When Tua Tagovailoa rolled his ankle during the first half of Saturday's game against Tennessee, a shudder went through college football. Unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Alabama was suddenly without its superstar quarterback and the heartbeat of the team, who led the nation in Total QBR and had thrown for a sparkling 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions through seven games.
Out trotted Mac Jones and a tidal wave of doubt. Would Tagovailoa return? And if he didn't, how vulnerable would the Crimson Tide be in his absence? As Jones, a career backup, worked his way through some early-game jitters, throwing off his back foot and short-arming some of his first pass attempts, there was nothing but the unknown to dwell upon.