Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sports columnist Aaron McFarling: QB decision makes sense -- for now
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Aaron McFarling
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Well, they got there. Whether they can stay there is another matter.
The Virginia Tech coaches now have one quarterback. It's where they always preferred to be. Even last season as opposing defenses struggled to keep pace with the constant changes under center, the Hokies weren't comfortable with their attack.
A necessary arrangement, they kept saying. Not ideal.
But regardless of whether you agree with coach Frank Beamer's conclusion -- that fifth-year senior Sean Glennon has earned the right to be the lone guy, with sophomore Tyrod Taylor attempting to redshirt this season -- you have to be pleased with how he reached it.
The coach never rushed. He never overreacted to a single practice or scrimmage. Throughout the spring and summer, he gave each player a chance to prove he was the better option. He gave each a chance to fail.
It is exactly what he'd said he would do, all the while emphasizing that he preferred one triggerman for this offense.
That's Beamer's prerogative, and he deserves credit for presiding over a fair fight. As a result, Glennon needn't feel like he was merely chosen because he was older. He can enter that huddle with authority come Saturday.
And Taylor -- who's been nothing short of a class act since the day he stepped on campus -- can take the long view, salivating at the chance to run this offense by himself for three seasons. His initial comments Tuesday indicate he's on board with this. They're ready, all of them, to make this work.
At least that's the plan.
I've been in favor of the plan since the spring, because I've seen it succeed before when I never thought it would. That's the only reason we've even been having this debate this preseason. Beamer took the risk that Marcus Vick would stay healthy and productive in 2005, and Vick did. That saved a year of eligibility for Glennon, who, like Taylor, played as a true freshman while backing up Bryan Randall.
How valuable was that extra year? Considering the second half Glennon enjoyed last season -- culminating with his MVP performance in the ACC title game -- it would have been a shame had his eligibility expired just as he really seemed to discover a comfort level.
There's no reason to think Taylor, a dedicated worker, won't improve with every year he spends in the program, too.
So the future could be very exciting. But perhaps the most encouraging part of Tuesday's announcement is what it says about the 2008 offense -- or at least what it says about Beamer's confidence in that offense.
Remember, this was never just a race between Glennon and Taylor. It was also a race between the Tech offense and the calendar. If the offensive line didn't look good, or the young receivers and running backs didn't appear to be snapping into roles cleanly, Beamer probably doesn't make this call.
More likely, he'd announce Glennon as the starter and Taylor as the backup, with full intentions of using both.
Tuesday's decision implies that Beamer thinks Glennon, a drop-back passer, will get time to throw. It implies that Beamer believes the running backs will be solid enough without a dual-threat QB to augment them. It implies that Beamer has been pleased enough with the progress of third-stringer Cory Holt that he's not afraid to use Holt as a stopgap. It implies that Beamer has faith in the receivers to get open and give Glennon viable targets.
Will all that actually happen? We'll find out beginning Saturday, when Tech opens against a formidable East Carolina team.
Nothing is certain about that game. Nothing is certain about the plan, either. But Tech, through its experimentation under center last year, is better prepared to make on-the-fly adjustments if need be. And I don't think they'll hesitate to peel off the shirt if the offense vastly underperforms.
Bottom line: They got there. At least for now, the offense knows exactly who its leader will be.
Even better? If this works, the offense knows who its leader will be for the next four years.
