Alabama, Clemson and Georgia have played two quarterbacks this season. Here's how each could be used in the future

There's an old grid saying that says, "If you have two quarterbacks, you do not have one."

Hopefully the inventor of this quote has not seen the AP Top 25 poll this season, which features three teams – No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Clemson – topping the ranking that have deployed two quarters this season.

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During the first year of a new NCAA rule that allows players to face up to four games in a season and retain their redshirt, allowing them to gain valuable quarterback gaming experience in all three games this season.

This suggests that Alabama, Georgia and Clemson intend to play their No. 2 quarterbacks this season, whether it's only in a backup capacity, as part of a real quarter turn or simply to give a different appearance to the opposing defenses.

Take a look at the dynamics between the beginner and the substitute at each school, how the second scorers were used and what precedents there might be for a national title contender consistently playing two quarters of the season.

Alabama

Entrance: Tua Tagovailoa – 36 of 50, 72%, 646 yards, 12.9 yards / attempt, 8 TD, 0 INT, 233.3 on the pass mark

backup: Jalen Hurts – 19 of 28, 67.9%, 248 yards, 8.9 yards / attempt, 4 TD, 1 INT, 182.3 overtime

We live in a time of hyperbole, where everything is the bigger, better, the most crazy, [insert strong adjective here] already. But the evolution of the quarterback situation in Alabama over the past nine months could be unprecedented.

If not, how would you classify a position battle where the first real first-year quarterback (Hurts) to ever start for the most accomplished head coach in the history of the sport (Nick Saban) leads his team to a record 26-2 as a starter and at consecutive national championship games, but he only got credit for this 26th win because, as a second year, he was supplanted by a real freshman ( Tagovailoa) at the half-time of the national championship. the replacement led the team to a historic comeback?

It was intentionally a mouthful but see what we mean?

Despite Hurts' natural ability as a rider – 1,809 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 5.2 yards per run in his first two seasons – Tagovailoa's run-time comparison with Hurts shows why the former started the second half last season's national championship game against Georgia and won the starting job this season.

Here's how Alabama's game passing statistics have improved significantly this year compared to the last two seasons, albeit with a small sample for 2018.

Season	Games	completions	attempts	PCT	Yards	TD
2018	3	18.7	27.7	67.5	308.0	4.0
2017	14	14.6	23.8	61.3	193.4	2.0
2016	15	17.7	27.8	63.5	210.3	1.7

Tagovailoa has completed its passes at a higher rate than Hurts this year and its percentage completion in 2018 is almost 12% higher than the completion percentage of 2017 for Hurts. It's not just Tua's precision that makes him the strongest passer, but also his ability to throw down.

Tagovailoa averages nearly 45% more yards than Hurts in three games.

Look below that Tagovailoa – facing 3rd & 9 – throws a 40-yard pass on a string to receiver Jerry Juedy who strikes him in the wake and allows him to overtake the Ole Miss defense for a 79-yard touchdown.

With Tagovailoa as a starter, Alabama averaged 56.7 points per game and Hurts did not play any time this season until Alabama set a comfortable lead.

The following list shows when Hurts attempted his first pass in every game this season.

• against Louisville: 7:30 am 2Q – Alabama 21, Louisville 0
• State of Arkansas: 1:15 1Q – Alabama 19, Arkansas State 0
• vs Ole Miss: 4:42 2Q – Alabama 42, Ole Miss 7

It seems that Tagovailoa had access to previously untapped potential in the attack of the oil spill. With a rotation of four talented riders and a quarterback at Tagovailoa who, without being Hurts' rider, is still mobile (93 yards and one touchdown on 14 attempts this season), Alabama has been productive on the field despite a limited number of Hurts door.

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Where does the quarterback situation in Alabama and specifically the role of Hurts in the attack come from?

Hurts showed he was good enough for Alabama to be in the national championship game.

He has already done it twice.

But it took Tagovailoa's insertion at half-time against Georgia to bring the title back to Tuscaloosa.

Early returns from the Alabama offensive in 2018 suggest that the Crimson Tide should have little trouble moving the chains and reaching the final zone with Tagovailoa under center.

But if there is a potential role for Hurts other than playing the "nearest" after Tagovailoa has given the team a big lead, one could say, a reduced version of Tim Tebow completing Chris Leak on the Florida national team in 2006 or former Ohio State quarterback JT Barrett sometimes replaced starter Cardale Jones when the Buckeyes reached the red zone in 2015.

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Hurts led the team in the races and he's ranked second in the rushing yards in each of the last two seasons, so his best chance to play is that the ground game of the tide or the 39, attack the red zone stagnate. Maybe there is a short distance situation, like a 4th and a 4th key just in the middle of the field in the middle of a tight match, where Saban puts Hurts to get the first duel with the game of run of the Tide.

Look below as Jalen Hurts retains a play option against Fresno State last season and runs 55 yards for a touchdown.

Here is an example of the value of Hurts as a double-threat quarterback in a short-distance situation in the red zone against Tennessee in 2016. At the first and goal, Hurts has two receivers to his right, a wide receiver and one to his left, and running back Damien Harris behind him.

He runs, intact, into the goal zone after a fake at Harris.

In other words, Hurts could pose a more dangerous threat to the quarterback while keeping the defenses honest with his throwing potential. We will discuss later QB situations in Florida and Ohio.

Clemson

Entrance: Kelly Bryant – 29 of 43, 67.4%, 400 yards, 9.3 yards / attempt, 2 TD, 1 INT, 156.3 on the rating

backup: Trevor Lawrence – 26 of 43, 60.5%, 424 yards, 9.9 yards / attempt, 5 TD, 1 INT, 177.0, passing efficiency

While Alabama and Georgia have played two quarterbacks this season, there is a clear hierarchy that seems unlikely to change – except injury. Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm are respectively the preferred option of each school. The combination of unbalanced dashboards, injury prevention and the desire to have a confirmed quarter in the event of a disaster allowed Jalen Hurts and Justin Fields to see the number of snapshots they have in September.

The position of Clemson's quarterback is, however, different.

Or a luxury, depending on how you look at it.

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Starter Kelly Bryant and alternate Trevor Lawrence made the same number of assists in three games. Lawrence added more yards and touchdowns, while Bryant had a higher winning percentage and the team's second best result – 26 attempts for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Watch Bryant's racing ability below as he takes a reading option in the end zone after defeating a Texas A & M linebacker in the corner of Week 2.

However, after Bryant led the Tigers on a score, Lawrence took the field on Clemson. In the first two possessions with Bryant, the Tigers attack was mainly limited to screen passes and short oblique roads in the middle.

Lawrence made a 64-yard touchdown in his first scrum game. The jet ran 30 yards in double cover air and was located where only the Tee Higgins receiver, 6 to 4 wide, could catch her.

Look below.

As the Tigers found themselves in a close match on the road with the Aggies, it was Bryant who took the field for the last six shots of the Tigers, if you include the knee late in the game to wear out the stopwatch of the match. -26 victory.

Bryant was eliminated from Clemson's Week 3 match with Georgia Southern after suffering a bruise in the second quarter. Hence the importance of having a trusted backup, especially for a team of tigers who arguably has the best defensive line in the country.

Bryant has since told reporters that he has recovered 100%, which means that there will be no transition from Jacob Eason to Jake Fromm-esque like when Eason, who started the Last season as a quarterback of Georgia, suffered an injury in the Bulldogs season paves the way for real rookie Fromm to lead them to the national championship game.

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A review of Clemson's regular season schedule shows only four road games and one currently ranked opponent, the 23rd Boston College. That does not mean a perfect record for the Tigers – Syracuse and Pittsburgh unclassified have been responsible for their only loss in each of the last two seasons, but that could allow Dabo Swinney to play musical chairs in the future.

As Alabama, Nick Saban and Tua Tagovailoa showed in the last half of last game last season against the Georgian defense, it could take such an important step and defense so hard that Swinney did not no choice but to decide whether Bryant's experience and threat to run or Lawrence's passing ability on the pitch is better for his team.

Georgia

Entrance: Jake Fromm – 37 of 46, 80.4%, 479 yards, 10.4 yards / attempt, 6 TD, 1 INT, 206.6 on the efficiency rating

backup: Justin Fields – 14 of 17, 82.4%, 142 yards, 8.4 yards / attempt, 2 TD, 0 INT, 191.3 on the odds

Of the three teams examined, Georgia probably has the most common or "normal" scenario of the three quarterbacks. Fromm is the incumbent after leading the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record as a starter, including a SEC title and a second-place national, as a rookie.

This year, Georgia fans have another real freshman quarterback to recruit – although they have a backup ability – in Justin Fields, a 6-3, 225-pound signalman from Kennesaw, Georgia.

Like Jalen Hurts in Alabama, Fields took his first shots every game only after his team took a comfortable lead.

Here's where Fields recorded his first rush or pass attempt in all three Georgia games this season.

• vs Austin Peay: 11:05 2Q – Georgia 24, Austin Peay 0
• in South Carolina: 12:08 4Q – Georgia 41, South Carolina 10
• against Middle Tennessee State: 2:01 1Q – Georgia 21, Middle Tennessee State 0

One of the common points between depth charts at two depths in Alabama, Clemson and Georgia is one of two quarters that has proven to be a better runner. Fields has seven carries for 67 yards and one touchdown this season, compared to six-yard statistics for -16 yards reported by Fromm.

Look below as Fields scores on a 15-yard touchdown against Middle Tennessee. The most encouraging part for Georgian fans is that the real freshman has seen three progressions, looking for an open catcher, before deciding to rush and miss two defenders on the way to the box. goals.

Fromm's season for rushing in a game last season was 36 yards and Fields has already accumulated 33 yards and 31 yards in limited action in two of Georgia's first three games, demonstrating its potential as QB to double threat.

However, passes such as this touchdown run on a corner path between Fromm and receiver Riley Ridley show the improvement that Georgia's second-year quarterback has made since last season and that the maturation of Fields will have to pass as that smuggler.

Like Alabama, the more Georgia wins and the bigger its margin of victory, the higher its backup QB is likely to play. The speed and ability of Fields to miss the defenders leave the door open for him to play snaps at the attack – maybe even if it's only a few sets or a few series – while Georgia brings to the Bulldogs attack compared to Fromm.

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While Nick's two-handed monster, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, was renewed at the end of last season, the Bulldogs appear to have another strong rotation in their backcourt this season. This means that Georgia does not need to pass the ball from the quarterback, especially considering Fromm's improvement as a smuggler.

Year	Games	finishes	attempts	PCt.	Yards	Y / a	TD	INT	Evaluation
2018	3	37	46	80.4	479	10.4	6	1	206.6
2017	15	181	291	62.2	2,615	9.0	24	7	160.1

If Georgia gets closer by maintaining its average margin of victory by 37 points, Fields will likely continue to snap shots to develop it for the future and limit Fromm's risk of injury. It would not be surprising to see Fields finish the year with far fewer passing attempts than Hurts and Lawrence.

The history of contenders at the national championship playing two quarters

Let's generally define "national title contenders" as teams that finish the season in the top 10 of the top 25 APs, which makes sense now that we are in the four-team playoffs, given that the remaining six teams lost their participation in conference league games or won a regular season win to compete for a conference title.

We reviewed the top 10 survey teams from the past five seasons of the PA's post-season AP and found some examples of two-quarter rotations – to varying degrees. We also include the 2006 Florida National Championship Team, as the Gators played two quarterfinals all season and won a national championship.

Florida (2006)

Player	Games	finishes	attempts	PCt.	Yards	Y / a	TD	INT	Evaluation
Chris Leak	14	232	365	63.6	2,942	8.1	23	13	144.9
Tim Tebow	14	22	33	66.7	358	10.8	5	1	201.7

Chris Leak was Florida's starting quarterback in 2006, while replacement Tim Tebow was in first year, but both players played critical roles in the Gators attack.

The leak launched nearly 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns. Tebow was the second player on the team with nearly 500 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. On a limited number of throws, he was more accurate and averaged more yards per attempt than Leak, with five touchdowns.

In Florida's 41-14 victory over Ohio State in the national championship, Leak recorded an attempt to overtake Tebow on nine of the Gators' 12 offensive possessions, the latter often being replaced by red zone and line scenarios. of purpose. The escape attempted 36 passes and three rushes. Tebow threw the ball once and ran 10 times.

In the championship game, Tebow took over Leak in the middle of the Ohio State's 21, 7, 7, 17-yard possession, demonstrating his value in short-distance situations near the end zone.

When Florida recovered a fumble and took the offensive at the Ohio State 5-yard line, Tebow led a three-goal series with a 1-yard touchdown pass.

Florida's quarter-room in 2006 was a unique situation with a freshman and a senior who had clearly defined roles and complementary skill sets in the only season they coexisted in the attack of the year. # 39; team.

Tebow became the starting quarterback of Florida in 2007, when he won the Heisman Trophy after collecting 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns, and accumulated 895 yards and 23 points.

Ohio State (2015)

Player	Games	finishes	attempts	%	yards	y / a	TD	INT	Evaluation
Cardale Jones	ten	109	175	62.3	1,459	8.3	8	5	141.7
J.T. Barrett	11	93	147	63.3	992	6.7	11	4	139.2

Ohio State initially had a three-quarter battle ahead of the 2015 season between Braxton Miller, the player of the year 2012 and 2013 Big Ten Offensive, JT Barrett, an All-Big Ten first team pick in 2014, and Cardale Jones, who had just led Ohio State to a national championship. Miller was finally pulled out of the race and opted for the wide receiver.

Jones won the starting position. But the situation of the quarterback was not solved by simply naming a starter.

For example, in a 49-28 win at Maryland, Ohio State replaced Jones with Barrett once the offensive moved within the 20-meter line. Ohio State was six in six in the red zone that day.

J.T. Barrett played 11 games in 2015 and Cardale Jones played in 10. Despite not starting the game before Oct. 24, Barrett was the team's best passer in six games, Jones in seven.

Defending national champion Buckeyes was ruled out of the Big Ten championship game – and therefore the college football match – after a 17-14 home defeat against Michigan State, despite an attack on Jones, Barrett, Miller, Ezekiel Elliott and Michael. Thomas.

It's hard to guess a 12-1 season that ended with a Fiesta Bowl victory and a fourth place finish in the AP standings, but the Buckeyes attack did not systematically tilt the shift roles, throughout the season.

Oklahoma (2013)

Player	Games	finishes	attempts	PCt.	Yards	y / a	TD	INT	Evaluation
Blake Bell	11	140	233	60.1	1,648	7.1	12	5	132.2
Trevor Knight	8	79	134	59.0	819	6.1	9	5	125.0

Despite alternating start-ups in the 2013 season and mid-quarter shifts, Oklahoma went from 11 to 2 and finished the season sixth in the AP poll. A mid-season injury also affected the quarterback situation.

Trevor Knight, a Redshirt rookie, won the starting quarterback position in pre-season, but was replaced by alternate Blake Bell in the second game of the 2013 season against West Virginia. Bell then began the next eight games before suffering a knee injury against Iowa State before being replaced by Knight.

Bell then rallied Oklahoma to a 33-24 win over rival Oklahoma State in Knight's regular-season finale in relief.

Knight started at the Sugar Bowl and led Oklahoma to a 45-31 victory over Alabama.

Wisconsin (2016)

Player	Games	finishes	attempts	%	Yards	y / a	TD	INT	Evaluation
Alex Hornibrook	12	106	181	58.6	1,262	7.0	9	7	125.8
Bart Houston	11	96	141	68.1	1,245	8.8	5	3	149.7

Wisconsin went from 11 to 3 and finished ninth in the AP's final poll in 2016. Maybe the Badgers were not really contenders at the national championship after two straight defeats against Michigan and the Ohio State. of their losses was seven points and one was in overtime, so they were not necessarily out of the conversation either.

The Badgers played both Alex Hornibrook and Bart Houston two years ago. Hornibrook made his first career start in the mammoth 30-6 victory over the state of Michigan, which was followed by the Wolverines and Buckeyes defeats.

Hornibrook led Wisconsin in eight games – a game from September 17 to November 12 – while Houston led the Badgers in their first two games, then their last four.