Spring Position Battles - Quarterback

[Enhance]

Would like to see POB get one series a game or one a half to prep him for 2017. PInKle has done this in the past Wirth pretty good long term success. Seems to me that Chase Daniel did this as a freshman even though they had a 3 yr starter returning

You're thinking of Blaine Gabbert during Daniel's senior year. Regardless, a lot of people said they wanted this in the past, then Bo and Watson finally did it with Cody Green in 2009 and people then decided it was the worst idea ever.

I don't know why, but people often get really caught up in getting young guys playing time in some fashion. This may not be the best choice for every player or team. This can actually backfire, in some cases, by putting players in positions they may not quite be ready for, and failure could lead to a confidence blow.

Furthermore, I don't like the general sweeping idea that we need to prepare someone for the next year. POB should play if, and only if, he has earned the playing time and his performance can't cost the team. Building depth is important, so don't get me wrong, but 2017 will come when 2017 comes.

 

[Mavric]

I don't know why, but people often get really caught up in getting young guys playing time in some fashion. This may not be the best choice for every player or team. This can actually backfire, in some cases, by putting players in positions they may not quite be ready for, and failure could lead to a confidence blow.

Furthermore, I don't like the general sweeping idea that we need to prepare someone for the next year. POB should play if, and only if, he has earned the playing time and his performance can't cost the team. Building depth is important, so don't get me wrong, but 2017 will come when 2017 comes.

I think it varies by position. I'm not a fan of rotating quarterbacks. As many have said "if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have any."

Almost any other position on the field I think rotating is a pretty good idea, though it varies how much by position. DL, WR, and RB (unless you have an absolute stud) can rotate quite a bit. LB can rotate some. Not a lot on the OL but I think a little would be helpful. DBs seem like they could get rotated a little bit but probably not a lot.

 

[zoogs]

Wait, Cody Green didn't get the Tim Tebow treatment as a freshman. He played in garbage time and then wasn't he abruptly given the starting job? That lasted about one series into his second game, and he rode the pine the rest of the way.

The next year, they did this thing where Green got a couple of series early in games. Whether by luck or design, it always seemed to be Green backed up inside his 2-yard line in the 2nd quarter, again yanked at the first mistake (to be fair, he had many turnovers). I suppose it didn't help the dynamic that he was a sophomore, while the new starter was a freshman.

So...all told, I'm good for a traditional feet-wet kind of year for the #2 guy. Extended looks in garbage time and maybe another opportunity here or there, but in any case you want to manage it carefully. On-field experience even in limited amounts can help springboard him for 2017. A redshirt could benefit him, too. In any case, there's a lot less pressure this year on POB than on Green unless Tommy somehow loses the job.

 

[Enhance]

Wait, Cody Green didn't get the Tim Tebow treatment as a freshman. He played in garbage time and then wasn't he abruptly given the starting job? That lasted about one series into his second game, and he rode the pine the rest of the way.

The next year, they did this thing where Green got a couple of series early in games. Whether by luck or design, it always seemed to be Green backed up inside his 2-yard line in the 2nd quarter, again yanked at the first mistake (to be fair, he had many turnovers). I suppose it didn't help the dynamic that he was a sophomore, while the new starter was a freshman.

So...all told, I'm good for a traditional feet-wet kind of year for the #2 guy. Extended looks in garbage time and maybe another opportunity here or there, but in any case you want to manage it carefully. On-field experience even in limited amounts can help springboard him for 2017. A redshirt could benefit him, too. In any case, there's a lot less pressure this year on POB than on Green unless Tommy somehow loses the job.

In regards to the first bolded part, wasn't Green given the starting job vs. Oklahoma in '09 and was then yanked? IIRC Zac Lee came in when Amukamara had an interception and got them down inside the two-yard line. Lee came in and threw a touchdown.

To the second bolded portion, I think that's an interesting debate. The situations are certainly different between the two, however, I personally feel like there may be more pressure on POB than there was on Green. Green was hyped and viewed as player that could come in and make a difference, but he was also coming in after a 9-win season. POB has been recruited following a 6-win season, is being tabbed as "the" guy to lead a Mike Riley system, and he's vying against a divisive quarterback who doesn't take care of the ball very well.

I may be a bit of a victim of saying all this in the moment, but I think people are expecting more of POB than they did of Green. People have gone so far to say that Riley's job hinges on POB's development - I don't remember people saying that about Pelini/Green.

 

[zoogs]

Green started a full game the week before, I believe -- a decent win against Baylor. He started Oklahoma and was yanked before the half.

I think there is a lot of pressure on POB overall. Just that as long as he's a #2 this year, the focus is more on his future development than his "right now". Between now and whenever POB starts figuring into the QB race, *hopefully* NU has at least one more hotshot QB recruit in the mix, too.

People were expecting pretty huge things from Green, who was a 4-star QB recruit that tore up the stat sheet in Texas. I think his year one was handled poorly by giving him the starting spot and yanking it away (he really should have redshirted) -- so I think there's some instructive lessons there. POB certainly *could* get handled the same way. But really it became more problematic I think when he kept on in that bit role, with the getting yanked, while an underclassman was running away with the starting job.

 

[Mavric]

So...all told, I'm good for a traditional feet-wet kind of year for the #2 guy. Extended looks in garbage time and maybe another opportunity here or there, but in any case you want to manage it carefully. On-field experience even in limited amounts can help springboard him for 2017. A redshirt could benefit him, too. In any case, there's a lot less pressure this year on POB than on Green unless Tommy somehow loses the job.

Problem is .... it's been awhile - as in years - since there's been much garbage time to go around.

Unless you're looking at the *other* kind of garbage time.

 

[zoogs]

yeah...

 

[Mavric]

[No message]

 

[Mavric]

Nebraska will be working on two different fields with a top group and a secondary group. Tommy Armstrong and Ryker Fyfe will be with the top group, while A.J. Bush, Zack Darlington and Patrick O'Brien will be with the second group. Armstrong and Fyfe are the only two quarterbacks in Nebraska's program to take meaningful snaps in a college football game.

OWH

 

[Redux]

My biggest hope this Fall is that TA finally culminates his collegiate career with a strong senior season that sees POB get some meaningful snaps

 

[84HuskerLaw]

So...all told, I'm good for a traditional feet-wet kind of year for the #2 guy. Extended looks in garbage time and maybe another opportunity here or there, but in any case you want to manage it carefully. On-field experience even in limited amounts can help springboard him for 2017. A redshirt could benefit him, too. In any case, there's a lot less pressure this year on POB than on Green unless Tommy somehow loses the job.

Problem is .... it's been awhile - as in years - since there's been much garbage time to go around.

Unless you're looking at the *other* kind of garbage time.

This is an excellent way to describe the state of the Huskers since about 2000. In 2001 we became the Eric Crouch for Heisman show and could not generate enough differential over our opponents to create any good 'garbage time' and the bad garbage time started to exceed the good. We haven't had any seasons that I recall when the good exceeded the bad since 2001. This lack of development time for the underclassmen begets more of the same - vicious circle that once you get started on it is very difficult to get out of, unless one is willing to make a sacrifice of a season or two and mass redshirt or retain (as has been described at K State and elsewhere over the years.

 

[Minnesota_husker]

Armstrong is going to be the guy.

POB will need at least a year maybe more. Expecting an 18 year old to just walk in and be "the guy" is highly unfair and improbable.

If i am the coaches, I give Armstrong every chance to succeed unless another guy steals time away and that wont happen till fall.

Armstrong can be decent but probably not much more because of decision making which i dont see improving.

 

[Sargon]

I predict a crap-storm on this board if reports from late August are that POB is looking better than TA.

FYI, from Sports-Reference:

Player Passer Rating....Career Rating......Senior Yr Rating

Tommie Frazier............138......................156

Eric Crouch...................121......................124

Steve Taylor..................117......................122

Taylor Martinez..............136......................140

So, NU running quarterbacks who are black and named Tommie from top 3 talent states pass much better their senior year and all others don't.

 

[The Dude]

I don't think POB will take the job this year. Like many, I have high hopes he's a long term answer at QB. But I think people are putting too much on him too soon.

Let the kid get familiarized with the offense, and just being a college athlete for a year before expecting him to start.

 

[drfish]

I believe that when a team finishes 6-7 for the year there is NO position, and particularly QB, that is 'established' and to say that Patrick OBrien is not going to be in the serious running to be the starting QB by fall is simply wrong. Or, in my view, it should be wrong. Tommy Armstrong did good things and bad things last year and the year before and the year before that. His annual numbers and performances have been steady and mediocre most often. He is surely not to be considered a clear starter. If he is by far and away our best QB simply says we have almost NO QB talent at all. Tommy is NOT an all conference or even honorable mention level player based on three straight years of average play. He is mistake prone and while capable of making great plays he can turn a solid drive into a disaster. POB should be a strong candidate for playing time or his recruitiment should be viewed as a disappointment.

So you think that we'll repeat breaking in a new offense and defense again this year?

Tommy is about to break every single QB record at Nebraska too btw.

you mean like lowest average completion percentage?

Oops. premature post. referenced Frazier as well.