So is O'Brien a bust

[Enhance]

So who is QB next year? In my humble opinion and I do mean humble TA should have been backup this year. We should have built for the future and he was not the future. It was just more of the same!

I am tired of watching the product on the field!

The talent differences between WI, IA, MI and Ohiop State is so far above NE it just pisses me off!

If Patrick O'Brien started at quarterback this year than Nebraska would have been a .500 team at best. Perhaps worse. I can only speak for myself, naturally, but that isn't worth building for the future.

I won't deny that TA has been near as much a liability as he has been a benefit, but Nebraska hasn't had a dominant offensive line in almost 20 years now. Why do we often continue to focus on the QB while overlooking this incredibly crucial aspect?

Considering we were under .500 with TA starting (most of) last year, I find it hard to pin any certain win/loss on who was starting at QB.

True, but not all things are equal between seasons. This was year two with many of the key components returning. That was year one with a substantial amount of changes. I find it hard to believe Nebraska would've reached 9 wins with POB in 2016. But, they could have.

Regardless of your opinions on the QB situation, though, Nebraska has needed to improve in the trenches for years now. Many love to wax poetic about our QB situation over the last several years while rarely acknowledging, or not paying much attention to, the inconsistency along the lines of scrimmage.

 

[ScottyIce]

The question isn't really whether he should have beaten out Armstrong. The question is whether he should have beaten out Fyfe.

It's possible Fyfe beat him out, but Fyfe being listed as #2 doesn't necessarily mean that's the case when you're trying not to burn a redshirt.

It's really not a good move to preserve a redshirt on a kid who is your #2 best player at a position. In fact, it makes almost no sense whatsoever, unless you think you can't recruit.

It's a real FU to your current players, actually - especially the seniors.

I doubt that's what Riley did, though. My suspicion is that Fyfe beat him out. Whether that means he's bad is a different question. I doubt it. He's probably like 85% of HS QB recruits - not good enough to beat out a guy who's been in the program 5 years, even if that senior is a former walkon.

EXCEPT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE QB POSITION IS THE 1 SPOT YOU GENERALLY DON'T ROTATE PLAYERS.

 

[HuskerInLA23]

I wish I had half as much time as some of y'all to speculate on busts who have never played in a game before. Jesus haha "Tommy should've started" "Tommy had to have been benched!" "O'Brien was better!" "O'Brien is a bust!"

you know what's amazing? if we wait a little bit, we'll find out! It's magical. That's why they play games.

I know the high school videos you watch really light a fire in your belly, but maybe you don't know everything? We had a good season, some stuff was disappointing, some stuff was so much fun to watch. We could be like "damn I'm proud of the seniors they fought hard we're not over the hump yet but we're closer and this was an exciting season and let's get 'em next year let's support the team and the school"

Or you could just rant to hear yourself speak with some delusion that what you say has any effect at all on the people who actually make decisions regarding everything surrounding the program. We're FANS. We watch FOR FUN.

I'd love to be O'Brien and check a message board out on a whim and be like "oh, great. Haven't gotten the chance to take a snap yet, but a poster's friend's facebook friend knows a family who's friend has a kid who plays on special teams who said I've been having difficulty with Cover 2 and now everyone thinks I can't play."

 

[Roll Skers]

All i know is this qb battle this summer will be a good one

 

[I am GLORIOUS]

Well, on FB there's a guy who is friends with a family whose kid plays on the team. Says that POB isn't as good as advertised (or that they were led to believe) and hasn't developed the way they had expected. Problems reading defenses and other mechanics. I'm just really concerned about Lee. He never impressed me much -- I always figured he'd up up at a lower school like University of Louisiana/McNeese/Nicholls, certainly not at Nebraska.

Third hand (at best) information on Facebook is your best source. And where have you seen Lee where you have been able to evaluate him?

I saw him play at Jesuit in New Orleans no fewer than a dozen times, and twice at Tulane. Big kid, but never impressed me. Struggled against tough competition.
As far as my FB source, I agree it isn't much, but based on multiple conversations with the guy, he seems legit.

Once again I point out that LSU passed on him as a transfer, which tells me a lot because they struggled at that position this season and were looking. I mean look who ended up playing the majority of the season for them: a Purdue transfer.

 

[MyBloodIsRed16]

Not a bust. It seems there was already tension within the team last year so how do you think that would have helped this year if the MR benches the starting Senior QB?? If you play POB this year while he is still learning he would have picked up a bunch of bad habits because the line is garbage. As far as Tanner Lee goes, he played in a similar offense on a bad Tulane team. Purdue had two QB'S who left their bad team and started for two power 5 programs and did ok. This offense is predicated on being able to hit the underneath routes and being able to make reads.. those are two things TA doesn't do well. Who ever the next QB is doesn't have to be great he just needs to be able to know who the open guy will be and be able to make the throw. The bigger question will be if the new O-linemen playing next year will be busts.

 

[Bigred_inSD]

This is really splitting hairs and such, but even the moment I saw it I found it awkward. When Tommy came back in that Ohio State game everyone guy he passed had a hug for him. POB just gave a tap to the chest and carried on, people have said he came in with a bad attitude and maybe he was jealous he wasn't the guy. When Ryker was out there Tommy was one of the happiest guys when he had success.

 

[GBRHouston]

I am still having a hard time seeing why people are assuming Lee will start when we haven't even seen him take a snap, nor will we see him take one until the Spring game. Then we can start assuming things. Experience ≠ Best option.

 

[cm husker]

The question isn't really whether he should have beaten out Armstrong. The question is whether he should have beaten out Fyfe.

It's possible Fyfe beat him out, but Fyfe being listed as #2 doesn't necessarily mean that's the case when you're trying not to burn a redshirt.

It's really not a good move to preserve a redshirt on a kid who is your #2 best player at a position. In fact, it makes almost no sense whatsoever, unless you think you can't recruit.

It's a real FU to your current players, actually - especially the seniors.

I doubt that's what Riley did, though. My suspicion is that Fyfe beat him out. Whether that means he's bad is a different question. I doubt it. He's probably like 85% of HS QB recruits - not good enough to beat out a guy who's been in the program 5 years, even if that senior is a former walkon.

EXCEPT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE QB POSITION IS THE 1 SPOT YOU GENERALLY DON'T ROTATE PLAYERS.

Huh?

My point is that you have your your best #2 ready to play. Redshirting is not that important. And he could have redshirt next year if that made sense.

Reality is, he's #3 because Fyfe beat him out.

That makes some people uncomfortable, so they invent things about redshirting.

 

[zoogs]

I am still having a hard time seeing why people are assuming Lee will start when we haven't even seen him take a snap, nor will we see him take one until the Spring game. Then we can start assuming things. Experience ≠[/size] Best option.

I think it's a mixture of positive buzz from his time in the program, as well as POB's apparently not quite precocious status. He focused on football later in his HS career, which is why he shot up as a prospect late. And in general, a RFr winning an open battle would have to be a minor upset.

Really, the QB position is a little bit light going into the offseason (assuming Darlington isn't really in the mix due to health concerns). We're missing a guy that year above POB's class.

 

[Hayseed]

All i know is this qb battle this summer will be a good one

I think so.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I am still having a hard time seeing why people are assuming Lee will start when we haven't even seen him take a snap, nor will we see him take one until the Spring game. Then we can start assuming things. Experience ≠[/size] Best option.

I think it's a mixture of positive buzz from his time in the program, as well as POB's apparently not quite precocious status. He focused on football later in his HS career, which is why he shot up as a prospect late. And in general, a RFr winning an open battle would have to be a minor upset.
Really, the QB position is a little bit light going into the offseason (assuming Darlington isn't really in the mix due to health concerns). We're missing a guy that year above POB's class.

I have said that Riley should have brought in a QB in the 2015 class (his first class at NU) or a JUCO guy who could have added depth for 2016 and more competition going forward. Finding someone late in the process could have been done, but Riley preferred to take the long game.

 

[Red Five]

Well, on FB there's a guy who is friends with a family whose kid plays on the team. Says that POB isn't as good as advertised (or that they were led to believe) and hasn't developed the way they had expected. Problems reading defenses and other mechanics. I'm just really concerned about Lee. He never impressed me much -- I always figured he'd up up at a lower school like University of Louisiana/McNeese/Nicholls, certainly not at Nebraska.

 

[Nebfanatic]

Well, on FB there's a guy who is friends with a family whose kid plays on the team. Says that POB isn't as good as advertised (or that they were led to believe) and hasn't developed the way they had expected. Problems reading defenses and other mechanics. I'm just really concerned about Lee. He never impressed me much -- I always figured he'd up up at a lower school like University of Louisiana/McNeese/Nicholls, certainly not at Nebraska.

Third hand (at best) information on Facebook is your best source. And where have you seen Lee where you have been able to evaluate him?

I saw him play at Jesuit in New Orleans no fewer than a dozen times, and twice at Tulane. Big kid, but never impressed me. Struggled against tough competition.
As far as my FB source, I agree it isn't much, but based on multiple conversations with the guy, he seems legit.

Once again I point out that LSU passed on him as a transfer, which tells me a lot because they struggled at that position this season and were looking. I mean look who ended up playing the majority of the season for them: a Purdue transfer.

LSU passed on this guy when Les Miles was the head coach. When was the last time he hadid a productive QB? Just because LSU didn't take him doesn't mean he isn't talented. They could have been looking for a different style, or plain just misevaluated the QB position. It's not like they are a QB factory

 

[ADS]

Someone on FB said that Bob Devaney rose from the grave and will now be the HC instead of Riley. Should I believe it?