The Alabama Crimson Tide were rolling against a lesser Mississippi State team early in the third quarter Saturday, well on their way to a 9-1 record and continued contention for the College Football Playoff.
That’s when everything changed on a dime. Bama quarterback and Heisman candidate Tua Tagovailoa suffered a serious hip injury and had to be airlifted to the nearest hospital. Almost immediately, Tua was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
As much as this will likely have a major impact on Tagovailoa‘s draft stock, the short-term implications are all about Alabama’s title odds.
According to oddsmakers, Bama took a major hit in this regard. It entered Saturday’s action with 10-to-1 odds to win the title. Said odds have now doubled.
It’s not surprising that Tua would have such an impact for Alabama. But to see their odds go from 10-to-1 to 20-to-1 based on one injury is something else.
Sophomore Mac Jones will continue to start under center for Alabama. He’s completed 69% of his passes for 566 yards with four touchdowns and one interception this season.
Alabama closes out the regular season with games against Western Carolina and Auburn before a potential SEC Championship Game outing.