Name your starting QB

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:26 pm

From what I recall on film and at a practice or two last year...AG doesn't have a "strong arm". It's better than Freddie's, but I think Turner and Sheehan have better arms.

So far as how he reacts and reads defenses...how the hell do you know? He hasn't played a down here.

AT isn't perfect, but he isn't nearly as bad as you protray him to be. He isn't Josh Harris (yet) but I think he's better than guys like Niemet or Schnieder were

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:32 pm

BGFootball wrote:First off, I am a big supporter of AT and would like to see him get the starting job. But I dont think its fair to judge Sheehan solely on his performances last year. Look at the situations he was thrown into and expected to perform well. Thats coaches fault right there. Sheehan has had all spring and summer to prepare for the starting role and he has definately improved.

I dont think it would be smart at all to play Glaud or Brown this season unless the other two completely fall off. They just aren't ready, plain and simple. Do you guys actually want to win games or just completely write off the season to develope a freshman thats not ready to play yet. I dunno, I would much rather go with AT who has proven he can put us in a position to win games. I think Nate Brown is going to be a great QB sometime soon, but hes just not ready now.

Therein lies the rub.

I agree with you on most of what you said, although I haven't seen Sheehan play this practice season yet. He was definitely better than AT in the spring game, but still turned it over too much.

Still, what it comes down to is:

A) Try to win this year with Sheehan/Turner whoever wins the spot between the two of them.

B) Throw away the season trying to develop an ill prepared Freshman QB.

Personally I don't know if this team wins 6 games regardless of who the QB his this year. For that reason I'm more inclined to look towards the future. So what makes the '08 team better. A year of starting experience for one of the freshmen, or riding it out with one of the more experienced guys this year? Honestly I haven't seen enough of either freshman to really form a worthwhile opinion. I haven't seen enough of Sheehan to know if he can develop into a legit leader of this offense in time either. I will say I prefer a QB who has mobility as a threat, and Sheehan doesn't seem to have that really.

In the end this is about trying to win a MAC Championship. If it is thought that either of those two freshmen will be taking the starting job in '08, I would just as soon let them grow this year and take our lumps. If we think Sheehan or Turner are going to be good enough to hang onto that starting job through the '08 season then I have no problem with sticking with one of them.

However, to the current coaching staff it is about winning now, and they will not be thinking one bit about player development. They'll want to win the most games they can this season. That likely takes Glaud/Brown out of the mix, unless things get ugly mid-season or so. This regime has a long way to gain any sort of job security, so I wouldn't expect to see either freshmen playing unless the season is ugly.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:39 pm

You have to consider the rest of the team too...they went through a tough season lat year. You can't expect them to give yoou 100% on every down if you send the message that you're writing off the season for "development's sake"...it's hard enough to get professionals to see beyond that.

I do agree that it probably isn't far to judge Sheehan based on last season...he was thrown into some very tough spots. I still thinkTurner is the better choice because he has more tools, but if Sheehan wins the job fair and square, more power to him.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:50 pm

I know next to nothing about football, but thinking back to Omar and those 40 point blowouts why didn't Brandon put AT in earlier to get more reps, was he concerned about losing some advantage or exposing AT's possible lack of skills? Just posing a question.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:59 pm

A lot of the blow outs were during AT's freshman year...didn't want to burn his redshirt just to get reps. Off the top of my head, in 2005 when AT was a RS freshman, until Omar got hurt....we didn't really blow a lot of people away.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:08 pm

I forgot about AT being a freshman in 2004. Who was the backup QB?

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:11 pm

oaklane2 wrote:I forgot about AT being a freshman in 2004. Who was the backup QB?

Jason Washington.

BGGrad01 · Post by **BGGrad01** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:14 pm

oaklane2 wrote:I forgot about AT being a freshman in 2004. Who was the backup QB?

That may have been the year that Jason Washington was the backup.

To what Flipper said, we did not blow anyone out prior to Omar's injury in '05, which definitely hurt us when AT got forced into action against WMU and Akron.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:17 pm

Speaking of Jason Washington...I had no idea he still had any eligibility left, but he got kicked off of the team at ....Montana I think, just this spring.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:06 pm

Flipper wrote: He isn't Josh Harris (yet) but I think he's better than guys like Niemet or Schnieder were

I think you bring up an interesting point. Turner probably is better than Niemet or Schnieder, however this current offensive scheme puts a lot more onus on the QB position than Blackney's did. The spread/option scheme that we run is set up to make QBs look good, but at the same time you still must have above average QB play to make it work to it's potential.

You're probably right that it's not fair to everyone on the team to write off a season as a developmental year. There are too many players who won't be back in '08 to do that. In a pro organization you would gladly sacrifice a year for the long term goal, but here I guess the goal should always be winning the most games for the current season.

I still think it's conceivable Brown (or even Glaud) take over the starting duties in '08, but neither will likely take a snap in '07, unless things get ugly.

As for Sheehan, I really don't think it's fair to expect much of anything from any true freshmen QB. If you get something great, then it's a bonus, but to expect great play is not fair. They don't get to campus until training camp, so they miss out on too many spring practices, etc, to be fully versed in the offense. That doesn't mean I'm against playing true freshmen at QB, quite the contrary, I just don't think it's fair to have real high expectations for them. I think he has a better, and possibly more accurate arm, than Turner. More importantly he seems willing to take chances, something Turner seems to be afraid of for whatever reason. The trick for Tyler will be to show that when he does make the mistakes he learns from them while still being willing to take shots. You need to see improvement in limiting those mistakes, because the amount of turnovers he had last year and in the spring game are not acceptable over the long haul.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:33 pm

hammb wrote:Therein lies the rub.

I agree with you on most of what you said, although I haven't seen Sheehan play this practice season yet. He was definitely better than AT in the spring game, but still turned it over too much.

Still, what it comes down to is:

A) Try to win this year with Sheehan/Turner whoever wins the spot between the two of them.

B) Throw away the season trying to develop an ill prepared Freshman QB.

However, to the current coaching staff it is about winning now, and they will not be thinking one bit about player development. They'll want to win the most games they can this season. That likely takes Glaud/Brown out of the mix, unless things get ugly mid-season or so. This regime has a long way to gain any sort of job security, so I wouldn't expect to see either freshmen playing unless the season is ugly.

hammb:

I see where you're coming from, and I guess I see a "winning now" impetus, but I don't think it's totally desperation. If it were, I think we would have seen a lot more in the way of JUCO recruits and the like.

It's important to put our season in the context of the current (and recent MAC). We've seen a few teams kind of back into the MACC game with less-than-impressive records. So we could get waxed in our two OOC money games, go 5-3 in the MAC and finish 6-6 overall. That could land us in the title game.

Is that a great outcome? No, but if the choice is between 3-9 with a frosh QB and 6-6 and a bowl game, I'll take the latter ... not that we really have a choice. But my point is, the staff needs to balance out development vs. "win now." I think they can do that; if we're way ahead or behind, get the youngsters in there. That may mean burning a redshirt like we did with Sheehan, but that may be worth it.

And Flipper's observation is a good one - after getting kicked in the teeth a lot last year, it will be awful tough for a lot these guys to man-up all year knowing the staff is basically using it as extended preparation for 2008.

Rollo83 · Post by **Rollo83** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:20 pm

I know what Turner can do (or in this case...can't do) so I am more inclined to give Sheehan the ball and see what he can do with it in a game situation. If he doesn't produce you go to Glaud and then Brown.

I just think the problems Turner has aren't the ones you fix over the summer or in traning camp. I just don't see him ever giving us the kind of consistent quarterbaclk play we need to be successful.

Just my opinion.

reyray82 · Post by **reyray82** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:30 pm

Josh Harris is my pick

BGFootball · Post by **BGFootball** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:16 pm

hammb... I see where you are coming from as well, but think about it...Gregg Brandon is fighting for his job this season, I do not think we will see him writing this season off to develope a freshman QB...just my opinion.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:21 pm

BGFootball wrote:hammb... I see where you are coming from as well, but think about it...Gregg Brandon is fighting for his job this season, I do not think we will see him writing this season off to develope a freshman QB...just my opinion.

I agree 100% I think I even put that at the end of one of my ramblings

Regardless of who we want to start, or even who might be best for the program long term, I really think this staff must win now if they want to remain employed at BG for the foreseeable future.

Name your starting QB

Which QB would you start?