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By Cole Sullivan
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The No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide are gearing up for a massive College Football Playoff quarterfinal showdown on New Year’s Day against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers.
That matchup comes after Alabama secured a first-round victory over the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners, led by star quarterback Ty Simpson, who has waited patiently for his opportunity in Tuscaloosa.
Simpson spent three seasons as a backup before taking over as the starter this year as a redshirt junior. He was recruited by legendary head coach Nick Saban, and prior to Saban’s unexpected retirement, Simpson revealed during a recent appearance on the "Bussin’ With The Boys" podcast that he had a conversation with him about the possibility of transferring.
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At the time, Simpson believed Saban would be staying, but the advice he received ultimately convinced him to remain at Alabama. Just two days later, Saban announced his retirement.
“I chose to come back, literally, like, two days before [Saban retired],” Simpson said. “I had a conversation with him, like, ‘Hey, coach, what should I do?’ We talked about it, and he said, ‘I get it if you want to leave, but I know you, and I know what you wanted in recruiting. If you want to create value for yourself and you want to be a first-round draft pick, this could be a great story for you and you could leave a legacy here.’”
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As it turns out, Saban wasn’t wrong. Simpson has helped lead Alabama to its first College Football Playoff win under Kalen DeBoer and now has a prime opportunity to leave a lasting legacy in Tuscaloosa—one that would have to begin next week when the Crimson Tide take on Indiana as clear underdogs.
This season, Simpson has completed 64.1% of his passes for 3,500 yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while posting a 146.5 passer rating.
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