it's hard for me. " I am a loyal and loyal guy to the guys who come out and put him on the line for you. You want to be fair to all your players, but you also want to be fair to your team.

"We needed two-quarters last year and we will need both of them this year."

With the new NCAA redshirt rules, a player can play up to four games per season and keep his redshirt year. Hurts is on track to graduate in December and could transfer and play immediately elsewhere next season as a graduate transfer. There has been speculation that he could choose to play only in an emergency after Saturday's game against Texas A & M 22, which would be the fourth game of the season for Alabama . In this way, he would still have two years eligibility if he chose to transfer.

Saban admitted to having had discussions with Hurts earlier this season about various scenarios, but said Hurts was nothing but his team.

"Whenever I've talked to Jalen since the start of the season, he said" Coach, I want to play "and he never said otherwise," Saban said. "He did everything we asked him to do, he was never invited to play in a game." He says he is ready to play and has trained well, Jalen is a competitor and the The kids on this team respect him, respect the two quarterbacks.

"And I think that says a lot about the two kids, because none of them ever said a word about each other."

Saban said that any frustration he felt was felt as if he was under pressure to anoint one of the quarterbacks to the detriment of the other and admits he has not always responded well publicly. He struggled with ESPN sideline reporter Maria Taylor after the first game against Louisville. She asked for her assessment of the quarters after seeing them both in a match.