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Alabama coach Nick Saban is keeping fans and media in suspense.
Who will be the No. 2 Crimson Tide's starting quarterback when they take the field Saturday against Kent State? It will either be sophomore AJ McCarron or redshirt freshman Philip Sims, and it might not matter all that much in the long run.
Saban said the two candidates to replace Greg McElroy will each get their cracks at running the offense and a mistake or two won't confine either to the sideline.
''I really think one of them has to come out there first, but I don't think that necessarily means that guy is the starter,'' he said. ''I think both guys will play in the game and we will have a plan for both guys to play in the game. I think it's out of fairness to them that they both get an opportunity to play in this game.
''I don't think one guy has clearly separated himself from the other and I think that both guys will be given the chance to play in the game, but they will know exactly how they are going to play in the game. I don't want any player out there looking over his shoulder thinking, `If I make one bad play, you are going to pull me out of the game.'''
Of course, mistakes could certainly count against them the following week at Penn State.
First-year Kent State coach Darrell Hazell had to rely partly on the Tide's spring game to study the two quarterback contenders, pointing to Sims' athleticism and McCarron's accuracy and poise.
''They are so different,'' said Hazell, an assistant with Ohio State the past seven seasons. ''They both bring a different dimension to the field that create problems. One's real athletic and runs around and throws the ball extremely hard. The other guys' really smart. He's able to put the ball in tight windows when the guys are covered.''
In this case, Alabama's quarterback competition could be much tighter than the opener. The game appears to be one of the bigger mismatches of opening weekend, judging by the 38-point spread, but it has plenty of meaning for both Saban and countless Tide fans who were impacted by a deadly April tornado.
Saban has two degrees from Kent State. Former coach Don James hired him as a graduate assistant and Saban said he ''probably did more than anybody in this profession to influence me.''
No doubt the Tide's football fortunes could influence the moods of fans in the hard-hit area. They might also have a soft spot for the Golden Flashes, who had a group of players come to Tuscaloosa in July to help out in the aftermath.
They helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity along with some Tide players and participated in a clinic for displaced youth.
''It was a real devastating experience, just seeing all the houses down and the trees down,'' quarterback Spencer Keith said. ''I know it was a huge loss for the state of Alabama. We talked to a couple of kids and one of them lost one of his friends. That's really a hard thing for a kid to go through.
''I've never seen devastation like that for a tornado or any natural disaster.''
If football-as-pick-me-up seems trite, Alabama guard Barrett Jones knows the power of the Tide.
''We do feel somewhat of a responsibility and an excitement to get back on the field and kind of bring the city back together,'' Jones said. ''That's probably when the most people are together in the city is on game day, so we're excited getting back together and hopefully passing out some smiles.''
One player who figures to have a broad one is Tide long-snapper Carson Tinker. Tinker was injured in the April 27 storm and his girlfriend, Ashley Harrison, was killed. Tinker said he's been looking forward to the fall ever since.
''Not just the day. The season,'' he said. ''Every day I've been working to get ready for the season, and it's here, and I'm ready. You know what I mean? You can't put into words how that feels.''
