re: Tua ready to compete with Jalen

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True. Jeremy Johnson and Brandon Harris completed some downfield passes once in a while. For that matter, Spencer Pennington completed a few.

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These guys never came close to winning SEC offensive player of the year.

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The key, of course, is to complete enough, consistently enough, to make the defense defend the entire field rather than bull rushing the qb, who rolls out and throws away the ball. Complete enough passes to sustain some drives. 3 plays and out, giving the other team 99 plays per game, and you're going to get beat vs a good team. It isn't, though, only the lack of a passing game. He needs to learn to read defenses before and after the snap. Hopefully he will.

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I guess I just look at his performance last year through the scope of what his situation is comparable to, which is performances by other true freshmen QBs in power 5 conferences over the course of history.

Probably close to 100 percent of the time, true freshmen QBs struggle a good bit with passing, and reading defenses. Even QBs that eventually develop into good passers from one year to the next. You can pin the NC game on him all you want, but to base your perception of him and his future based on a couple of extremely high pressure games(where the play-calling and Oline sucked) from his freshman season is foolish, IMO.

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No one is pinning the NC game on him

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Ummm

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and he has been terrible passing all season

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no, he wasn't terrible passing all season. Did you only watch like 3 games in 2016?

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Only Alabama's talent disparity particularly on defense got us to the title game.

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We don't make it to the title game without Hurts. And to your point, we don't make it to the title game in 2015 either without our defensive talent disparity.

Jalen's to do list before FSU game

- become comfortable with the offense
- develop his ability to read, assess and throw routes on time (throw guys open)
- develop his deep ball touch to at least an average level (ties in to #2)

Generally, guys who start as true freshmen take a big leap in #1 and #2 going into their sophomore year.

If he does those things, he'll be very good. If he doesn't, who knows what will happen at the QB position.

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..something that seems to escape Funky Tide's analysis.

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I've never said that he doesn't need to improve, and develop. In fact, I've said numerous times that he does. You simply made a false statement, and I corrected you. I apologize.