Texas governor not impressed by Alabama quarterback: "He's no Bryce Young"
Alabama football coach Nick Saban and his new-look staff will take the spring and summer to decide on who will replace Bryce Young at quarterback.
But according to Texas governor Greg Abbott, whoever does take that job won't be much to worry about when it comes time to play the rematch between the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide.
Abbott delved into the football commentary business while at a luncheon recently and brought up the Texas vs. Alabama football game from last season and how it could play out this year.
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Greg Abbott on Texas vs. Alabama
"Texas was ahead until like the last 15 seconds of the game and Texas would have won had it not been for what was then the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young being able to evade a tackle that would have led to a sack that would have prevented Alabama from getting within field goal range to win the game," Abbott said of the end of the 2022 game.
"That's how close the game was," he added, according to Austin (Tex.) American-Statesman political reporter Ryan Autullo.
"Now some analysis," Abbott added, venturing into his 2023 prediction.
"Texas has more returning starters than Alabama does. The quarterback that was literally running all over Alabama, Quinn Ewers, was injured early in the game. And he'll be starting again, doing a great job.
"If he gets hurt, he's got a pretty good backup in [Arch] Manning. I have seen what appears to be Alabama's starting quarterback, and he's no Bryce Young.
"So I'm gonna say it's gonna be 27-21, Texas Longhorns."
Ewers was impressive in his start against Alabama, going for 75 percent completion and successfully moving the ball against the Crimson Tide defense, but left that game after taking a hard hit from defender Dallas Turner.
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So, who is Alabama's quarterback?
With spring football starting up and the A-Day game a month off and more than five months out from the season starting, it's tough to say who Alabama's starting quarterback will be, but the favorite to take the job is Jalen Milroe.
In limited action as Young's backup last season, the Texas native hit under 59 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and three interceptions.
When Young was injured against Arkansas, Milroe scored two touchdowns, throwing one and running for another, with the credible dual threat accounting for almost 100 yards on the ground.
Milroe started Alabama's home game against Texas A&M when Young was injured, going 12 of 19 for 111 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception, rushing for 81 yards and a 4.8 yard per carry average.
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Texas vs. Alabama 2023
Alabama defeated Texas by a single point last season in Austin, but this year the Tide welcomes the Longhorns to Tuscaloosa in another early matchup.
The game could be a preview of what fans can expect to see in future years when Texas joins the SEC and should draw Alabama on a semi-regular basis.
(Autullo)
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