The defense hasn't been tackling well, but I think there is a point to be made about the QB position.
Sometimes the best gift a coach can give a quarterback is a competitive back up. When we had a QB defection a couple of years ago, I was upset, not because I thought that Patrick Witt was the next Tom Brady or something, but because it took competition out of the QB room.
Let's talk about Tommie Frazier.... and Brook. And yes, I understand that may have been 1a and 1b, but also remember this, Brook didn't play at all, or next to nothing, as in mop up duty, when we went after that second title in a row. So Tommie was beating Brook out in practice and considering what we had in Brook, that was prob not an easy task.
Even more to the point, however, remember Frankie London? He saw some snaps while Scott Frost was at Nebraska. Frost took off, won a title, and we forgot about Frankie. But I am sure that Frost saw him as a legit threat, because he was benched for Frankie. And so it likely made Frost better.
I am not in favor of a QB change now. It would be counter productive, but I would say this. If I am the coaches, I am putting more on Tommy Armstrong's plate right now. And I am challenging him at every turn. And I am trying to figure out what I have in that guy. There is no reason to wait a couple of years for that process.
After these three games, if Nebraska is trending toward an 8-4 or 7-5 season and thus away from a conference title game, Armstrong gets playing time. He doesn't necessarily start, but he gets playing time.
I want Taylor to know that, going into the offseason prior to his senior campaign, that there is going to be competition at the QB spot. Taylor has to know that he MUST make better reads and he MUST make better decisions with the football.
Taylor did not lose the game for Nebraska at Columbus, but he didn't help with those picks. Those are KILLERS. And the QB must be held to account.
A little nudge from the perception, real or not, that Armstrong has a shot to become the starter pre-2014, could be the thing that gets Martinez to go forward.
Plus, it makes sense at the QB spot because burning Armstrong's red shirt gives us a reason to recruit another one in the next cycle. More talented QBs, more competition in the room. It's a net gain.