Nebraska Football: Will Taylor Martinez Fit in the Hard-Hitting Big Ten?
The man is an enigma. He's got his own "T-Magic" superhero identity. He's got a father behind the scenes (or sometimes not behind the scenes) making waves. He's an Internet rumor generator.
He's also really fast and can put up a lot of yards for Nebraska.
Taylor Martinez is, by all accounts, the odds-on favorite to be Nebraska's starting quarterback heading into its' first season in the B1G Conference.
But will the mercurial, lightning-quick, but sometimes fragile and allegedly diva-like Martinez fit well for Nebraska against new conference opponents? If he will, these are the things that need to happen.
He Needs to Get (and Stay) Healthy
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Last year against Missouri, Martinez suffered a high ankle sprain that limited his effectiveness, particularly on the run.
For him to have a chance to duplicate his early-season success, the ankle will have to be healed, and Martinez will have to avoid any further injuries.
Now, keep in mind, the injury wasn't the ONLY problem Martinez had last year. He wasn't hurt against Texas and against South Dakota State last year, and he was ineffective in both games.
Stop and read that again. He was healthy and ineffective last year. Against South Dakota State. Yes, the Jackrabbits, that South Dakota State.
So a healthy ankle wasn't Martinez's only problem last year. But if his ankle isn't healthy, fixing all the other things won't make a difference.
He Has to Be a Better Decision-Maker Throwing the Ball
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Early in the bowl game against Washington, Nebraska fans may remember Martinez scrambling and attempting another spur-of-the-moment flip pass as he neared the line of scrimmage.
Actually, they may not. Many Nebraska fans have sought professional help to stop the flashbacks from the Holiday Bowl debacle from interfering with their daily lives.
While the play didn't result in a turnover, it easily could have, and highlighted a huge flaw in Martinez's game.
The interception thrown in the end zone against Oklahoma in the Big XII Championship Game last December was really the turning point that allowed the Sooners to get back in the game and eventually win it.
Better decision-making from Martinez would have prevented that momentum shift, and may have allowed a stellar defensive performance to win the game.
New offensive coordinator Tim Beck has promised a simpler offensive plan that gives his players more freedom to make plays. That's great...if the players make the right decisions on the field.
Under the new offense, there will be even more of a premium on Nebraska's quarterback to make good decisions as much as to make spectacular plays.
He Can't Be Nebraska's Only Threat
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For the second half of the season, opposing defenses came against Nebraska with the "Jackrabbit Plan," which consisted of cheating to take away the corners for Martinez and forcing him to throw the ball.
For Nebraska to be successful offensively next year, Nebraska's offense cannot consist of the "here ya go, Taylor" game plan it appeared to have at the end of last year.
Returning starter Rex Burkhead will be crucial, as will the talent coming in this year's recruiting class, such as Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah and Jamal Turner.
The more threats Nebraska has on the field next year, the more honest the defenses will have to play, and the more opportunities Martinez will have to work his T-Magic.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Tim Beck's New Offense Needs to Work Quickly
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Former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was the scapegoat for Nebraska's offensive futility over the last two years.
Whether that's fair or not, it's clear that Nebraska's offense under Tim Beck will have a simpler and clearer philosophy.
Gone are the days of attempting to mesh a wide-open spread offense with a very technical and demanding West Coast offensive style.
Having said that, change is hard. And Nebraska will be relying on a lot of youth to pick up Beck's new offense quickly and execute well to be successful.
Watson took much of the blame for Martinez's failures last year. Martinez's success this year hinges on Beck's ability to make his new offense work.
Picture originally located here.
Nebraska's Receivers Have to Do Their Part
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Yes, Martinez's passing mechanics and decision-making leave much to be desired. But remember that when the ball was there to be caught, frequently Nebraska's receivers didn't do their part in 2010.
Even the normally-reliable Burkhead made the most agonizing miss of the season against Texas (or The Source Of All Evil In The Universe, apparently, given the build-up to that game).
With Rich Fisher taking over from Ron Gilmore as receivers coach, Nebraska fans have hope that a new day is dawning and the epidemic of dropped passes will end.
If Martinez is to have success next year, he'd better hope that epidemic has passed.
The Offensive Line Has to Protect Him
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One of the classic football cliches in that "it all starts up front." But in this case, the cliche rings true.
One of the many things Martinez struggled with was an unblocked rusher coming at him. When that would happen, Martinez would tend to lock up and go down.
While Martinez does need to work on improving how he handles that pressure, it would also be helpful if there were fewer unblocked rushers bearing down on him.
Certainly, all of those aren't the line's fault (many times, it was a corner blitz which likely needs to be picked up by the running back).
But the point remains that if Martinez (who has demonstrated fragility both mentally and emotionally) is to be the engine of Nebraska's offensive success, it's the offensive line's job to protect him and make sure he can.
He Needs to Be a Leader
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OMG! Did you hear! Taylor's dad is upset that Bo was mean to him, so Taylor's totally leaving Nebraska! I heard it from my brother's friend's cousin's roommate's hairdresser, so it must be true! #internetrumorsarealwaysaccurate
Martinez lit up the Twitter machine last year with all of the transfer rumors, which he finally got around to debunking personally before spring practice started this year.
And as Nebraska's offense struggled last year, we were left with the awkward sight of Cody Green at post-game press conferences answering questions about why Martinez played so poorly.
Without being in the locker room, it's impossible to know the team dynamics. But it did appear on more than one occasion that Martinez did not fully embrace his role as a team leader.
Indeed, much of Nebraska's struggles at the end of 2010 seemed to flow from a lack of leadership on the team.
If Martinez is to be successful, he will have to take his experiences from last year and forge an identity as a leader his team can rally around when the going gets tough.
Bubba Needs to Cash the Check
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Bubba Starling, the two-sport phenom from Kansas, will be arriving in Lincoln as a true freshman over the summer.
He will start fall camp and will be competing for the starting job at quarterback. He's big, he's smart, and reports have him being as fast as Martinez.
He's also one of the best baseball prospects to come around in the last few years, and it's likely that in mid-August, he will be offered a multi-million-dollar deal from the major league club that drafts him to give up football and play baseball professionally.
If all the reports are true, Starling may have the athletic ability to compete for (and win) the starting quarterback job as a true freshman.
If Martinez is to be successful as Nebraska's starting quarterback next year, he may need Starling to take the money, so Martinez can keep his job.
Photo originally located here.
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
