Urban Meyer reacts to Nick Saban’s decision to withhold depth chart

Nick Saban did something at Monday’s press conference to cause a ton of chatter. No, he did not announce who the starting quarterback will be on Saturday against Middle Tennessee State. There was no depth chart released by the head coach, an unusual move from Saban based on previous years.

During the latest edition of Urban’s Take, Lettermen Row‘s Tim May asked former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer his thoughts on the move from Saban. He tried to not read too much into Alabama not having a depth chart but admitted it most likely means the quarterback battle has not been decided.

Maybe like in previous years when there was a bonafide starting QB, Alabama would have produced a two-deep on Monday.

“I don’t want to read too much into it but I would say there hasn’t been a guy to separate himself,” Meyer said. “And if there is, then you have to name him the starter. But you’re still playing Middle Tennessee State.”

Saban explained his decision to not release a depth chart, saying it causes a ton of distractions in his team. To him, the folks covering the team cared more about getting the piece of paper than Alabama facing off against Middle Tennessee State on Saturday.

“I know that your number one focus is not on the game, it’s on the depth chart,” Saban told the media. “Look, there’s a lot of competition on the team. When we put a depth chart out, you all think that’s like, final. Like this is etched in stone. It’s going to be this way forevermore.

“Just because we come out of fall camp, and that’s where it is. It creates a lot of distractions on our team. It creates a lot of guys thinking, ‘Well, this guy won the job and I’m not going to play now,’ or whatever. And quite frankly, we don’t need that.”

Urban Meyer concerned about Alabama skill position players

Meyer moved onto on-field issues for Alabama, citing the wide receiver corp as an area for concern. Flashing back to the days when the Crimson Tide produced first-round draft picks at the position like it was nothing, Meyer does not see the same currently on the roster.

No matter who wins the long-term quarterback competition in Tuscaloosa, Meyer is worried the wide receivers are not going to be able to pick up the potential slack.

“That one concerns me a little more than Ohio State,” Meyer said on the Alabama QB battle. “The one thing about Alabama — when Alabama was the best team in America, they had the best wide receivers in the country. I didn’t see that last year. I know they’re young, I know they’re talented, they’re highly recruited.

“When they beat Ohio State in the nation title, that was as good of a receiver group as I have ever seen. A lot like Ohio State. And I didn’t see that last year. So, the one thing great quarterbacks have in common is great receivers… I know they’re talented but that didn’t look the same to me last year.”