Alabama’s big quarterback rotation shakeup didn’t pan out on Saturday afternoon.

Tyler Buchner struggled to start and Ty Simpson didn’t fare much better against South Florida, a team that won one game a season ago. Surprisingly, Jalen Milroe, the thrower who entered the day with the most experience didn’t see a single snap. And though the No. 10 Tide (2-1) escaped Tampa with a 17-3 win, there’s still no clear picture about who Alabama’s quarterback will be moving forward.

“Everybody has a chance to respond in the right way when things don’t go exactly like you want them to,” Nick Saban said postgame. “We played the guys that practiced the best all week long.”

Overall, Simpson and Buchner combined for 10-of-23 passing for 107 yards. Buchner also snuck in the Tide’s putaway touchdown in the fourth quarter. Milroe, meanwhile, stayed on the sidelines.

Someone has to separate itself, and fast. The Tide host Lane Kiffin next Saturday and its offense will need to perform better than it did against the Bulls (TK total yards). After the Rebels and a two-game road trip to Texas A&M and Mississippi State, Alabama will then play Arkansas, Tennessee, LSU and Kentucky.

“We’re gonna evaluate the quarterbacks that played today. Evaluate Jalen Milroe in terms of how he played and decide this week who gives us the best opportunity to be successful as an offensive team. That’s the way we’ll go,” Saban said.

Alabama conceded five sacks, USF’s most since 2019 against UConn, and five hurries. And though a couple of the issues came against three- and four-man rushes, Alabama wasn’t able to get its blocking assignments right. An issue that led to five sacks in last week’s loss to Texas when only Milroe played.

The cake will be in the oven at least for another week as the Tide reassesses its quarterback situation. Kickoff for the Ole Miss game is set for 2:30 p.m.

“Those guys trust each other,” said Roydell Williams, who led Alabama 131 offensive yards and a touchdown, “It’s all about trust coming in and knowing those guys are gonna compete for the job. It don’t matter who wins.”

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Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].