Nick Saban: Tua Tagovailoa Needs To ‘Challenge’ Himself

The Alabama Crimson Tide college football season didn’t end the way they imagined. While some people may have see a Clemson win in the title game coming, I don’t think anyone ever saw a 44-16 ass whopping. Alabama went from the hunter to the hunted real fast. Now Clemson is the team to beat.

How does Alabama rebound to win a National Title this year? Nick Saban has one possible solution. The Tides head coach says that his quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa needs to challenge himself.

“I think that he has to challenge himself to get back into great shape and overcome some of the things that happened toward the end of the year,” Saban said of the rising junior. “And I think he should take the perception that he has a lot to prove relative to how we ended the season.”

Tua struggled at the end of the season. 4 of his 6 total interceptions on the season came in the SEC Title Game and the National Championship Game. Part of the reason was via an ankle injury he suffered against Georgia. Jalen Hurts actually finished that game. His ankle should be taken care of after a surgery that apparently fixes it for life. No idea how that’s just what I read. Tua is the overwhelming favorite to go number one in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Tagovailoa, who threw for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns on the 2018 season. Those are some crazy numbers. What’s also crazy are the number of weapons he has to work with. Outside of Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris, and Irv Smith, the rest of the targets will return. That includes Jerry Jeudy who should be a top 5 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs are also electric in their own right.