Riley "Never Considered" Making A Change At QB

seaofred92

seaofred92

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http://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=400935362

Riley said he never considered taking Lee out and putting in Patrick O'Brien after the pick-six.

"Just by the fact that this is a three-point game, he's played so much more, and we had a lot of faith that he would bring it back and he did," Riley said. "He made some real good throws after that. It had nothing to do with how we feel about Patrick, either. This guy (Lee) has been in the games and he sucked it up and made some throws."
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I know this has been discussed some but this is really just incredibly stupefying in my opinion. How do you not consider making a change at QB with everything that has happened the past 3 weeks? The guy has thrown multiple interceptions in 3 straight games and pulling from another thread/poster, is responsible for half the points the team has given up the last 3 weeks BY HIMSELF. 

As much as I want HCMR to succeed here it is seeming like he won't get out of his own way. You have a perfect opportunity to get POB ready for a first start against Illinois this week. If he plays a half against Rutgers and a game against Illinois and plays well, then he gives you a new dynamic for the Wisconsin/tOSU games. If he doesn't play well, then what's the worst that happens? They have to prepare for 2 QB's? At least with POB there is a little more added mobility and you can bring back a few of those run concepts from last year's team with the zone reads and QB draws/powers.

Damon Benning said it best. You have to be held accountable for your poor performance on the field. First it was not benching the guys in 2015 that didn't want to be coached/play for the new staff. Then it was not benching guys like Conrad/Knevel/Hahn who were clearly in over their heads last year. And Knevel and Conrad have both looked awful again this year. Ozigbo, Kieron Williams, etc.

The fact that HCMR and staff have the balls to sit a guy like Kieron Williams but not Lee tells me all I need to know about the competency level of this staff. It is time to give POB a shot. 

 
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I think he is just saying this but I am sure he thought about yanking him.  I really think this is more just coach-speak.  I mean there is no way it didn't cross his mind.

 
What do you expect him to say publicly.  Do you actually think if he is standing on the side lines saying to himself..."Damn, Lee sucks, maybe we should try POB".....he would actually say that publicly?  

It doesn't matter how bad Lee has done, the HC needs to do everything he can to both coach him up AND, keep his confidence level up.  Hashing out stuff like this publicly does nothing to help in any of that.

 
I said it before regarding this, I hope this was coach speak to the public and he did at least think about sitting him after that pick 6 that almost cost us the game.

You'd think with Conrad and Knevel being over their heads last year the benefit would be they gained valuable experience and improved from that experience into this season, but that isn't the case. They aren't being developed. Just like it appears Lee is not being developed. Just like our RB's appear to not be developed, or at least the right RB's are not getting enough carries.

This lack of development in players is a reason that in year 3 we have regressed rather then hitting our stride with the new staff.

 
It's was discussed a bit on S&B this morning, but Gebbia must be closer to Lee than POB is. 

Plus, if you make the move, and POB sh!ts the bed, then you've ruined two QBs. 

 
There are a few issues with this, and all of them represent a huge problem here.

1)  Patrick O'Brien isn't remotely ready to go.  This, after enrolling early, spending two springs, and one full season, including two summer workouts, in the program under this OC, the alleged "Quarterback Whisperer."

2)  O'Brien is ready to go, but the coaches think he'll get killed behind this O Line.  Which is a huge problem pointing at Cavanaugh.

3)  O'Brien is ready to go, they're not that worried about the O Line, but they think Lee is really the guy to lead us this season, meaning we have another Sam Keller situation on our hands.

4)  The coaches see no benefit to letting Lee view a series or two from the sideline to get his bearings.  This is patently false, though. 

 
knapplc said:
There are a few issues with this, and all of them represent a huge problem here.

1)  Patrick O'Brien isn't remotely ready to go.  This, after enrolling early, spending two springs, and one full season, including two summer workouts, in the program under this OC, the alleged "Quarterback Whisperer."

2)  O'Brien is ready to go, but the coaches think he'll get killed behind this O Line.  Which is a huge problem pointing at Cavanaugh.

3)  O'Brien is ready to go, they're not that worried about the O Line, but they think Lee is really the guy to lead us this season, meaning we have another Sam Keller situation on our hands.

4)  The coaches see no benefit to letting Lee view a series or two from the sideline to get his bearings.  This is patently false, though. 
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I'm going to go with option 2. Granted Lee has made his own mistakes, but plenty of blame lies at the feet of a decimated offensive line. 

 
Cdog923 said:
It's was discussed a bit on S&B this morning, but Gebbia must be closer to Lee than POB is. 

Plus, if you make the move, and POB sh!ts the bed, then you've ruined two QBs. 
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Yep - I remember hearing that this morning, too.

It's a legitimate thing to worry and wonder about as a coach. I can see arguments either way. I remember thinking it was time to bring in POB this past Saturday after the pick six, but I'm also not privvy to what they see during the week's preparation.

Regardless, I think there are two problems: it's disappointing Lee is playing like this and that he can't seem to get better, and it's disappointing there's nobody else who has proven to the coaches they can do better on this roster. If Lee really is the best we've got... that's a tough situation.

 
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Cdog923 said:
It's was discussed a bit on S&B this morning, but Gebbia must be closer to Lee than POB is. 

Plus, if you make the move, and POB sh!ts the bed, then you've ruined two QBs. 
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This is really what I've been pondering over the weekend.  If a coach is coaching for his job, you would think the redshirt would be burned and Gebbia plays.  Heck, even if the writing is on the wall and you know you're done you put Gebbia in the game because a redshirt season does him no good this year when he transfers before the next staff comes in.  There has to be a logical reason for a coach to keep the turnover machine going.  I have always thought what Callahan did with Beau Davis was horrible.  Riley is doing this week in and week out with Lee.

 
People thought Sam Keller was so terrible, but Lee has 1 less INT than Keller had the whole season. He's given up 21 points the past 3 games to our defenses' 17 points. 52% completion and a nation leading 9 INT. I think Riley and Langs talked him up so much that they are too stubborn now to pull him. Just because you sit him down and bring in POB doesn't mean Lee can never see the field again. This offense needs a damn spark and a backup QB could have provided that, especially against NIU. 

I'm all for Lee to turn his season around, but to me this coaching staff is doing a disservice to the other QB's and ultimately the team. 

 
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knapplc said:
There are a few issues with this, and all of them represent a huge problem here.

1)  Patrick O'Brien isn't remotely ready to go.  This, after enrolling early, spending two springs, and one full season, including two summer workouts, in the program under this OC, the alleged "Quarterback Whisperer."

2)  O'Brien is ready to go, but the coaches think he'll get killed behind this O Line.  Which is a huge problem pointing at Cavanaugh.

3)  O'Brien is ready to go, they're not that worried about the O Line, but they think Lee is really the guy to lead us this season, meaning we have another Sam Keller situation on our hands.

4)  The coaches see no benefit to letting Lee view a series or two from the sideline to get his bearings.  This is patently false, though. 
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5) They don't want to give POB even a chance because they want to play Lee and if POB even went in for one series and played well, they'd be screwed.

 
Maybe this is just me, but I think it's mental. 

Someone earlier mentioned that they felt like the coaches talked him up too much to pull him. I think it's important to remember, it wasn't just the coaches. The media also had nothing but good things to say. It also wasn't just the local media. This suggest to me, that Lee is killing it in practice, he also looked good in the Spring game. Not amazing, but certainly better than this. 

So now he's in pressure situations and it just keeps going poorly. He's making bad reads, forcing things that he shouldn't etc. I've got to think there's something about game situations that rattles the kid. He clearly throws a good ball that seems to be a consensus. It doesn't matter how tight your spiral is though when you're making bad reads and forgetting to go through the steps. I think it's just going to keep compounding too. 

IMPO, I'd be having him spend time with a sports psychologist on the sideline. 

 
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