Alabama Football: 3 bold predictions for season opener vs. Duke

2. Tua Tagovailoa will only get one drive in the second half

Tua Tagovailoa is talented enough to give opposing teams a two-quarter head start and still manage to cover the spread. Against a defense like Duke’s, Tua could easily have four or five touchdowns by halftime. I expect Tua end his day early to start the season.

With injury concerns in Tua’s past, there is no reason to risk him getting hurt in a blowout game. Once Alabama knows the game is out of reach for the Blue Devils, they will likely decide to take out Tua and give his backups some reps.

Of course, the Tide won’t be sending Jalen Hurts out this season. The second-string quarterback will likely be Mac Jones early in the year. Jones has played well in spring games and fall practices, but he struggles once he is in the actual games. He’s going to need all the reps he can get if he’s the future at quarterback for the Tide.

The only reason Tua will get a single rep in the second half is to get him used to warming back up after halftime. He might get two drives if the offense fails to score on their first one, but Tua will certainly be on the bench early in the second half so the younger quarterbacks can give it a try.