zoogs said:
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.