College Football 2011: 10 Programs Facing Off-Season Quarterback Controversies
Let the duels begin. Quarterbacks around the nation are getting ready for spring practices that will help determine which of them will be the starters come fall.
While some college football teams around the country have their quarterback situation set. But there are plenty more programs that have questions that need to be answered.
Either nobody has previous experience or multiple players have shown some ability, but none have stepped forward in the competition.
Here are the 10 biggest quarterback controversies in college football leading up to the 2011 season.
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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The most important question facing Nebraska is one concerning quarterback Taylor Martinez. Will his confidence be restored in time for the 2011 season?
When Martinez was at his best in 2010, his name was spoken along with the words "Heisman Trophy." He has tremendous speed and ran the option attack prolifically at times.
But then there were the dark days: the benching against Texas, the horrendous performance against Missouri that Roy Helu Jr. overcame with a 300-yard rushing day and the anemic showing against Washington in the Holiday Bowl.
If Nebraska is able to groom junior-to-be Cody Green or incoming freshman Bubba Starling in time, Martinez won't have the job locked up.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes
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James Vandenberg looks like the obvious choice, having backed up Ricky Stanzi for two seasons.
Then there is redshirt freshman A.J. Derby. He's phenomenally athletic. He's so athletic that he may end up at a different position than quarterback.
Derby has taken reps for a year and it will take a lot at this point to change his position. At the same time, if Vandenberg, a junior-to-be, impresses, it would be a waste to leave Derby as a backup and not try him somewhere else on the field.
This will end up as a battle between a traditional quarterback and an athlete that can throw the ball well.
8. Missouri Tigers
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Talk about a steep task to fulfill. Whoever takes over at quarterback for the Tigers will have to follow the greatest stretch of quarterbacking the school has ever seen. Since 2002, the Missouri quarterbacks have been Brad Smith, Chase Daniel and Blaine Gabbert.
All the buzz in Columbia, Mo. is surrounding sophomore James Franklin. He's the front runner to continue on the modern quarterback tradition at Mizzou, but he'll have to fight off Gabbert's little brother, Tyler, as well as Ashton Glaser.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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If it weren't for Dayne Crist's ruptured patella tendon suffered against Tulsa in the ninth game of the season, there wouldn't even be a debate at this point. He had thrown for more than 2,000 yards, 15 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
But Tommy Rees stepped in and led the Fighting Irish to four wins, including a 33-17 win over Miami in the Sun Bowl. Rees wasn't spectacular, throwing seven interceptions in the final five games of the season, including three against Tulsa after Crist left with his injury.
Coach Brian Kelly was very careful not to name a starter after the season ended in 2010. Instead, he announced a competition for the job.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Alabama doesn't have a quarterback controversy on its hands in terms of making a difficult decision between comparable, experienced players. Instead, it is simply in search of a quarterback that can just not mess things up for a team that otherwise is top-five material.
The Crimson Tide is absurdly loaded thanks to the recruiting of Nick Saban. Now it just hopes that some of the talent is in either A.J. McCarron or Phillip Sims.
Both sophomores-to-be were four star recruits out of high school and possess above average speed for quarterbacks. McCarron has the edge since he was Greg McElroy's backup in 2010.
5. Auburn Tigers
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Good luck, Barrett Trotter. Take over the reigns to the defending national champions. Follow Cam Newton, the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback that is shooting up NFL draft boards. Run an offense that looks like a tornado to outsiders.
Oh, and hold off incoming freshman Kiehl Frazier—one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in high school last season—to keep your job.
The good news is that Gus Malzahn's spread offense can fit its personnel. If it needs to cater to strong running back play to take pressure off of the quarterback, it can.
4. Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes
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Both Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris threw more interceptions than touchdowns last season. Harris took most of the reps until his inconsistency and penchant for costly mistakes became too great of a worry to continue forging ahead with him at the helm. Morris fared no better.
While Harris is now a senior, Morris is only a sophomore. New coach Al Golden is going to have to weigh immediate results against the future. Harris is likely more ready to lead the team now, even if his confidence needs rebuilding.
Plenty of growth happens for quarterbacks in between season one and season two. Morris will get a chance to show he's made strides this spring.
3. Florida Gators
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One of the most surprising hires of the entire off-season was new Florida coach Will Muschamp tabbing Charlie Weis as his offensive coordinator. Muschamp was expected to bring change, but the complete transformation from spread to pro-style offense was unforeseen.
The change bodes well for incumbent quarterback John Brantley who didn't exactly flourish once given the starting role in Urban Meyer's spread. He has the tools of a quarterback more suited to traditional reads.
This leaves spread-oriented Trey Burton and Jordan Reed on the outside looking in. Burton may be better served changing positions.
Furthermore, don't count out incoming freshman Jeff Driskel. There are plenty of options, but are any of them the right one?
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
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If Terrelle Pryor is healthy and suspension free, he's Ohio State's starter, right? This should be an easier question to answer than it is proving to be.
I just can't downplay the impact of a five-game suspension. College football changes so rapidly from week to week that rankings, Heisman Trophy favorites and national championship hopes are shuffled, erased and dashed constantly.
While Pryor is out, true freshman Braxton Miller will likely earn the starting job over senior Joe Bauserman. Or, that duo will share duties while Pryor serves his NCAA-mandated suspension.
Pryor will get his job back when he returns, but who will fill in for him while he is sitting? What happens if Miller performs well in his stead and Pryor struggles upon his return? This could carry deep into the season.
1. LSU Tigers
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I saw the Cotton Bowl in which Jordan Jefferson throttled Texas A&M, but I also saw plenty of the games preceding that in which Jefferson had to split time with Jarrett Lee because neither earned the full trust of the coaching staff.
I hope Jefferson is able to maintain the play he demonstrated in the Cotton Bowl. LSU is primed for a spectacular season if he can. Expectations are high in Death Valley and it won't take more than one shaky performance for Lee or incoming juco transfer Zach Mettenberger to receive a good, hard look.
New offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe has his hands full of quarterback development this spring.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
