Jesse Palmer: SEC title, College Football Playoff berth 'absolutely achievable' under Ty Simpson

Amid a strong start to the 2025 season, Ty Simpson appears to be settling in well as Alabama’s quarterback. He had another strong performance against Wisconsin, and ESPN’s Jesse Palmer thinks the Crimson Tide have a high ceiling.

Palmer predicted an SEC title and College Football Playoff appearance could be in the cards if Simpson continues playing at a high level. The redshirt junior quarterback had another efficient performance against Wisconsin, fueling Alabama’s high-powered offense in the effort.

Compared to other SEC quarterbacks such as Arch Manning, DJ Lagway and LaNorris Sellers, Palmer pointed out the amount of hype they had. When he looked at Simpson’s numbers, though, he sees a player answering the Crimson Tide’s biggest question.

“All these guys had a lot of hype coming into this year. … You look over here in Ty Simpson, the kind of season he’s having,” Palmer said on the ABC broadcast. “He’s out-dueling and out-playing some of these other guys. And Ty Simpson played a really good Florida State defense in Week 1, as well.

“It begs the question, if Ty Simpson keeps playing like this, then what’s the ceiling for Alabama? I think winning an SEC and the College Football Playoff is absolutely achievable. This was really the big question mark coming into this season.”

Simpson completed all 17 of his passes last time out against Louisiana-Monroe and didn’t miss a beat on Saturday against Wisconsin. He went 24 of 29 for 382 yards and four touchdowns, while adding a team-high 25 rushing yards, to lead the Crimson Tide offense en route to the 38-14 victory. Austin Mack came in for the final five minutes of the game amid the blowout.

Simpson has helped lead the charge as Alabama bounced back form a Week 1 loss to Florida State to open the 2025 season. The Crimson Tide’s response drew high praise from program legend Mark Ingram, who gave his alma mater a shoutout during FOX’s coverage of Oregon at Northwestern.

“I am proud of how they responded after a Week 1 misery,” Ingram said of the Crimson Tide. “I’m proud of how they responded. But at this point, we just need to continue to keep improving.

“I would like to see us have great improvements in the run game. That’s an identity, that’s a physicality they will need throughout the season. But right now, I’m excited, I’m convinced how they have bounced back.”