Harbaugh should name the 2020 starting QB by the end of spring
Very few people on this board are holding out hope that whoever loses the McCaffrey-Milton battle will stick around. I can’t say I blame him. Sign of the times.
That being a real possibility, the starting QB should be named in the spring, so we have more time to hunt for a replacement grad transfer should the backup indeed bolt.
Amirite?
January 10th, 2020 at 8:07 PM ^
What? MOST people are holding out hope both will stay. In fact Milton has stated he has no plans to transfer.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:11 PM ^
People, particularly young people, change their minds. I would not gamble with this.
January 10th, 2020 at 9:56 PM ^
Fickleness of young adults aside......There is no good reason Milton should go if he were to lose to McCaffrey. He can spend another year as an understudy with a decent chance to get a start (or more) given D-Caf’s injury history. If he does lose AND McCaffrey stays for 2021, he should be able to grad transfer with 2 years to play (since he was an EE at M)
Now if McCaffrey were to lose in the Spring and could graduate (Don’t think he was an EE though) it would make more sense in a purely “business” perspective. If he cannot graduate, he would be in the same boat with the best option to wait for a grad transfer opportunity.
IMO it doesn’t make much sense to transfer as a QB unless it is for immediate eligibility. I think the NCAA has realized that they had to close the floodgates on transfers and will enforce things much tighter until/if the rules are amended. Shea and the other Old Miss kids were legit (as was the TE who went to Illinois that was denied) whereas Tathan, Fields, Aubrey Solomon, James Hudson, and now this OT from UGA are examples of less justified waivers/requests.
January 11th, 2020 at 10:23 AM ^
if you think/want Harbaugh to announce the starter before spring, there’s a wall over there you can start banging your head into. Expecting a change in behavior from one the most stubborn coaches in D1 is only going to upset you. I expect the starter announced a week before the first game, not a day sooner.
January 11th, 2020 at 1:26 PM ^
You have such a dumb, tortured brain.
January 10th, 2020 at 10:49 PM ^
We might hope both will stay, but we don't necessarily think it's likely.
January 10th, 2020 at 11:01 PM ^
Milton also has no plans of losing the QB battle so...
January 11th, 2020 at 7:46 AM ^
The fact that one of our trash ass journalist even asked him that irritates me
January 10th, 2020 at 8:07 PM ^
I was just going to post something but I realized this is going to be a bunch of posters yelling insults at each so I am going to opt out.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:09 PM ^
“Danger” is my middle name.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:32 PM ^
Larry Danger Appleton has a nice ring to it
January 10th, 2020 at 9:54 PM ^
L Dang
January 11th, 2020 at 9:42 PM ^
L Dong
January 11th, 2020 at 10:18 PM ^
L Dont Postenemore
January 10th, 2020 at 10:25 PM ^
I have a friend who gave his son a middle name of danger just so he could make that very statement:"Danger" is my middle name.
January 11th, 2020 at 9:39 AM ^
If he liked it so much, why not change his own name and he could use that line every freaking day!!!
January 10th, 2020 at 10:25 PM ^
I have a friend who gave his son a middle name of danger just so he could make that very statement:"Danger" is my middle name.
January 10th, 2020 at 11:39 PM ^
Ijohnb is above this.
"OK, whatever. Was just thinking out loud. But you are really really smart, that is for sure." - ijohnb
January 10th, 2020 at 11:45 PM ^
I'm glad you didn't post anything. I was going to call you a dumbfuck, but decided to be the bigger man and just say nothing at all.
January 11th, 2020 at 1:38 PM ^
I just came here to down vote the OP with a non-functional -1.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:09 PM ^
Naaa. I don't know if I am serious or not. Harbaugh needs to quit second-guessing himself. He needs to play the kids he recruited out of HS. It may take an injury for him to discover that he has "Brady" on his roster...but so be it.
January 10th, 2020 at 9:13 PM ^
Imagine how good LSU would be if they were playing a kid they signed out of high school ! Transfer QBs are for losers.
January 10th, 2020 at 10:51 PM ^
Or ya know... do whatever you have to do to bring in the best possible players... worked pretty well for 3/4 of the CFP and the last three Heisman trophy winners...
January 10th, 2020 at 11:09 PM ^
And 3 of the 4 Heisman finalists this year.
January 11th, 2020 at 8:15 AM ^
Well he has a skinny kid, who's waited his turn and wears #10 on the roster! Still believe that DCaff was auditioning for starter role before he was nearly decapitated in Madison.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:12 PM ^
seems like it would be really limiting, and might even create more pressure for someone to transfer than would otherwise be present. competitive position battles are a normal thing on football teams, and i would rather we let the kids push each other's performances rather than declare a starter so early.
January 10th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
Or.... get an OSU baseball player to say something derogatory to Justin Fields at an OSU basketball game and hope he transfers to Michigan with immediate eligibility. We just need to convince the University administration to offer online classes.....
January 10th, 2020 at 8:12 PM ^
This is batshit crazy. The loser in the Spring could end up much better by the Fall. College players can get a lot better in a few months, especially if they put in the work.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:48 PM ^
Or, he could name a leader and that guy could spend more time throwing to his WRs and getting some chemistry, which is, not batshit crazy??♂️
January 10th, 2020 at 8:59 PM ^
Or both of the leading QB candidates could spend time throwing to the WRs rather than spending time on the golf course.
January 10th, 2020 at 9:18 PM ^
What if they throw to the WR's on the golf course?
January 10th, 2020 at 9:55 PM ^
They could be two sport athletes.
January 10th, 2020 at 10:07 PM ^
So only the named leader can spend extra time throwing to his WRs?
January 10th, 2020 at 10:53 PM ^
Damnitt. Should have read all the responses. Ours are almost identical
January 10th, 2020 at 10:53 PM ^
Only the named leader gets to throw with the WRs?
January 10th, 2020 at 10:02 PM ^
Then you make a change, but there is something to be said for making a decision for the team to coalesce around. The same could be said for picking captains before spring practice, to provide student/athlete leadership throughout the grind before the next kickoff. Carr named Brian Griese the starter for the 1997 season at the conclusion of spring practice. That seemed to have paid off well.
January 10th, 2020 at 10:55 PM ^
Equating the success of a season with the timing of naming a starting QB is a major reach...
January 10th, 2020 at 8:16 PM ^
??♂️
January 10th, 2020 at 8:17 PM ^
I’m sure we’ll have lots of info during spring. Harbaugh is well known to have elaborate press conferences and give all the juicy details!
As critical as I’ve been of Harbaugh and the past few years of results I have no issue with how he plays things close the the vest. Onward to 2020 I’m sure we’ll know the starting QB at kickoff at Washington.
January 11th, 2020 at 1:39 PM ^
Speaking of kickoff at Washington - does anyone know the best way to get tickets to away games like that. I’ve never seen Michigan play live but I’m only a couple hours from Seattle and want to go to this game. Is the secondary market the only real option?
January 10th, 2020 at 8:18 PM ^
I'm surprised Harbaugh hasn't contacted each of us for our advice.
January 10th, 2020 at 9:11 PM ^
It’s coming. Appears Larry hasn’t received his call yet, though.
January 10th, 2020 at 10:57 PM ^
Wonder why that is...
January 10th, 2020 at 8:22 PM ^
I think this is a fantastic idea—Harbaugh can name the starter at the end of spring practice, and then the QB has the summer to relax and work on his putting game.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:22 PM ^
Can coaches really be trusted to make the best decision? Belichek never would have started Brady over Bledsoe without an injury. Kurt Warner never sees the field if Trent green isn’t injured. Joe Burrow was not feeling the love compared to Tate. Tressel let Bellissari suck for 10 games until he’d seen enough. Dantonio started Maxwell until he realized he was the wrong guy. I think QBs show their true colors in live fire. That’s one reason I was hoping they were serious about playing both QBs in 2019 but they never did. In 2020 I think they need to let them both play in the early games and then make a decision based on game performance. Let the best man win on the field and not in practice.
January 10th, 2020 at 8:47 PM ^
Well said Blue Eye. I like this. Play them both.
January 11th, 2020 at 7:20 AM ^
Coaches can NOT be trusted. Internet message boards like this one are the real brain trust.
January 11th, 2020 at 11:22 AM ^
Isn't it interesting that two of the best QBs in our rivals' history didn't start until a few games into the season?
January 10th, 2020 at 8:27 PM ^
Not only should the coaches do this, they should name the entire starting lineup so that everyone who isn't guaranteed time can hit the portal.
/s
C'mon OP, you didn't really think this through, did you?