ORLANDO, Fla. — Is he finishing, or just getting started?
That’s the question surrounding Mac Jones, who is leading the University of Alabama football team against Michigan in the Citrus Bowl this week (Jan. 1, noon CT, ABC). It’s also why he may have more on the line here than anyone.
Jones says he’s not treating this game like it’s an audition, but in the grand scheme of college football that’s exactly what it is. One way or another, this is his opportunity to show what he can do against a big-name opponent, and with adequate preparation.
He’ll also be doing so a short drive away from his hometown of Jacksonville, where he was part of the prestigious Bolles program.
“That’s kinda cool,” Jones said on Saturday afternoon. “I played in this stadium for my state championship.”
Yet his career is about to reach a major crossroad, sort of like how U.S. 4 and 75 are key thoroughfares in this part of the state and head in completely different directions.
Not even Jones can be certain which way it will go.
If Tua Tagovailoa is confident he’ll be a top pick and leaves for 2020 NFL Draft, Jones inherits the Crimson Tide offense.
He’ll comfortably head into spring as the starter, with Tagovailoa’s brother Taulia and incoming freshman Bryce Young the primary challengers.
However, if Tagovailoa decides to stay for his final year of eligibility, where does that leave Jones? He’s already spent three years in Tuscaloosa, and he’s more than proven that he’s ready to be a starting quarterback.
Jones has already earned his degree, which if he decided to depart would make him arguably the most desirable transfer in the nation as he would still have two years of eligibility and not have to sit for one.
With three of the four College Football Playoff teams headed by quarterbacks who have switched schools, Jones could potentially be the difference for a team that considers itself one player away from contending for a national title next season.
He's has actually played in 11 games this season and thrown for more than 1,000 yards.
Overall, Jones is 81-for-116 for 1,176 yards to go with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. His passing efficiency rating of 181.1 would be sixth in the nation if he had enough attempts to qualify.
Jones started against Arkansas and had a prolific day (18-of-22 for 235 yards and three touchdowns), and then came in for good during the second half at Mississippi State. He was 7-for-11 for 94 yards while Alabama was both trying to get over the stunning nature of Tagovailoa’s hip injury and concussion, and run out the clock.
Against Auburn, he passed for a career-high 335 yards, but the two pick-six touchdowns keyed the Tigers’ emotional home victory. The first interception came on a bad throw. The second he was rushed and the quick-release bounced off the back of a teammate and into the hands of the defender.
Nothing about the whole situation could be described as typical.
“I think Mac Jones did a tremendous job,” Tagovailoa said. “He fought through adversity and I think that was the biggest question for everyone, how would he do despite adversity. And I think he did a tremendous job.”
So yes, Jones is essentially stuck in limbo for now. And he can’t afford to let it be a distraction this week.
Alabama is already missing two defensive starters, cornerback Trevon Diggs and linebacker Terrell Lewis, who have decided to call their collegiate careers a game early and stayed home to start prepping for the draft.
However, there are numerous other players who have yet to announce their draft intentions, but will play against the Wolverines. That too has the potential to be a hindrance, although to a man everyone says that hasn't been the case during bowl practices.
“That’s the big thing around here, is finish, whether it’s one drill or one play or one game,” Jones said. “Obviously we didn’t really finish the way we wanted to this year but we still have one game left and we’re really, really excited to go out there and show people we can finish, even if it’s not in a playoff game.”
Granted, that’s the kind of talk a coach and fans want to hear, and Alabama players said something similar before lackluster losses against Utah and Oklahoma in the 2009 and 2014 Sugar Bowls.
But when asked if he could give an example that demonstrated this team's focus Jones gave a good answer last week:
“Probably two practices ago the defense just destroyed us on offense,” he said. “Those guys were getting after us every play.
“I was like, ‘Wow, these guys are really practicing hard.’”
Remember, that’s Alabama’s defense without Lewis and Diggs, injured defensive linemen D.J. Dale and LaBryan Ray, and Raekwon Davis limited. Factor in linebackers Dylan Moses and Joshua McMillon and you’re talking about more than half of the starters.
It made the offense pick up its game.
“That's how it works,” Jones said.
Give-and-take is a huge part of football, and Jones knows it as well as anyone. Go back to Alabama’s media day at the beginning of the season and only one reporter took the time to sit and talk to him while everyone else was clustered around the regular starters.
On Saturday, they waited for hours just to talk to him for 90 seconds.
He’s just not the same quarterback any more.
“He’s really grown,” Wills said.
Either way Jones needs a good game against the Wolverines. If he stays it's something to build upon for next season. If it's his last game at Alabama one has to think Jones desperately wants to go out on top and not leave the Auburn loss as his legacy.
We may not know for a while if he's finishing or just getting started, as the deadline to declare for the draft is Jan. 20, so the uncertainty will likely loom long past the Citrus Bowl.
But it’s also out of his hands. How he plays in this game is not.
"I don't like to lose, it just hurts me,” Jones said. “At the end of the day you can look at statistics, all that stuff, but the main statistic that matters is winning. That's just big for me. Honestly my whole life I've never really been a loser. All the teams I played on have been really good, and I've had really good teammates all the way up. So I think having good teammates helps too, makes it fun.
“But I just hate losing."
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December 28, 2019 at 03:45PM
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Nobody has more on the line in Citrus Bowl than Mac Jones - Sports Illustrated
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