College Football Fans Must Not Read Too Much into Spring Games
More than 230 days separate the College Football Playoff National Championship (Jan. 12) and the start of the 2015 college football season (Sept. 3).
During that span, the closest we'll come to watching college football comes in the form of a glorified scrimmage: the spring games.
Because of this, it's easy to overreact to what we see in March, April and May. It's the oasis between two deserts, and therefore it must be important. We must surmise key takeaways. We must declare each player either a sleeper or a bust for next season.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
We must participate in all of this, because it's spring ball, and that's what we do.
But it doesn't have to be.
And it shouldn't.
April 12, 2014
The Clemson Tigers kick off their spring game.
Star freshman Deshaun Watson, sidelined with a collarbone injury, watches Cole Stoudt and Chad Kelly compete to start at quarterback.
Stoudt, a rising redshirt senior, completes 15 of 23 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Clemson names him the starter three days later.
"Throughout spring, I've really improved myself as a player, and as a teammate and leader," Stoudt said after the game, per Aaron Brenner of The Post & Courier. "I'm happy with my situation. I had a good spring, and I'm kind of excited with how fall's going to turn out."
This is how the fall turned out:
| Cole Stoudt | 302 | 191 | 1892 | 6.3 | 9 | 10 | 119.1 |
| Deshaun Watson | 137 | 93 | 1466 | 10.7 | 14 | 2 | 188.6 |
April 12, 2014
The Ohio State Buckeyes kick off their spring game.
Quarterback Braxton Miller, sidelined with a shoulder injury, watches J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones compete for the No. 2 job.
Barrett outplays Jones despite averaging 4.58 yards per attempt (15-of-33, 158 yards). Jones averaged 4.06 yards per attempt (14-of-31, 126 yards). Neither player threw a touchdown, and the game ended 17-7.
"Ohio State spring game proves how important Braxton Miller is to Buckeyes," David Regimbal of Bleacher Report wrote afterward. "Saturday showed that Jones and Barrett aren't the reliable option [former backup QB Kenny] Guiton was," he continued.
Miller didn't play a snap last season.
An update on his unreliable backups:
April 19, 2014
The Alabama Crimson Tide kick off their spring game.
Florida State transfer Jake Coker, disallowed to play per NCAA transfer rules, watches Blake Sims compete to start ahead of him.
Implementing a limited playbook, Sims completes 43 percent of his passes (13-of-30), throws a pair of interceptions and incites a summer's worth of chatter about Coker—about how he's sure to win the starting job.
Their splits from the 2014 season:
| Blake Sims | 391 | 252 | 3487 | 8.9 | 28 |
| Jake Coker | 59 | 38 | 403 | 6.8 | 4 |
"Sometimes it happens," center Ryan Kelly said of Sims' performance, per Michael Casagrande of AL.com. "You're going to have bad days."
Here's Sims after winning the SEC championship:
April 27, 2014
The Michigan State Spartans kick off their spring game.
Cornerback Darian Hicks, competing to start opposite Trae Waynes (i.e., replace Jim Thorpe Award winner Darqueze Dennard), registers six tackles, one pass breakup and the game-sealing interception.
Sean Merriman of BTN.com named Hicks his star of the game, writing in his recap, "With Hicks and Waynes in the defensive backfield, this secondary should be outstanding once again in 2014."
So much for that.
Senior Tony Lippett, the 2014 Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year, replaced Hicks halfway through the season. Rather than leave Hicks in the starting lineup, MSU asked one of its most important players to pull double shifts on offense and defense. Why? Here are some key numbers from that once-again-outstanding secondary:
| 227.3 (61) | 24 (110) | 15 (114) | 7 (105) |
For sure, there are spring-game moments that matter.
Jameis Winston at Florida State two years ago. Penn State's offensive line in 2014. Both of those things showed their true colors in April.
My case is not that nothing in the spring game matters. My case is that roughly half of what happens in the spring game matters; and therefore, trying to surmise a takeaway is like trying to call heads or tails.
Consider this your annual reminder not to fall for it. The Stoudts who emerge this month might struggle. The Barretts, Sims and Cardales might thrive.
It's not all doom and gloom if Sean Maguire—the favorite to replace Winston—struggles at Florida State. For all we know, he'll become the next Sims.
But it's not all hunky-dory if Maguire—who must hold off a trio of talented freshmen—plays well on April 11. For all we know, he'll become the next Stoudt.
The only thing we do know is that we don't know anything.
And we won't until early September.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
