Ty Simpson stayed in Tuscaloosa and waited for his time to take over as the starting quarterback, first behind Bryce and Young and then Jalen Milroe.
His time finally came this season, and he hasn't wasted the opportunity. Simpson currently ranks 14th in the FBS with 2,934 passing yards and has an impressive 22-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
So, how will Auburn interim head coach DJ Durkin and the Tigers' defense plan on attacking the Crimson Tide quarterback?
“He’s played at a really high level," Durkin said. "We’re here at the end of the season, so you get a chance to watch the whole menu of all the games, and I think he does a really good job. He commands that offense. They give you multiple looks with shifts and motions, and you can tell his eyes are in the right place. He knows where to go with the ball. Rarely is he kind of off queue with what the defense is doing and where to go with it at least."
It would be wise for Durkin and his staff to observe how Oklahoma stopped Simpson. While he finished with 326 yards, Simpson turned the ball over three times, including two fumbles, as the Sooners stymied the Tide's offense in a 23-21 victory. And, in what can only be described as an outlier, the quarterback threw two interceptions to no touchdowns in last Saturday's win over Eastern Illinois.
Still, the Tigers' defense will have to be ready for any pass from Simpson, especially downfield, where he will try to utilize Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams.
"He can make all the throws," Durkin said. "You see him push the ball down the field. They have a lot of vertical route concepts, and he can get it where it needs to be. He has a good playmaker to throw to, and I think he understands that, so it’s definitely a challenge, our toughest challenge I think of the year.”