How clear do you think the decision is at QB?
*If* there is a decision to be made. We don't know how serious Speight's injury is, but we have a bye, so it's conceivable he is healthy by MSU. If that were to be the case, do you think O'Korn is clearly the guy? Or do you think it's still an open question?
I feel like it's got to be O'Korn--he was more accurate, he's mobile and his skills seem to offset the issues we have in pass pro and with WRs/TEs not running routes perfectly. But I'm also wary of making too much of what was basically one very good half of football--even if it was the *only* good half of football our offense has had this year. And the staff is clearly seeing stuff in practice that we don't.
What do you guys think?
September 25th, 2017 at 3:31 AM ^
If Wilton is healthy, he will be starting against MSU. Now, if he cannot move the offense during the 1st QTR, you will see O'Korn enter the game.
September 25th, 2017 at 4:39 AM ^
If it were up to me, JOK would get the start against MSU in a heart beat. I think he earned it based on the way he played against Purdue the entire game. But Harbaugh has to take into account the bigger picture. If Speight is healthy for the MSU game, I think it's a toss-up whether JH changes his starting QB. QB is a rather unique leadership position on the team. Among other concerns, what impact would a change in offensive field leader one-third into the season have on team morale, game planning, etc.?
September 25th, 2017 at 6:15 AM ^
Morale?
It is a team and the team's morale will be fine if the offense is improving.
Everyone says O'Korn is a good guy, I am sure his leadership is fine.
September 25th, 2017 at 5:42 AM ^
mudd.
September 25th, 2017 at 5:59 AM ^
but I don't see how you can look at what he's done on the field, compare it to how JOK looked Saturday, and conclude it's wise to go back to him again. O'Korn looked much better on Saturday than Speight has all season. A lot more consistency
September 25th, 2017 at 6:13 AM ^
Go with the hot hand and play O'Korn.
Even if Speight is healthy by the MSU game, he won't be healthy for all of the practices leading up to the game.
September 25th, 2017 at 6:45 AM ^
O'Korn, and not even getting in to the O'Korn v. Speight discussion, I just really don't think we'll see Wilton back from injury any time soon.
September 25th, 2017 at 7:09 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 8:10 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 8:18 AM ^
Has anyone else noticed that O'Korn keeps getting pegged by the media as less athletic than Speight. How is that possible? The commentators mentioned it this weekend but O'Korn is much better at throwing on the run.
Speight has hed some decent runs for first downs but he looks like a more mobile Navarre not Ron Mexico.
Did anyone else pick that up?
September 25th, 2017 at 8:56 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 4:40 PM ^
Ron Mexico = +1
September 25th, 2017 at 8:23 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 8:37 AM ^
Why didn't I read the final post before mine?
September 25th, 2017 at 8:32 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 8:47 AM ^
The QB who has the best week of practice before State should start. And once they start be on a short leash.
September 25th, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^
I don't want the best "practice" QB. They better start O'Korn.
September 25th, 2017 at 8:47 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
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September 25th, 2017 at 9:00 AM ^
O'Korn was better in every way possible. The offense calmed down and just went right down the field. We instantly went from a 10% redzone offense to a 100% redzone offense. The people claiming that the coaches were just calling better plays for O'Korn are a bit off IMO. The same plays look much different when the QB is getting the ball out of his hands quick enough to take advantage of the cuts from the WRs. There is no compairison in my mind, and if Speight starts against MSU we will go back to having trouble on offense. I don't care how he looked last year or even vs. Florida. To me, the most important thing is we finally started clicking on offense. With Speight we are a 8-9 win team. With O'Korn we could really do something special this year. I will always support my team and their players, but watching Speight this year has been awful and John was a bright light in an otherwise dark place.
September 25th, 2017 at 9:13 AM ^
Based on what we've seen so far, I have to go with O'Korn. I get that its a very limited sample size against a team that we really don't know yet how good or bad they are. But Speight has performed worse against lesser opponents. And at home.
I'm not going to label O'Korn as the savior yet. My bet is that there will still be more rocky moments to come, likely against teams like PSU, OSU, and Wisconsin. But based on what I saw, he gives us a better chance to win now than Speight does. And he's got time to work on whatever needs to be worked on. Especially with this upcoming bye week.
The offense looked much more settled, and O'Korn was able to hit some very tight windows. There was one play where he literally thread the needle with McKeon. Any one of three Purdue defenders looked like they could've picked that ball off, but it went right between the numbers with McKeon.
September 25th, 2017 at 10:08 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^
Certainly Harbaugh won't bend to public pressure with any decision he takes. That said, O'Korn has proven to be more decisive, more mobile and more accurate as far as I can see. Based on some of the comments I've seen by some of the offense's players, I think the entire offensive unit would be more confident and comfortable with O'Korn under center at this point, too.
Just an opinion, but I think Harbaugh likes Speight because he comes across as more cerebral than O'Korn. At least interviews seem to suggest that to me.
September 25th, 2017 at 10:18 AM ^
Clear.
September 25th, 2017 at 10:54 AM ^
It's situational. O'Korn threw his interception on a play where he had all the time in the world. Speight is better if the defense drops back and plays coverage, but O'Korn is better throwing on the run. It's a complicated decision, but I trust Harbaugh to make the right one. Purdue was forced to blitz after falling behind, giving O'Korn the opportunity to use his mobile throwing skills, but Speight could easily be the right quarteback in other situations.
September 25th, 2017 at 11:31 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^
September 25th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
The offense worked with O'Korn in there. It's too bad that Speight went down, and the blame for the offensive woes should be spread around, especially to the OL and the WRs, but Speight was not have a great year.
O'Korn looked very good yesterday. He had one overthrow, one behind the receiver throw that was bounced for an interception, but he made several excellent throws and found receivers that Speight wasn't finding for whatever reason. O'Korn was more mobile and equally elusive as Speight, albeit in a different way. They can move the pocket with O'Korn but can't with Speight. O'Korn can run a little. The team seemed more confident.
But we'll see. As others write, Harbaugh calls the tune, but I think the injury will mean that O'Korn starts. We'll see if he was a one game wonder once MSU schemes for him. I doubt it because he was reading defenses and making solid throws.
September 25th, 2017 at 12:25 PM ^
I feel like Speight, given his past history, should make sure he's 100% before given the green light again. Like can he throw it 50 yards down the field and not have to take 2 days off afterward. If he can, then I think he's fit to play. But playing a semi-injured QB is going to be bad...as a thrower, then your body gets "hurt" your body does something innate to limit further pain, that always changes the throwing motion for the worse: worse accuracy and worse velocity or distance.
I did see JOK miss those throws but it seemed like it was 1-2 yards off, Speight when off seems to be in the 5-10 yard off. I do feel like JOK should turf it/throw it out of bounds purposefully when there's clearly nobody open and the rush is coming and live to fight another play rather than taking a 3 & 21. Its a slippery slope because the receivers who are covered up early often then get open after the next break in their routes (or posts) that with a second or two more time in the pocket would result in a nice completion. I think JOK took advantage of that a few times to make the nice passes he did. The OL obviously plays a part no matter who the QB is...
Which brings me to my next point. I think Peters should get as much time in practice as he possibly can. We comfortably survived our starting QB knocked out, but Peters is potentially 1 play (OL derp) away from being the starter now....
September 25th, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^
Obviously no word on Speight's injury and I know a lot of people thought it was a head injury, but to me it looked like it was a lower back injury. His body was crunched down on the second hit and when they brought him off the field, his shirt was up, equipment in mid section was undone, and one of the trainer's hands seemed to be examining the lower back area.
September 25th, 2017 at 3:42 PM ^
Its crazy how players were open when O'Korn was playing and werent open when Speight was playing
Cant put my finger on why that would be