Not everybody was a big believer and betting their chips on Ty Simpson’s stock heading into the 2025 season. Truth be told? It’s the most logical and sensible decision for many reasons. He sat 3 years behind guys like Jalen Milroe and Mac Jones. After failing the win the starting role, he was unofficially considered a semi-bust. But when he finally got his stride in his senior year, the former 5-star failed to disappoint his naysayers. The man’s literally balling, and the vast majority of folks even put him in the top of the Heisman race, especially after his performance in Alabama’s week 7 tight gritty 27-24 dub against the No. 14 ranked Missouri Tigers. After sitting too long under Nick Saban, the man actually sounds and interprets the game like Nick Saban.

Make no mistake, this hard-fought win at Faurot Field extended Alabama’s winning streak to five games and marked their 3rd straight dub against a ranked opponent. The Crimson Tide now stands at 5-1 overall and an impressive 3-0 in SEC play, handing the Tigers their first loss of the season. This was a classic example of the game of margins, this entire game was decided by clutch plays in the fourth quarter, including fourth pivotal fourth-down conversions by Ty and a game-ending pick by Dijon Lee Jr. on Missouri’s last drive. Although Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers gave Alabama a run for their money, this dub single-handedly snapped Missouri’s 15-game home winning streak, the second-longest nationally. All thanks to Nick Saban’s highly touted recruiting, Ty Simpson.

On October 11th, Alabama insider AL.com released the clip of Ty Simpson reading his post-game report. It reminded everybody of Nick Saban. The reporter asked, “What’s in there?!” Ty Simpson opened up: “Just too many sacks, didn’t throw the ball great, not a good average yards per play, throw the ball a lot more than they did. Not very clean..not a very good game.” That took us a bit on a nostalgia road. Ty Simpson and Nick Saban go a long way.

Nick Saban recruited Ty Simpson to Alabama, and Simpson spent his first two seasons under Saban’s leadership before Saban’s retirement. After the 2023 season, Simpson reportedly considered entering the transfer portal, but Saban (along with Simpson’s father) counseled him to stay put, telling him he would have the best opportunity at a higher draft status by remaining at Alabama.

Before Simpson’s first career start, he reached out to Saban for advice on managing nerves, staying composed, and focusing on fundamentals rather than outcomes. Saban’s guidance has been to “play within yourself, avoid negative plays, and stay focused on the next drive.” Saban praises Simpson every now and then, especially for his patience, leadership, and decision-making, calling him a rare example of a player who trusted the process rather than chasing quick results. Earlier today Nick Saban even named him as one of the best QB in college football. Makes sense, the man threw over 15 touchdowns, has over 1,678 yards, and just a single pick. Even with Nick long gone from Bama, the blueprint is still there, carried by his very own recruits.

Ty Simpson and Alabama’s performance

Ty Simpson was absolutely on point with his throws. The senior QB completed 23 of 31 passes (over 71%) for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his scoring passes came in the second and fourth quarters. In the second quarter, he threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to 6’4” Isaiah Horton. Then, with just 3:16 left in the fourth quarter, Simpson connected on a one-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Hill, extending the lead to 27-17 and making it a two-touchdown game for Mizzou. It didn’t end there — he also made a crucial 29-yard throw to a freshman on fourth down to seal the deal.

Even with that performance, Simpson wasn’t satisfied, especially with the sacks, pressure, and limited passing production — a classic Bama standard mindset. Outside of Simpson, Alabama’s defense stepped up big-time to stop the nation’s scariest and leading running back, Ahmed Hardy, holding him to just 52 yards and ending his seven-game streak of 100-yard performances. Props also go to Bray Hubbard and Dijon Lee Jr. for their interceptions.

With Mizzou already in the books, the Crimson Tide’s next challenge will be a home game against No. 12 Tennessee on October 18, 2025.