Blake Sims Named Alabama Starter vs. West Virginia

Alabama's quarterback situation has finally reached a decision.

Blake Sims will take the field as Alabama's starting quarterback when the Crimson Tide takes on West Virginia in its season opener in Atlanta this afternoon, Alabama coach Nick Saban told ESPN's Tom Luginbill mere hours before Saturday's game.

Sims, a fifth-year senior who has bounced around between safety, running back and quarterback during his Crimson Tide career, has been engaged in a battle for the starting job with Florida State transfer Jacob Coker since the summer.

But even though neither quarterback took the lead over the other during fall camp, Saban hinted on several occasions that Sims held the slight edge due to his experience with Alabama's system.

"I think both guys have done a really good job and I think that Blake has a lot more familiarity with the system, having been here longer," Saban said during his Monday press conference earlier this week. "I think he's more comfortable in doing the things that we do and has done a really good job. Has played really, really well in this fall camp, has played well in the scrimmages. The team has had a good rhythm when he's in there at quarterback.

"Jacob is obviously the newer guy of the two, who doesn't have the same knowledge and experience. I think we're just trying to get him more and more familiar so that he play with the rhythm that we need to play with offensively. I just think it's about confidence."

Sims joins John Parker Wilson, Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron as starting quarterbacks during Saban's era at Alabama.

Saban has not ruled out Coker splitting time with Sims against West Virginia. But during pre-game warm-ups, Coker was the last quarterback to join the field.