Fitz is handling his QBs better than Urban Meyer

[shakes3858]

Some people wrote Thorson should be pulled for Oliver. How Oliver has gained the reputation of a grizzled old experienced veteran player... I don't know but I digress. Fitz made a decision and he's going to stick with it. Thorson will make some head scratching plays. He's a freshman QB...that's life. He's even going to have some bad games. Hopefully, the rest of the team can carry him in those games. Here's the upside, he's going to get better. He is getting the best lesson in how to play QB in the big ten and we're winning. All are good things.

Clayton is the guy and he does not need to look back. On the other hand, Meyer is butchering the QB situation. He's switching QBs in and out. He has both QBs looking at the other guy and not improving himself. He's tearing apart their psyche and making it difficult for both players. He's got 2 QBs and a 3rd one playing WR. QBs are like girlfriends. If you have 2 you don't have any. Having Oliver come in to "bail out Thorson" is not intelligent.

 

[iskaboo]

I agree completely. CT is a freshman who is going to make freshman mistakes. However, he seems to have the requisite tools; hopefully his decision-making will prove with experience.

I am not sure whether those people who think Thorson should have been pulled yesterday for Oliver were very pleased with Oliver's decision-making in last year's Illinois game.

 

[spartcat]

Partly disagree. Both OSU guys are proven, and it was never obvious who would be better on game days. They also planned for a 2 QB possibility, a fair strategy when there was no clear winner in the QB race.

Whether we should switch is a different story. Duke had some pressure, and ZO is not the quickest horse in our stable, so I don't see any reason to switch.

 

[pawildcat]

IF Thorson continues to struggle badly the next 2-3 games, I could see trying to work in an option package with Alviti as a relief valve once in a while. What you have to watch if you do something like that is you fall into this pattern of one guy being the "passing" QB and the other being the "running" QB, which makes your tendencies a lot more predictable for opposing defenses. Unless the coaches feel Oliver could light it up at some point, I think it makes little sense to make him a go-to guy as he obviously isn't our QB of the future.

 

[thewildcat2011]

To be fair, the OSU QBs could (should?) be handling themselves better. Cardale Jones is being a total baby.

 

[shakes3858]

IF Thorson continues to struggle badly the next 2-3 games, I could see trying to work in an option package with Alviti as a relief valve once in a while. What you have to watch if you do something like that is you fall into this pattern of one guy being the "passing" QB and the other being the "running" QB, which makes your tendencies a lot more predictable for opposing defenses. Unless the coaches feel Oliver could light it up at some point, I think it makes little sense to make him a go-to guy as he obviously isn't our QB of the future.

Don't see a point. Thorson has the physical tools to run the option so he can do it. Siemian and Oliver don't so you could change it up with Alviti. I guess you could give the offensive coaches more time to coach up Thorson and teaching him the adjustments while on the sideline, but McCall will be a little busy calling the plays so not sure that's possible.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Thorson does not look at all like an option QB. He has exceptional straight line speed, and we saw some plays in the 2nd half vs Duke that were designed to employ it, but these were not options. They were designed QB runs.

I see CT developing as a pocket passer who, when pressed or opportunistic, can take off and beat opposing linemen and linebackers to a spot outside the box. With a lane, CT could take it to the house. But he looks very far from being a weapon on the option right now. He does not seem to have the wiggle, nor the sense of timing to run that play.

 

[NUCat320]

Thorson does not look at all like an option QB. He has exceptional straight line speed, and we saw some plays in the 2nd half vs Duke that were designed to employ it, but these were not options. They were designed QB runs.

I see CT developing as a pocket passer who, when pressed or opportunistic, can take off and beat opposing linemen and linebackers to a spot outside the box. With a lane, CT could take it to the house. But he looks very far from being a weapon on the option right now. He does not seem to have the wiggle, nor the sense of timing to run that play.

Those who say CT is a talented option QB have read that he's 'dual threat' and not watched any time he's... run the option. He's pitched too soon with great frequency, getting no momentum toward scrimmage and not forcing the defense's hand.

He's go great tools, but he's not a running QB. He's a pocket passer who can move a bit, but not a running QB.

 

[shakes3858]

Those who say CT is a talented option QB have read that he's 'dual threat' and not watched any time he's... run the option. He's pitched too soon with great frequency, getting no momentum toward scrimmage and not forcing the defense's hand.

He's go great tools, but he's not a running QB. He's a pocket passer who can move a bit, but not a running QB.

I'm not saying he's an ultra talented option QB. He quite often makes the wrong read and doesn't have the natural elusiveness or trickery (on his fumble a fake pitch was the correct move. It would've pushed the defender to the RB and allow Thorson to pick up a few) that someone like Colter had. All I'm saying is that he has tools to run the option. That could work better than bringing in an option QB and screaming to the other team "HEY DEFENSE. WE'RE RUNNING THE OPTION."

 

[GlideCat]

I was thinking about this as I bicycled to work this morning. In terms of using Meyer and Kiffin as examples of coaches that pulled their starting quarterbacks mid-game due to poor play, I do not think that is a good example. Meyer and Kiffin recruit and coach very differently from Fitz. A player under one of those coaches does not expect the level of loyalty and support that I believe (ignorance alert - I know nothing) Fitz fosters in his team. That does not mean that benching a quarterback to win a game is not possible under Fitz. But it does mean that it would mean a lot more in Fitz' structure than it would under Meyer of Kiffin who are expected to put winning first and the individual kids second.

I have explained this poorly and am an admitted Pollyanna. So there it is.