Doomsday101
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By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It could be argued Ohio State coach Jim Tressel's decision to juggle Justin Zwick and Troy Smith at quarterback against Texas last season cost the Buckeyes dearly in their 25-22 loss to the Longhorns, who went on to the national title.
When Ohio State comes to Austin on Sept. 9 in Week 2 of the season, Smith will be the Buckeyes' clear choice at quarterback. It will be the Longhorns who may well be playing two quarterbacks – Colt McCoy and Jevan Snead – cringe-worthy material for fans who recall the divisive Chris Simms-Major Applewhite era.
"Whether we'll play two quarterbacks against Ohio State is an unanswerable question at this point," Texas coach Mack Brown said Tuesday at the Big 12 media days in Kansas City. "We'll probably have a decision made during the week, and it's one that could change during the game
"But we will not worry about public perception at all. Our job is to win games. So because people got mad over two before, that will not affect us in any way.
"Everything we decide will be based on what we think we should do to win the game. Two quarterbacks opens you up to more questions. It opens you up to more criticism. But our job is to win the game."
The replacement for Vince Young is all anyone wanted to talk about with Brown on Tuesday. And Brown readily admits he wants to play just one quarterback. He just doesn't know when redshirt freshman McCoy or true freshman Snead will emerge as the clear favorite.
But even if one emerges as the go-to guy, Brown said he'll play the other to gain experience in case of injuries.
"At a place like Texas, losing your quarterback to injury doesn't give you the right to lose the rest of the games," Brown said. "So depth is really, really important at our place. And we've got it at every other position except that one right now.
"What we'll do is work really, really hard to separate the two at some point. But understanding that since you do not hit your quarterbacks during practice, it will probably take game experience before we know who will lead the team."
Teammates say McCoy and Snead have shown they can lead the Texas offense in seven-on-seven drills over the summer. Both are gritty, tough, smart, accurate and likable, teammates say.
"The one big difference is that Snead has a Brett Favre-like arm," said fifth-year senior running back Selvin Young. "His arm will blow you away."
Practices are one thing, however. Games are the true test.
"I won't know which of these guys can handle the job until I see how they perform under pressure. And you won't know that until the season is under way," Young said.
The quarterbacks can thank Selvin Young for helping them with their confidence during the summer. Offensive tackle Justin Blalock said Young, Vince Young's former roommate, spends most of his free time talking to the quarterbacks about everything from how to be more assertive in the huddle to body language.
"Selvin's done so much to overcome injuries and get to where he is today," Blalock said. "When he speaks, everyone listens. I think he's helped our quarterbacks a ton."
Texas players are echoing Brown's message that the Longhorns can win without Vince Young.
"We had 11-win seasons without Vince, so this program has not always been about Vince," Brown said. "We've told our guys, 'Vince was great. But programs aren't built on one player.' You've got to play defense and have a great offensive line. We do think with him leaving, it will motivate our defense and other players to play better."
E-mail chipbrown@***BANNED-URL***
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It could be argued Ohio State coach Jim Tressel's decision to juggle Justin Zwick and Troy Smith at quarterback against Texas last season cost the Buckeyes dearly in their 25-22 loss to the Longhorns, who went on to the national title.
When Ohio State comes to Austin on Sept. 9 in Week 2 of the season, Smith will be the Buckeyes' clear choice at quarterback. It will be the Longhorns who may well be playing two quarterbacks – Colt McCoy and Jevan Snead – cringe-worthy material for fans who recall the divisive Chris Simms-Major Applewhite era.
"Whether we'll play two quarterbacks against Ohio State is an unanswerable question at this point," Texas coach Mack Brown said Tuesday at the Big 12 media days in Kansas City. "We'll probably have a decision made during the week, and it's one that could change during the game
"But we will not worry about public perception at all. Our job is to win games. So because people got mad over two before, that will not affect us in any way.
"Everything we decide will be based on what we think we should do to win the game. Two quarterbacks opens you up to more questions. It opens you up to more criticism. But our job is to win the game."
The replacement for Vince Young is all anyone wanted to talk about with Brown on Tuesday. And Brown readily admits he wants to play just one quarterback. He just doesn't know when redshirt freshman McCoy or true freshman Snead will emerge as the clear favorite.
But even if one emerges as the go-to guy, Brown said he'll play the other to gain experience in case of injuries.
"At a place like Texas, losing your quarterback to injury doesn't give you the right to lose the rest of the games," Brown said. "So depth is really, really important at our place. And we've got it at every other position except that one right now.
"What we'll do is work really, really hard to separate the two at some point. But understanding that since you do not hit your quarterbacks during practice, it will probably take game experience before we know who will lead the team."
Teammates say McCoy and Snead have shown they can lead the Texas offense in seven-on-seven drills over the summer. Both are gritty, tough, smart, accurate and likable, teammates say.
"The one big difference is that Snead has a Brett Favre-like arm," said fifth-year senior running back Selvin Young. "His arm will blow you away."
Practices are one thing, however. Games are the true test.
"I won't know which of these guys can handle the job until I see how they perform under pressure. And you won't know that until the season is under way," Young said.
The quarterbacks can thank Selvin Young for helping them with their confidence during the summer. Offensive tackle Justin Blalock said Young, Vince Young's former roommate, spends most of his free time talking to the quarterbacks about everything from how to be more assertive in the huddle to body language.
"Selvin's done so much to overcome injuries and get to where he is today," Blalock said. "When he speaks, everyone listens. I think he's helped our quarterbacks a ton."
Texas players are echoing Brown's message that the Longhorns can win without Vince Young.
"We had 11-win seasons without Vince, so this program has not always been about Vince," Brown said. "We've told our guys, 'Vince was great. But programs aren't built on one player.' You've got to play defense and have a great offensive line. We do think with him leaving, it will motivate our defense and other players to play better."
E-mail chipbrown@***BANNED-URL***
