It's been a roller-coaster season for Jalen Milroe and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
After losing by ten points to Texas in Week 2, the Tide found themselves mired in a quarterback controversy. Milroe was benched the following week against South Florida, but neither Tyler Buchner or Ty Simpson impressed in a too-close-for-comfort 13-3 win. Milroe took back the starting spot, and he's led the Tide to a resurgent run through the rest of the season, culminating in Saturday's 27-24 win in the SEC Championship over No. 1 Georgia.
Milroe was visibly emotional after the win, as the Tide reclaimed the SEC Championship after failing to make the title game in 2022.
This moment meant everything to Jalen Milroe ?? @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/Gw4yYcg6YN
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 3, 2023
Milroe has been the engine behind Alabama's resurgence. After he completed just 14 of 27 passes in Week 2 against Texas, tossing two interceptions in the process, Milroe has responded with steady growth throughout the season. Since that game, Milroe has tossed 16 touchdowns to just four picks, adding ten rushing scores. He's completed 66.4% of his passes, and he's only had two games with less than a 60% completion percentage since that Texas mishap. It's impressive growth from a quarterback who came into the season with a big arm but plagued by inconsistencies in his short-to-intermediate passing game.
Tuscaloosa is not an easy place to grow, with a fanbase that has incredibly high expectations for the one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the sport. But Milroe did just that, leading the Tide to top-25 wins over LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee, and then, of course, Georgia. He's put Alabama, at 12-1, in position to make the College Football Playoff.
Milroe and the Tide can celebrate an SEC title, but they'll now be anxiously watching the remaining Power-5 title games. As it stands, Michigan, Washington and Florida State are all undefeated, with Michigan and Florida State playing Saturday night. Should they win, there will likely be just one spot for a one-loss team. Unfortunately for the Tide, it may prove difficult to claim the spot, as Texas sits at 12-1, having won the Big 12 Championship by 28 points earlier today. Alabama entered the week at No. 8, and Texas was ranked seventh. In all likelihood, the Tide need one of the two undefeated squads to be upset tonight. If so, Milroe's remarkable comeback season can continue. If not, the Tide will at least have an SEC championship and 11 straight wins to mark an impressively resilient 2023 season.
