Big 12 football: Year of the quarterback?
Who would have thought 2010 might be the Year of the Quarterback in Big 12 football? After all, 2009 started with a reigning Heisman Trophy winner (Sam Bradford), a bonafide Heisman contender (Colt McCoy), a program messiah (Robert Griffin), a senior challenging to be the greatest QB in his program’s history (Zac Robinson), a David amongst all the Goliaths (5-foot-10 Kansas whiz Todd Reesing) and Texas Tech coached by Mike Leach, which meant whoever quarterbacked the Red Raiders would be a load.
The 2010 season ended with Landry Jones quarterbacking Oklahoma, Garrett Gilbert quarterbacking Texas, Blake Syzmanski quarterbacking Baylor, Robinson and Reesing beat up and largely ineffective, and Tech not knowing who its quarterback should be.
University of Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert drops back to pass during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against University of Illinois, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
But the troubles of 2009 could be beneficial in 2010. 2010 figured to be a transitional year in Big 12 quarterbacking. Instead, the conference seems rather deep in QBs. The Davey O’Brien Award watch list came out this week, and five Big 12 quarterbacks are listed, matching the ACC for the most.
Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, Texas A&M’s Jerrod Johnson, OU’s Jones, Baylor’s Griffin and Tech’s Taylor Potts are the five. And that doesn’t even include Texas’ Gilbert, who after a horrid start in relief of the injured McCoy against Alabama in the Big Bowl came on and looked salty late in the game. Or OSU’s Brandon Weeden, who in relief against Colorado played stunningly well, so well that some Cowboy ‘backers called for Robinson’s benching in the Cotton Bowl.
The experience Jones gained in making 10 starts for the Sooners in the wake of Bradford’s injury-disaster season makes him an intriguing prospect. Griffin’s return from major knee surgery gives Baylor at least hope that it has the league’s best quarterback. Gabbert and Johnson are the most experienced and most effective veterans. Tech has two QBs (Potts and Steven Sheffield) who at times have shined. Colorado has two veterans QBs who have had their moments (Cody Hawkins has beaten OU, Nebraska and West Virginia; Tyler Hansen has beaten Kansas).
Gabbert and Johnson figure to be the league’s two best quarterbacks in 2010. But the tribulations several teams endured during the 2009 season gave the Big 12 a jumpstart on developing good quarterbacks in 2010.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
Mel, this is about the 5 BigXII -2 qbs on the Davey O’brian watch list, not about second string qbs. Might want to reread the article.
WIth that said, only way is if LJ get hit by a trucking LB (ala Bradford) or is plays brain dead the first 3 games.
[...] could once again be the year of the quarterback in the Big 12, Berry Tramel writes in The [...]
[...] could once again be the year of the quarterback in the Big 12, Berry Tramel writes in The [...]
Judge:
Your attempt at humor was just mean. Prefer to see the good in most situations, than dwell on past events. It is obvious that you do not care for Sooners, that’s ok.
But give Bradford and Jones time, they may change your mind about their abilities. They will never remove the bitterness from your heart, no matter what they accomplish on the field. That one is up to you, sir!
Hahaha yal are all in for a rude awakening, Steven Sheffield of Texas Tech is about to bring a Title to this university!
Ignorance is bliss as I have witness previous comments. This is the year of the Coach not the Quarterback. Everybody in lubbock think Tuberville is a godly riverboat gambler that’s gonna prove Stoops and Brown are devils on their way to losers hell. All I can say is watch out when playing Tuberville’s delusional heaven.
Everyone seems to leave out Zack Lee and Cody Green at Nebraska not to mention new recruit 4 star quarterback Bubba Starlin just admit it Nebraska is back going to take the Big 12 Championship and leave the Big 12 to a better confrence leaving with the most national titles, the most Big 12 Championships and the number 1 team that brings in money because after all we have more fans than anyother team in the NCAA.
sheffield will be the starter at Tech and Tech will win 9+ games if he stays healthy. I don’t have expectations of a title.
i do find it interesting how out of the know people that write these things are about the actual situations.
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