Overrating the man under center
Published: 5/30/2007 9:16 PM
Last Modified: 5/30/2007 9:16 PM
Interesting leadoff line to Athlon's preview of the Oklahoma Sooners -- "My kingdom for a quarterback. That must be Bob Stoops' thinking as the 2007 season draws near."
Interesting. I would have put my money on "They'll be just fine, thanks."
If short-term memory serves correct, nobody put a Sunday's hour of faith in Paul Thompson before the 2006 season, and that turned out pretty well. And the drop from Thompson to incoming starter Sam Bradford/Joey Halzle/Keith Nichol is more step down the ladder than plunge off the cliff.
Besides, with a supporting cast of Patrick, Murray, Kelly and Gresham, the Sooners can get away with quarterback-as-caretaker. It's been done before -- Thompson and Nate Hybl took OU to Fiesta and Rose Bowls -- and not just in Norman.
Recall Matt Mauck helping LSU past the Sooners in the '04 Sugar Bowl and on to a BCS championship. Or Craig Krenzel assisting Ohio State past mighty Miami the year before that.
Heck, the Hurricanes have been done in by a slew of Average Joes under center. Alabama's Jay Barker (Sugar '93) and Penn State's John Shaffer (Fiesta '87) come to mind. Robbie Bosco (BYU '84), Buck Belue (Georgia '80) and Steadman Shealy (Alabama '78 and '79) are other spaghetti-armed QBs who were strong enough to win national titles.
Does that mean you can thrust OU '07 into the thick of the national chase with Bradford/Halzle/Nichol? No. The wise will give it until October, at the very least, before declaring some grand proclamation.
Does it help to have QBs the caliber of recent national title vintage, i.e. Vince Young and Matt Leinart? Sure doesn't hurt.
But to discount any BCS run three months before the launch of a season because of a perceived quarterback glitch? Bad idea. Just ask the folks at Athlon.
Despite that opening shot at the Sooner signal-callers, OU checks in at No. 7 in the magazine's preseason poll.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
