Desmond Howard called it painful to watch Nick Saban sell his Alabama Crimson Tide fan base on Jalen Milroe as the starting quarterback this past week.

In fact, the former Michigan star compared it to New York Jets coach Robert Saleh selling his team’s fans on Zach Wilson playing quarterback for injured Aaron Rodgers.

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“He might be the answer because the offensive line is playing so bad right now,” Howard said during ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday. “I know there is a lot of focus on the quarterbacks right now. Rightfully so.

“When you look at Alabama’s offensive line, they are just very, very porous. A lot of leaks in the offensive line. I think because of his athleticism, he gives the offense a chance. I understand why he’s going back to Jalen Milroe. It was just painful to watch those two coaches to sell that to their fanbases.”

Out of 69 power 5 schools, Pat McAfee pointed out, Alabama ranked 69th on giving up quarterback pressures. “It doesn’t matter who is at quarterback,” he said. “The offensive line certainly has to get it together.”

McAfee, though, believes Saban trusts Milroe after he talked to the Alabama quarterback earlier in the week.

“He talked about benching Jalen Milroe to inspire him, to motivate him, to watch how he handled it,” McAfee explained.

“I think he is inspiring him, and he believes in him greatly. And they are going to need it.”

Kirk Herbstreit added the Alabama offensive gameplan needs to be trashed.

“(Alabama offensive coordinator) Tommy Rees needs to devise a plan that takes pressure off the offensive line and the quarterback,” Herbstreit said.

He points to executing designed quarterback runs, power runs and zone reads.

“Completely get rid of the previous playbooks where they were against Texas and South Florida, and turn this forward and say, ‘This is who we are. We’re going to be QB run and play action off that,” Herbstreit explained. “The defense will have to step up and win games. That’s who they are currently. And let Milroe grow each week in the pass game.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.