re: Blake Sims holding tough.

Ok, so I think my question still stands.

Merged with BamaHammer.

With most first fall practices, the staff usually gives the veterans their opportunities due to sticking with the program. And I don't think Sims will be any different. But the only way I see him starting over Coker is if he just has that much more command over the offensive playbook. He is not close with his overall QB package to beat out Coker for long. I think Coker will be there game one and I think he will be fine. Too many weapons to ask him to be the man.

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I think Sims starts the opener too.

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Coker is rooming with Ryan Kelly.

Seems like I've heard of an arrangement like this before, but I cant put my finger on it.....

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My question is, how many of y'all feel confident about the season if Sims beats out Coker?

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I do.

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but his passing was terrible

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No it wasnt, just look at the numbers. They were better than Coker's in his garbage time.

And for both of them, the stats you see don't come close to telling the whole story.

Hi all. Hope everyone's well. A bit of a long read here...

I've wanted to weigh in on this topic for a while - thought I'd try my luck in this thread re: Sims, and Sims vs. Coker.

Re: Sims...

I think Sims is nearly universally underestimated on basically every Bama board and in the minds of most Bama fans. Sure, He does not look the part, and early in his career had a poor throwing motion. No one wanted to ever see THAT as our best option behind center. Additionally, many folks think that just because he rode pine for this long that he must not be good. Hell, he had McCarron in front of him. Anyone ever heard of Matt Cassel? (not comparing the 2, just stating sitting behind awesome players is not a legitimate knock)

However, these are the facts: Took HS team to the title game, was best player on the field on both sides. Elite level athlete, so much so that he added depth and was a legitimate option at 3 positions while at Bama - Safety, RB, and QB. Stuck with QB because we needed it most. Runs legit 4.4. Knows Offense very well. Has respect of teammates. Very intelligent guy.

The A day game is literally worthless when evaluating what he brings to the table. We ran, in his own words, 10% of our regular Offense, and it was one-hand touch on the QB. A sizable number of negative passing plays would have been impressive, first down QB runs - but that's not what he was asked to do for A Day. The reality is that his legs are chain movers. He won't throw for 4,000 yards, no. But he does have the skillset to move chains - and that's all we need.

STATS: 13-30, for 176, 1 TD, and 2 picks. However, it must be noted that there were 6 drops in the first half alone, with by my estimation as many as 8 drops in the game. This makes him between 19-21/30 which equals a completion percentage of 63-70%. It should also be noted that there could have been another pick. However, he pressed a bit due to not getting any help from his receivers and took a while to get in a rhythm. However, he ran the offense well and seemed in command as the game wore on.

Put simply, I think most folks don't believe he's the answer cause they can't imagine it. The ugly throwing motion early on, he's only 6' tall, he's a dual-threat guy (which we've never really had), and he's black. No - I'm not pulling the race card. It's not about racism - it's about we, as a fan base, haven't really seen it, and therefore can't picture it. I'd say the same thing if he was Chinese or Purple.

But the reality is that he's drastically improved his mechanics, has a number of years in the system, is by all reports a bright guy who knows the playbook completely, has the respect and support of his teammates, and is a ridiculous threat to run the ball (on an offense with a potentially weak pass-blocking Oline). Add to that the fact that our OC is known for an O predicated on short to intermediate, high percentage, throws in the passing game, and it's not difficult to picture him breaking out.

Re: Coker...

By all reports an outstanding physical talent, really the prototypical solidly built, pro-style QB. Strong arm, looks the part. Good attitude. Rumored to have a leader personality. Solid runner as well.

But, and this is the crux of the issue, I've had tupperware containers in the back of my fridge longer than he's been on campus. There's only so much playbook he can get in only a few months. It's not high school anymore - you don't just get the signal, call it in the huddle, and run it. There are loads more to it, most notably pre-snap audibles and the multiplicity of it all. He still won't know the offense as well as Sims by next year's ESPY awards. It's not a personal knock - just the facts based on time being linear.

In summation, so many folks want Coker to be the Great White Pro-style 6'5" Hope, but it's simply an unlikely scenario. We'd have to be so vanilla on Offense for so long. Additionally, there's no guarantee that he be as good as so many hope. Great potential, sure, but if potential equaled success, then BJ Scott would be Jim Thorpe.

Saban put the 3 keys factors out there:

1) Command of the offense, getting us in the right plays, doing what we ask in our system
2) Delivering the ball accurately and on time (low turnovers)
3) Leading and affecting people around him positively

While I readily admit that Coker passes the eye test with regard to leading the 2nd factor, there's no reason to think he'd lead in factor 1 or 3. As a corollary, there's no reason to think Sims would turn it over more than Coker based on the facts for both young men. For all we know, Coker could Mettenberger all over the SEC for 17 picks.

Put bluntly, I think there's a greater than 50% chance that Blake Sims will give Bama the best chance to win for the duration of 2014-2015 - based on what we know. I just wish Bama fans would potentially give the idea a chance, as we could be really, really explosive if Sims can deliver the rock with accuracy. Really explosive. Methodical, chain-movingly explosive.

Double post :/

I respectfully, but vehemently , disagree about A day. Without those 6 drops in the first half, the chains move, we get first downs, and the ball is matriculated down the field. Then you and everyone else would have a fundamentally different picture of Sim's performance during a day. He did his job, and did it well, based on the confines of the rules of A day. I have watched the game many times. Those drops prevented first downs, stopped drives, and prevented anyone from getting in a rhythm.

The first thing I want to see against WVU out of Sims is comfort in the pocket. Even with no pressure, he's always looked so uncomfortable and unsure of what to do in the pocket and as a passer. Maybe he's finally come around.