Let us try to ignore what I've reported for one moment.
Hey, I said let's try.
The pitchforks and torches are neatly placed back in the barn, or above the fireplace. No Longhorn fan, or college football observer, spent the past few days in disbelief – or highly intoxicated. Let us assume somebody hopped in the DeLorean, went back in time, and the past War Room never occurred. Instead, everyone woke up on Sunday, a day after Texas coach Charlie Strong’s press conference, and decided to objectively exam the quarterback position.
Texas quarterbacks Shane Buechele and Tyrone Swoopes are still battling to start in the season opener against Notre Dame, a game that is three weeks away. The competition between these two quarterbacks began when Buechele stepped on campus in January, and they continue to fight. Buechele was undeniably the better quarterback in Texas’ spring game.
If we remain honest, Swoopes has struggled as a starter. He has a 6-8 record as a starter (5-7 in 2014, a loss in last year’s season opener, but a victory against Baylor in the season finale). Swoopes has struggled with consistency as a starting quarterback. Everyone knows Swoopes has an NFL arm, but his accuracy has been problematic. Swoopes excels in practice, but has struggled when asked to do more than run forward in the 18-wheeler package.
Here are a few other things we know.
A. Each quarterback is splitting reps right now. This is something everybody agrees with. There are 21 days remaining before the season opener, and a starting quarterback has not been named. In fact, this is nothing new for Strong. Last year, Strong waited until August 31 to officially announce Swoopes would start in the season opener against Notre Dame. Once again, Strong is not in hurry to name a starter.
“I just think next week would be too early for us,” Strong said on Saturday. “We’re still in the evaluation process. Like I said, I’m not just going to put it out there yet. I know you want to write about, and I just know who’s waiting on us so they can see who they have to prepare for. It’s about our opponent more than anything. You just don’t want to give them anything early. When you’re sitting there, you really don’t know who it’s going to be as you’re playing your opponent. Like Notre Dame, they’re sitting there, because they have two quarterbacks themselves that they have to deal with, but they have two experienced quarterbacks. We’re looking at a freshman and someone who has played. We’ll get that chance. We still have enough time.”
B. If Buechele is going to be the starter, he should be receiving every practice rep right now. Buechele is a true freshman who is theoretically going to kick off his career during a nationally televised game on a Sunday night. That means every single rep for Buechele is critically important.
If there was a staff meeting on Saturday night, and everyone in the room believed Buechele was going to start, they would be doing him a disservice by not making sure he received every single first-team rep from now until the opening kickoff. If the thought process is actually, “We are going to trick Notre Dame and split practice reps so they will not know Buechele is the starter,” then everyone in that staff meeting is focused on the wrong thing.
Instead, Strong said he does not intend to name a starter this week. Basically, another week of Buechele and Swoopes splitting reps, and less time for his freshman quarterback to prepare for Notre Dame. The can has been kicked down the street – again – which is seemingly a disservice to Buechele. If Buechele is absolutely destined to be the opening day starter in a game with so much riding on it, it makes logical sense to go through extreme measures to prepare him. Honestly, every day you rotate quarterbacks, it does nothing for Swoopes. He has been there, done that. Buechele is the guy who needs every minute of preparation heading into Notre Dame.
Let us just stop here for a moment.
This is the biggest indicator of what is going on behind the scenes, and the reality few people are talking about. If everyone behind the scenes knows Buechele is going to start, it is in the best interest of each person to get Buechele ready for the season opener. Strong needs to have his starting quarterback ready to attack a must-win year for him. Offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert needs to know who will lead his system, especially knowing there will be a lot of eyes on him this year, and factoring in his long-term aspirations. This is not the time for indecision.
The fact that Swoopes is still splitting reps with Buechele so close to Notre Dame indicates there is more going on than most people are willing to openly to admit. Trust me, I get it. We have seen Swoopes play. The bad interceptions are hard to forget. The fumbles are there. Defensive pressure seems to rattle him. He seems like a nice young man, but most Texas fans want somebody else to lead their team. I have criticized Swoopes. It makes sense.
Nevertheless, once again, Swoopes is in the mix. Everyone has an opinion about this situation. If we strictly focus on actions, not emotions, it is hard to say Swoopes has no chance of starting on opening day. It is even harder to say this is not Swoopes' job to lose.
C. If ties always go to a freshman, the only way Swoopes is still in this quarterback battle is by being ahead. If all things were equal, this should be Buechele’s job right now. These quarterbacks have been battling each other for months. The moment Buechele was even with Swoopes, or had the lead, this competition would have been over. If Buechele has truly wrapped up the starting spot, it would be silly to share reps for another week – or longer. Like we previously discussed, it makes more sense to get Buechele, the guy many have compared to Colt McCoy, ready for Notre Dame.
Speaking of McCoy, the majority of you remember his preseason battle against Jevan Sneed in 2006. McCoy was a Parade All-American and redshirt freshman, and the competition was close entering fall camp. Shortly after camp began, McCoy started to receive most of the first-team reps. The moment Mack Brown knew he was going to play McCoy, he began preparing him for the upcoming season. That decision resulted in a 10-3 season by the Longhorns.
Many have pointed to Strong’s previous decision to start Teddy Bridgewater as a true freshman when discussing Buechele. However, we cannot ignore that Bridgewater received his opportunity after junior quarterback Will Stein was injured against Kentucky in week three of the 2011 season. Bridgewater took off from there, but a future first-round pick sat behind a veteran before receiving his opportunity as a freshman.
One week. Two weeks. Heck, maybe three weeks from now at this rate, the starting quarterback will be officially revealed. There is no debating if Buechele is supposed to start, Swoopes should spend practice learning how to properly wave a towel on the sidelines instead of taking meaningful first-team snaps. Make the second-team offense all his.
The longer Swoopes hangs around in this competition, the more evident it appears they are getting him ready to take significant snaps this year.
Funniest Thing You Will See This Week
Sports On A Dime
1. Switching to receiver was the right decision for Texas receiver Jerrod Heard. Unless Heard emerged into one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the country as a senior, he would not have an opportunity to play that position in the NFL. If Heard has aspirations to play on the next level, receiver is the best position to make it happen.
2. The details of DeAndre McNeal’s dismissal from UT are not public knowledge – yet – but at least Strong’s no-nonsense policy remains consistent. If McNeal was at another program, he would still be on the team. Instead, Strong addressed the issue and sent McNeal home.
3. People may question Zach Shackelford’s impact as a true freshman, but the thought of him missing time this season due to an injury should be much scarier for Longhorn fans.
4. After reading another story about sexual assault victims at Baylor, everybody who supports Art Briles just needs to shut up. That includes you, Jerry Jones.
5. If teammates fight each other during Washington’s football practice, they have to hold hands? Um … okay?
6. Tim Tebow’s decision to pursue a baseball career is a little confusing. Tebow spent a year preparing for a future baseball tryout, but this is the same person who was never interested in the CFL because he only wanted to play in the NFL. If playing minor league baseball is acceptable to Tebow, why not spend a few years in Canada, become a better quarterback, and make another NFL run?
7. The San Diego Chargers are ridiculous for not giving Joey Bosa the financial guarantees that are common for a third overall draft pick. If the Chargers did not want to pay the norm, they should have traded the pick. Bosa is all chips in now, so he might as well hold out until he gets the contract offer he wants.
8. The “Robert Griffin III Comeback Story” was a great week one preseason narrative, but I am skeptical. NFL teams play basic defenses in the preseason, which makes it easy for a quarterback to look good. Plus, Griffin threw a bad interception against Green Bay. Until Griffin excels when it matters most, he deserves a shoulder shrug during the preseason.
9. Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor earned $750,000 last season. Taylor signed a six-year deal worth at least $90 million this week. At least he got paid before Rex Ryan is replaced after this season.
10. Roy Jones Jr. defeated some guy named Rodney Moore on Saturday night, improving his career record to 64-9. No matter what, I chose to remember Jones in his prime instead of the 47-year-old who just cannot let go.
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