UCF Knights: Pick a Quarterback by Sunday Morning

UCF fans and media personnel alike have been hearing the same mantras throughout the week: The QBs don't mind splitting the job. They're all about teamwork. They will continue to split until one of the guys stands out.

It seems to pacify many of the black and gold faithful, who, I presume, are thinking that the coaching staff's comments are more than reasonable.

Why not let them split? It never hurt anybody to take their time. However, underneath it all, most fans of American football don't want to see two strong-armed guys share the field until “it feels right”.

We as citizens of the United States have, for quite some time, found an immense amount of allure in the American hero. We want someone to carry us through the season on their back as the god-like creature of the sport.

Deep in our bones, we want either Rob Calabrese, or Brett Hodges. A supreme man. So, how can the UCF coaching staff and the Knights' nation come to a happy medium? I have pondered that question the entire week, and come up with a compromise: pick the quarterback after the end of the Southern Miss game.

I feel as if this is the best option for all groups, and here's why: as I have said, UCF football fans don't want the icky, misplaced feeling of having two quarterbacks.

In a time when college football players are literally becoming larger than the sport (Tim Tebow,anyone?), in a nationally televised arena, Central Florida enthusiasts can't help but be a little disappointed in the tardy construction of an intense team that knows what they are doing, knows that they want to win, and are highly capable of getting themselves there.

With alumni and older fans being a large chunk of the season ticket holder population, they are the folks that are driving in the money, and without a serious contending team in front of them, the money won't return. With a sour economy on our hands, why should the money go to a wishy-washy team? It's a fair question.

I am not trying to knock the Knights' coaching staff—they are in the uppermost tier of football knowledge and expertise, and I respect that. But from a fan standpoint, we can't wait much longer for a quarterback in shining armor to electrify Knight nation. We want a legitimate chance for glory.

As I wrote in my last Knights football article published this morning, UCF offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe has informed Coach O'Leary that both quarterbacks will play in the Southern Miss game on Saturday in Hattiesburg. Perfect. Put Calabrese in again at the beginning of the game. See how he does.

If he chokes again, take him out, put in last week's second-most clutch player of the game (first goes to Brynn Harvey), Brett Hodges, let him take care of business (or potentially not take care of business, another scenario), and see what happens. The following outcomes are possible:

• Calabrese starts, appears focused and executes well as he has done in practice, plays the rest of most of the game, and is named the actual starter
• Calabrese starts, chokes like he did in the Samford game, Hodges comes in, executes well, and is named the starter
• Calabrese starts, chokes like he did in the Samford game, Hodges comes in, chokes as well, but Calabrese is named the starter because that's what George O'Leary has wanted all along

It seems as if this is the most efficient, quickest way to solve the quarterback problem at UCF, because in sports, sharing is boring. That's why someone wins and loses in each game. There has to be a winner, and a loser.

UCF's coaching staff has taught some great values, but it's time that the team learns to share outside of football and make the squad's priority to have a single solid team that has the chance to gel throughout the season.

Could sparing Calabrese's feelings be a selfish move, in hindsight? I say so. But more than that, I encourage the Knights' staff to get the awkwardness over and pick a starting quarterback this Sunday morning.

View Jessica's articles at Examiner.com Orlando Sports.

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