I admit I was worried about mauck's ability to get things done in the air before last season and he proved me wrong. I hope this can happen this year with Randall but I agree that 2 years with a ? at quarterback isn't the best situation. Actually, you could make a case that it will be 3 years inclluding mauck. I don't want a consistent performer at QB, I want a superstar. Not only because I'm greedy (I am), but also because of the talent we have everywhere else around the ball. JV, Amp, Green, carter, doucet, addi, broussard, Bowe, etc.... these guys are going to be good and with the right QB they can be great, they can be superstars. But not with just a tofu QB. I say start Randall vs. OSU and set the tone for the season. Then start Russell for the cup cake, if he performs keep him in, if not then send in Randall in the second half and let him be the steady performer and pull off the W. Come Auburn they have both seen PT as a starter and go with the best performer. Bouncing starters like this for the easy games will mold Russell for next year by bumping up his exp. and confidence as a starting QB while still making good use of Randall's exp. I don't think clean up duty can mold our young QB's into leaders. They need the pressure of the game in their hands, 0-0 on the board, and the game is what you make of it. We can win our games like this and be a BCS contender this year and next without another ? at QB. We can have the caliber of QB who can make use of all the other talent on the field and add to it not just get by. A QB who can make our guys into what they really are. The best (and fastest and scariest) recieving core and backfield in the nation.
Bouncing between starters, no matter what the reason is dangerous, especially with AU early in the season. Bouncing between them will affect both of them and their confidence levels. The last time we bounced around with starters look what happened. ie. Dinardo's last year. If we must, i say rotate them in for different series, but don't bounce between starters, that will affect their confidence levels!
No, I was. Mauck was a winner, he got the job done. He was good under pressure and found ways not just to win but to dominate. he had heart and played beyond what many thought possible. But if you're asking me if I wouldn't have rather had a great QB instead of mauck, the answer is yes. A superstar would have made Clayton look better, Henderson look better etc. and brought more to our team. I am not bashing anyone. Not mauck, not randall. These guys are good, real good but they were never stars and I am saying we have the chance to mold a star, lets use it.
It does not seem to be in Saban's nature to rotate QB's. Coming from the pros where the starting QB plays almost all the time, no matter what the score. Remember Mauch got hurt two years ago at the end of a game that was well in hand and we were just running out the clock. In fact, Saban got a lot of heat in some circles for leaving the starting QB in to perform mop up duties. I don't see Saban rotating QBs, but will allow the RFs to mop up on the cupcakes. :geaux:
well, I would rather have an ok QB and win a national championship, than have a bunch of superstars and win nothing. A superstar could take away from the team mentality as well!
And who's to say that either Russell, who you seem positive will be a superstar, or Flynn will be half as good as you think they will be. If Russell was the Super Star he would have already won the job, last year. He's not as good at this point as a lot of guys think he is. There is no garauntee he would even be the starter the following year, so do we blow up this season just to give experience to a guy who may not even be the starter next year? If Randall is the guy that saban thinks can lead us to the most wins then he is the one I want on the field. You don't start a player strictly because you want to give him experience the following season. If he wins the starting job fine, If Flynn wins fine, if Randall wins, fine. Give it to the guy that wins the job as he is the one that deserves it and will give LSU the best chance this season.
1st off Saban doesn't recruit a-holes with that kind of mentality. I am saying that in order for one of our recievers to reach larry fitgerald like acclaim he has to have similar numbers produced by a QB that can get him the ball. Guys can be stars and still have a team mentality (see Larry Fitgerald). And those are the type of guys Saban recruits. JV could be a huge star but he will never have numbers like some of the other backs in the nation because we are loaded at RB and we will continue to rotate backs. He isn't complaining he is part of a team. But the more attention the team gets the more attention our players will get and i think the best way to take our team to the next level is a star at QB. There is no guarentee that we have any kind of star QB's in our depth chart, but only time will tell. Oh yeah and experience! I would like to see Randall run the table this year and see whoever run the table next year but that will only happen if we develop our players correctly. Which means sink or swim situations, not clean up duty. I would love for Randall to come out of the gates and be dominant and play every game. But it would leave us screwed with another ? for next year. LSU fan seem to be look for a savior type QB. Russell or Flynn haven't exploded on to the seen yet and already fans are looking to RP and next years incoming class. I think we need to work smart with what we have and invest in devloping the talent (and the two RS are talented) we have into all that it can be. Marcus Randall is not the future of this program. Not because he doesn't have what it takes but becuase he is a senior. He may be the card to play this season and i hope like hell he is but it doesn't mean that I like that next years team (which could be the best offencivly that LSU has ever seen) will again be centered around a ?
Quick question: When was the last time a really talented, big name QB won the National Championship? Mike Vick was so ridiculously talented he nearly did it himself, but almost doesn't equal accomplished. That being said, when was the last time a really good QB "won it all"? My best guess without doing much research is Joe Montana, and that was 25 or so years ago.
