Why Playing Two Quarterbacks vs. Notre Dame Can Work for Texas

You know how the saying goes: If you have two quarterbacks, you have none. But what if the Texas Longhorns actually have one and don't know it yet?  That's what second-year coach Charlie Strong is going to try to find out by playing both Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard in the season opener at Notre Dame. 

"I’m not going to play musical chairs with them. They both are going to play," Strong said on ESPN's "Car Wash" last month, via Chris O'Connell of the Alcalde. "When we line up in South Bend, whoever is going to start, the other guy is going to play also."

There isn't a named starter (yet), but Swoopes is the most likely candidate to get the nod. He was the front-runner exiting spring practice, and Strong and senior running back Johnathan Gray mentioned Swoopes extensively during Big 12 media days. Swoopes will also practice with the first-team offense when preseason camp starts up this week. 

Unless something changes in camp, which is entirely possible, the guess is that Swoopes will take the field first. However, the actual term "starter" matters little in this case, because it doesn't necessarily mean that same player will take the field last.

Michael Thomas/Associated Press

It's all about finding the best option. That's why playing two quarterbacks initially could actually work for the Longhorns. 

The fact that Strong has confirmed both quarterbacks will play against the Irish indicates that the race is tight. This could be interpreted in a few ways. It could mean that Heard has improved significantly, which would corroborate the comments made about him by Strong and quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson in the spring. It could also mean that Swoopes hasn't progressed as desired. 

Or it could mean both have taken big steps forward this offseason, which is what Strong and Co. maintained at media days. 

Sometimes when a competition is that tight, though, the best way to break it open is to throw each player into live situations to see how they react. Swoopes' leadership has been praised this offseason, so perhaps it's on display on the field, as Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News wrote: 

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Swoopes’ arm strength unquestionably is superior to Heard’s. And early failure doesn’t always mean a quarterback is a bust. Both Vince Young and Colt McCoy faced struggles and outside doubts during their first year as a UT starter. No one is saying Swoopes owns that kind of potential, but coaches praise his work ethic and eagerness to learn from his mistakes.

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Maybe Heard is more of a gamer than a practice player. He redshirted his freshman season, so no one—not even Strong—knows how Heard will play in an actual game. On occasion, this can actually serve as a benefit in game preparation, because opposing defenses don't know what they're up against. 

It's known that Heard is more mobile, while Swoopes has the stronger arm with more experience. Whichever one works better with Texas' new wide-open offense could be a matter of plugging and playing. 

That's not to say this isn't a precarious situation, of course. The difficulty in playing two quarterbacks, especially on the road against a potential playoff team like Notre Dame, is finding a balance. How often do you rotate between Swoopes and Heard? Is it by feel or performance? This isn't a home opener against North Texas, in which Strong could have more liberty to experiment. 

Let's say Swoopes does get the start in Week 1. Strong has never explicitly come out and said it, but one would have to imagine Swoopes is on a tighter leash this year. With a young defense, can he afford to get behind too far, too quickly? All the same, you don't want to pull him too soon and not allow him a chance to recover. The backup quarterback may be the most popular player on the team, but that doesn't always mean he's the best. 

There's a lot to consider and manage. But if done correctly, Texas could find its quarterback answer sooner rather than later. Ultimately, what Texas doesn't want is to still be figuring this out in November. 

The vibe from Big 12 media days was that Texas' offense simply needs a game manager at quarterback to keep things moving. It's not like Swoopes or Heard will be asked to go out and consistently win games single-handedly. Theoretically, that should take a lot of pressure off both of them. 

"You talk about what you see out of Swoopes and what you see out of Heard, both those guys are very competitive, but everyone else around them needs to play well also," Strong said at media days. 

Texas' goal is to win all of its games in 2015, but another goal should be to start answering big questions in Week 1. And the Longhorns don't necessarily need to beat Notre Dame to find an answer at quarterback. 

But they won't find that answer until Swoopes and Heard are given a fair shot to prove their worth. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.