Getty Texas governor Greg Abbott took a shot at Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe on March 9 during a business luncheon in Dallas
Jalen Milroe was knocked by Texas governor Greg Abbott at a business luncheon in Dallas on March 9 for not being at the same level as departing NFL-bound Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
When I attended a business luncheon yesterday, I did not expect a deep dive from Gov. Greg Abbott into the Texas-Alabama football game. The audience got more than it was expecting. #txlege pic.twitter.com/cYB6loHBVw
— Ryan Autullo (@AutulloAAS) March 10, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Abbott said he wasn’t impressed with Young’s understudy from the 2022 season. “I have seen what appears to be Alabama’s starting quarterback, and he’s no Bryce Young,” Abbott said per The Statesman’s Ryan Autullo.
He then predicted Texas winning the second end of the two programs’ home-and-home series, which takes place September 9 in Tuscaloosa. “I’m gonna say it’s gonna be 27-21, Texas Longhorns.”
His reasoning? Texas’ higher number of returning starters and quarterback situation. “Texas has more returning starters than Alabama does,” Abbott said. “The quarterback that was literally running all over Alabama, Quinn Ewers, was injured early in the game. And he’ll be starting again, doing a great job. If he gets hurt, he’s got a pretty good backup in Manning.”
Greg Abbott Recalls How Close 2022 Texas-Alabama Game Was
Alabama was able to take the September 10, 2022 matchup between the Crimson Tide and the Longhorns in Austin with a final score of 20-19 after mounting a second-half comeback. Alabama committed 15 penalties during the game, a record during the Saban era, and knocked out Texas starter Quinn Ewers, who had amassed 134 yards on 9/12 passing before his injury, from the contest.
Abbott was able to perfectly recollect the game’s final moments before Will Reichard was able to kick the game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left.
“Texas was ahead until, like, the last 15 seconds of the game,” Abbott recalled. “And Texas would have won it had it not been for what was then the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young, being able to evade a tackle that would have led to a sack that would have prevented Alabama from getting within field goal range to win the game. That’s how close the game was.”
Young was able to evade defensive back Ryan Watts to get the ball down to Texas’ 17-yard line and set up the win. Had Texas contained Young in that spot, Reichard would have had to attempt a 50+ yard field goal on fourth down.
Jalen Milroe Linked to TCU By Analyst
Bleacher Report’s Brad Shepard made a bold prediction that Milroe would transfer to TCU and play for College Football Playoff Championship runner-up head coach Sonny Dykes.
The reason? Ty Simpson is a superior vertical option for new Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. “While the Crimson Tide are almost certain to get back to showcasing the run under Rees, they need a vertical presence, so lean Simpson in that race,” Shepard prefaced before saying, “if that happens, Milroe has an ideal opportunity awaiting him in his home state of Texas, where he can go play for national runner-up Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs.”
Milroe and the redshirt freshman Simpson will be joined by Class of 2023 quarterback Eli Holstein in the one of college football’s most notable quarterback races during Crimson Tide spring practice.