Alabama coach Nick Saban is not used to dealing with controversy regarding playing time in his program but that is exactly what he is dealing with right now at the quarterback position.

Saban addressed the situation at SEC Media Days in Atlanta this week after rumors were circulating that former starter Jalen Hurts might transfer if he does not win the starting quarterback job in fall camp.

Saban met with Hurts and his father earlier this off-season to ensure them that Hurts would in fact have an opportunity to compete for the starting job after being pulled in the National Championship game.

Hurts was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa. The sophomore quarterback led the Crimson Tide to a National Championship win over Georgia.

The belief around Tuscaloosa going into this off season was that the two would compete for the starting job in the spring but Tagovailoa missed most of spring ball after injuring his thumb the first day of practice.

Tagovailoa did say this off season that he would have transferred had he not played in the National Championship game.

Saban’s philosophy will be put to the test with this quarterback competition. It could potentially become a real distraction for the program. How Saban and more importantly the team handles it could go a long way in determining Alabama’s season.

It is a dilemma the Crimson Tide aren’t used to dealing with. Unfortunately for Saban and his staff, there is no easy solution to this problem.