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Fresh off another national championship, Alabama football once again takes center stage at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as the Crimson Tide are set to take place in the annual A-Day spring game.
The game is scheduled to start at about 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch the game live on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live TV channels, including ESPN. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
DirecTV Now: ESPN is included in all four of DirecTV Now’s main channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, and you can then watch the game live on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Preview
When Jalen Hurts, Alabama’s starting quarterback for two seasons, was benched in favor of true freshman Tua Tagovailoa mid-way through last year’s national championship against Georgia, and then when Tagovailoa led the Tide to a thrilling comeback win and game-winning TD throw in OT, it was pretty abundant that controversy was on the horizon.
And it didn’t take long for that controversy to materialize, thanks to Hurts’ father, Averion, who essentially told Bleacher Report’s Matt Hayes that his son would transfer if he’s not the starting quarterback in 2018:
“Coach Saban’s job is to do what’s best for his team. I have no problem with that,” Averion Hurts said. “My job is to do what’s best for Jalen—and make no mistake, Jalen is a quarterback, and he wants to play quarterback. He loves Alabama, loves Coach Saban and everything about that place. But he wants to play, and he will play…”
Averion stops mid-sentence because the idea of his son not playing for Alabama isn’t one he takes lightly. What if Jalen doesn’t win the job, he is asked?
He shakes his head slowly, answers begrudgingly. “Well, he’d be the biggest free agent in college football history.”
Tagovailoa, who has an injury to his throwing hand, won’t play on Saturday afternoon, meaning Hurts will get his opportunity to shine. He won’t be able to win the job on Saturday’s performance alone, but it will still be important for him to look good in front of 70,000-plus Tide fans.
Elsewhere, Saturday’s game will provide a look at a bunch of new talent, as Alabama begins its annual reloading of the roster. The Tide could see over a dozen players drafted into the NFL next weekend, led by defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne and wide receiver Calvin Ridley, but as always, Nick Saban has plenty of young stars ready to step up.
Ultimately, a lot will change between Saturday and the start of the season, but one thing is for sure: The Tide will once again enter the year on the shortlist of national title favorites, and as such, even their exhibition games are well worth watching.