There should be different levels of expectations when it comes to leadership. Sims has been with some of these guys for four or five years. It's logical to expect that more would be expected of him in terms of being a leader simply because of his long standing, established relationships on the team. I think that's a fair expectation. And it seems that he is fulfilling those expectations so far.

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Screwing up the calls in the huddle and depending on Kiffin to spoon feed the plays is frowned upon when Sims has been here for five years.

I don't frown on it, and I don't think it should be frowned on, because even though Sims is in his fifth year, Kiffin is in his first. There's gonna be a learning curve between the two of them.

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There is no building for the future at the qb position with Sims. You start him because he can win games for Bama right now, even if it hurts preparation for the future.

I'm OK with that. In 1979, maybe it was a similar situation with Steadman Shealy. Finally got his chance to start after backing up Jeff Rutledge for two years. Maybe Don Jacobs was a better natural QB...I don't know. Shealy threw more INTs than TDs, and Jacobs averaged a full yard more per carry in the Wishbone. But 1979 was Bryant's only perfect season in the decade of the seventies.

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Sims is a short-term solution. He either works well when facing our toughest opponents, or he should be benched in favor of the future.

I think if Sims doesn't work well when facing our toughest opponents, he should be benched in favor of someone who will work well when facing our toughest opponents. Let's face it...if Saban really was concerned about the QB of the future, he would have been giving his backup QB anywhere from 25% to 33% of the snaps for the last six years.

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Sure, Coker could become a better qb sitting behind Sims, but there is no substitute for first team reps and starting games.

I agree...which is why I wish Saban would have been giving his backup QB meaningful snaps for the last six years. Not doing so may have helped cost Texas the national championship in 2009. It may have helped cause us to lose the Iron Bowl...along with everything else that went wrong in that game...in 2010. If McElroy had gone down against Texas...instead of McCoy...the guy coming in for us would have been taking his first snap in a college football game. Ever. With the national championship on the line. That's a helluva situation to put your team in.

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Lastly, the expectations for Sims are greater than his predecessors because we are expecting more from the offense than ever before.

This may be true with some people. My expectations are high because of Kiffin, not Sims or Coker. Kiffin comes in with a resume of being a great offensive mind and someone who can develop QBs. My expectations are that he will do an outstanding job of developing both Sims and Coker relative to their specific skill sets. And I think it's going to be a lot of fun to watch.

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The 2011 defense isn't lining up on Saturday.

Ain't that the truth. Or 2009's. I took my buddy from out of state through the Hall of Champions and pointed out the All American plaques...McClain, Cody, Hightower, Upshaw, Barron, Kirkpatrick, etc...and lamented the fact that none of those guys were playing Saturday.