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‘Bama opens vs West Virginia with QB questions

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Time to get some answers about Alabama’s quarterback competition.

Florida State transfer Jake Coker and fifth-year senior Blake Sims have been vying for the top job throughout preseason practice and coach Nick Saban says they have been running neck-and-neck. The second-ranked Crimson Tide’s opener against West Virginia at the Georgia Dome on Saturday is probably another audition for both.

“I think it’s our responsibility to give both guys an opportunity,” Saban said. “That’s how we recruit players to come here, that they’re all going to get a fair opportunity to play. We’re going to choose the best players that give our team the best opportunity to be successful based on how they perform. Both guys have performed well, and Blake has performed very, very well.”

Where exactly this leaves Alabama at the most important position on the field is anybody’s guess.

Coker came to Alabama after serving one season as Florida State’s backup to Jameis Winston. Seminoles coaches insist that Coker gave the eventual Heisman Trophy winner a legitimate run for the starting job before last season.

Coker arrived in Tuscaloosa with much hype as the presumptive replacement for AJ McCarron. Saban did his best to knock down those assumptions.

Sims’ career numbers: 23 of 39 for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Coker’s line: 21 for 41, 295, one TD, one interception. Sims is more mobile at 6-foot-0 and 208 pounds. Coker is bigger at 6-5, 230.

Alabama either has two good quarterbacks or two not-good-enough quarterbacks.

Should Tide fans be worried?

Given all Alabama’s playmakers, whomever is taking snaps for should be supported about as well as any quarterback in the country. T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake are all among the best backs in the Southeastern Conference. Wide receiver Amari Cooper is a potential All-American, as is tight end O.J. Howard.

Also, the last time the Tide went into a season with an unsettled quarterback situation, it won the national championship in McCarron’s first year as a starter.

So the Tide faithful probably shouldn’t stress too much. But this is Bama, where seasons without championships are not taken lightly.

And unsteady quarterback can send even the most finely tuned machine careering off the road to the College Football Playoff and into a Capital One Bowl ditch.

Some other things to know about the first meeting between Alabama and West Virginia.

OH, YEAH, WEST VIRGINIA. The Mountaineers are here, too. Coming off a dreary 4-8 season, West Virginia has a chance to change the trajectory of a program that’s been heading in the wrong direction under fourth-year coach Dana Holgorsen.

It’s not a good chance — the Mountaineers are 26½-point underdogs — but the opportunity is there.

“You know it’s the first game, you’ve been hitting each other all camp, you want to hit someone else,” quarterback Clint Trickett said. “Add to the fact that it’s, you know, a team that’s almost been a dynasty, a team that’s you know, a very well built program you know and we know how good they are and we’re going to show them how good we are.”

West Virginia does have one thing Alabama does not: a clear No. 1 quarterback. Trickett, another Florida State transfer, never was able to grab hold of the job last year because of injuries.

With good health and a year in Holgorsen’s Air Raid system, the Mountaineers are hoping to regain some of the explosiveness they had when Geno Smith was slinging it around Morgantown.

‘EERS ‘EFENSE. There’s been almost no D at West Virginia for the last two years. The Mountaineers ranked 112th in the nation in yards per play in 2012 and 92nd last year. This season Tony Gibson takes over as coordinator and former Penn State coordinator Tom Bradley was also added to the staff. The new scheme is a 3-3-5 which is supposed to take advantage of West Virginia’s skill and speed at linebacker and defensive back. It’s a defense built to stop Big 12 spread offenses — which are nothing like Alabama’s attack.

ABOUT THAT ALABAMA OFFENSE. Former Southern California coach Lane Kiffin is now the man in charge. Surely, Tide fans will have patience with him if the offense sputters a bit out of the gate.

SITTING. Alabama middle linebacker Trey DePriest will sit out the opener for an undisclosed NCAA infraction.

___

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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