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DEL.ICIO.USUncertainty principle rules at QB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
There are two kinds of quarterbacks in college football this year. One kind is Matt Leinart, who won the Heisman Trophy last season, has thrown 71 touchdown passes in the past two, is romantically linked to swimsuit models and will play his first game this season in Honolulu. (We’re still waiting for word on whether he is an heir to Bill Gates.)
The other kind of quarterback this season is almost everybody else.
College football often differs from the NFL in that a team’s fortunes aren’t necessarily linked to the quarterback. It is possible to have a great defense or a power running game and win it all. That can happen in the NFL, but it’s rare.
But it seems more teams’ seasons are linked to uncertain quarterbacks this year than usual. Georgia Tech is never sure what to expect from Reggie Ball. Georgia can’t possibly know what to expect from D.J. Shockley. Auburn, Tech’s opponent, transitions from a senior quarterback who was drafted in the first round (Jason Campbell) to a sophomore (Brandon Cox) coming off a nice sideline view.
“Any time you have a brand new quarterback, things function differently,” Jackets coach Chan Gailey said. “Everybody has certain talents and abilities, and you’re trying to turn things toward that. But you don’t just turn everything on a dime. It takes time.”
Tech’s defense should be solid. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson and tailback P.J. Daniels are legitimate weapons. But Ball is the X factor, and it isn’t stretching things to say Gailey’s future may be linked to a 20-year-old. In two years, Ball has shown a remarkable tendency to string together conflicting highlights: One for me, one for you, two for me, two for you.
At Georgia, we have been reminded almost daily that while the school lost Division I-A’s all-time winning quarterback (David Greene), the Bulldogs’ new starter has 26 games of experience. That sounds a lot better than saying Shockley has never started a college game.
We know he has talent. We know he is admired for his demeanor and patience. But we don’t know how he’ll react the first time things go wrong or some yahoo yells, “You ain’t no David Greene!”
This year, Georgia’s defense might not be good enough to make up for average play from a quarterback.
Work your way south to Auburn and through Florida. The Tigers are coming off an undefeated season. That not only gave coach Tommy Tuberville unforeseen security, it minted Al Borges as one of the game’s top offensive coordinators. He’ll need to be. Last year, Borges worked with Campbell. This year, he’s tutoring Cox, who has attempted just 34 passes.
Bobby Bowden seems to have forgotten how to develop quarterbacks or an offense. Last year, the Seminoles had their lowest scoring average (24.7) in a quarter-century. Chris Rix was a mess, and Wyatt Sexton is being treated for Lyme disease.
Just this week, Drew Weatherford was named the Seminoles’ starter. His reaction: “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” Not really. He’s a redshirt freshman. He had to beat out another redshirt freshman. Welcome to the new Seminoles.
In Gainesville, new coach Urban Meyer might have a championship contender. Or he might have a problem. Chris Leak has the skills, experience and leadership to win. But now he has to run an offense previously foreign to him, the spread option.
Miami used to be Quarterback U. More recently, it survived Brock Berlin. This season, the job goes to sophomore Kyle Wright, who appeared in two games last season. Wright has attempted nine passes in his career. That’s nine more attempts than the freshman he beat out.
Virginia Tech might win the ACC again. But Marcus Vick, while more talented than predecessor Bryan Randall, has not been the model of stability in his life.
Gailey believes head coaches, offensive coordinators and quarterbacks always get too much of the credit or blame. It follows that all three are under the gun at Tech.
It’s a situation nobody at Southern Cal can relate to.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Jeff Schultz, Tech / ACC, UGA / SEC
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By Geoffrey Paul
September 3, 2005 08:29 AM | Link to this
I’m sooo nervous… I’m sooo excited… I’m sooo nervous… I’m sooo excited… Oooo Reggie, Reggie, Reggie… please mature… Oooo Reggie, Reggie, Reggie…
By c mcmillan
September 3, 2005 08:21 PM | Link to this
Reguardless who is the tech quarterback ,if we dont spread the field out and get some tricks up our sleeve it will be a long season. When your wife can call the tech series ,you are in trouble
By Kenny
September 4, 2005 07:10 PM | Link to this
Jeff Schultz, I guess it’s time to eat a little crow about your predictions about the out come of the Auburn, Geogia Tech game. Quote,”The tigers have lost R.Brown, G.Williams and J. Campbell. But they’re not losing this Game” Hummm