Further proof 2020 is weird: Week 5 QB Edition
Raise your hand if you thought these would be the stat lines of noteworthy BIG 10 QB performances in Week 5.
Justin Fields - 18/30, 300 yds, 2 TDs, 3 INT
Tanner Morgan - 15/22, 264 yds
Graham Mertz - 23/41, 230 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Sean Clifford - 13/22, 174 yds, 2 TDs, 2 INT
vs
Michael Penix - 27/51, 491 yds, 5 TDs, 1 INT
Jack Plummer - 35/42, 367 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Peyton Ramsey - 24/44, 203 yds, 2 TDs
Cade McNamara - 27/36, 260 yds, 4 TDs
Analysis: What does this mean? Obviously nothing. We went to double OT with Rutgers... Just feels good to be on the other side of the QB conversation for once. I'll enjoy it now because it certainly won't last.
November 22nd, 2020 at 2:16 PM ^
Triple OT?
November 22nd, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
Thanks for reminding me both teams are so bad they both missed FGs on the opening OT...
November 22nd, 2020 at 2:25 PM ^
It's Glitch!
November 22nd, 2020 at 2:33 PM ^
Not caught in that Clifford line is he threw a pick-6 and basically took over from Levis after being benched to start the game. Just a weird weekend.
November 22nd, 2020 at 3:07 PM ^
Once he's proven himself (he has) give your best guy the rock and let him air it out, trust him to air it out, doesn't matter at this point with the defense we're running, just let him air it out and play like he's playing for the Heisman.
November 22nd, 2020 at 3:09 PM ^
What would you have said a year ago if someone told you the combined record of UM & PSU would be 2-8 and the combined record of Indiana & Northwestern would be 9-1 and that Cincinnati & BYU would have a better record than Clemson?
November 22nd, 2020 at 3:11 PM ^
All of the teams looking like dog shit (PSU, LSU, Tennessee, Michigan, Nebraska, Miss St, MSU) have the same problem: QB play. Maybe settling on McNamara at least steadies things for the remainder of the season. Something to build on whether Harbaugh returns or not.
November 22nd, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
But look at the array of head coaches here: Frames Janklin, Cajun Hoke, Not Phil Fulmer, Uhhh yeah, His Mom Can't Help Him Now, Air Fraud, and I Believe QAnon Over Real News Sources.
Some are guys who had talented rosters that overcame their coaching shortcomings but now have those shortcomings exposed with the disruption (Franklin, Orgeron, Harbaugh). Some are straight-up frauds (Leach, who produces lots of passing yards and 7-5 records but certainly talks a championship game, and Scott Frost who just talks a championship game). One is guy who coached a single previous season without much success. One is whomever is coaching Tennessee right now, which I legit don't know and don't care about.
Meanwhile, P5 schools with great coaches, Bama, Clemson, even OU after a rough start, just keeps on rolling. Good young coaches like Finkel, Campbell, and Cristobal are winning. So yeah, it ain't QBs. It's the coaches...
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
I still don't get all the Luke Fickell love around here. Seems like he's just the latest shiny object. His one year as a head coach in the Big Ten was a 6-6 season with a team with the most talent in the conference. And lately he's having success at Cincinnati. So now we know that he is capable of both over-performing and under-performing. Just like Rodriguez, just like Harbaugh.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:56 PM ^
This is way too simplistic. The reality is that this is a year unlike any other. Young teams like Michigan are at a disadvantage because the kids missed all of spring practice and a huge chunk of strength and conditioning. Go back and listen to the previews, it was repeatedly noted that the kids should be good after a year of getting bigger and stronger, except they didn’t actually have that time. Most of these guys had 3-4 months of no conditioning, not good for young kids. So teams like bama and Clemson are good because their recruiting is so loaded that they are still full of juniors and seniors, and you see the same thing from teams like Indiana and NU that are also loaded with juniors and seniors, but of a lower caliber.
Michigan has done a great job of keeping COVID at bay, you have to wonder how much of that also impacts on field performance. It is a weird year, get over it.
November 22nd, 2020 at 4:37 PM ^
I really hope that JH and Gattis don't get into Cade's head about minimizing risky throws. He threw a few where the defender was right there but didn't have his head turned. But I like that - throw it out there and give your receivers a chance.