My wife loves running. Seven marathons and dozens of other races that tests her continued endurance and ability to push her body to the limit. I cannot be prouder of my 5-foot 3-inch Argentinian wonder woman. Each marathon that she would run, I would chart out the race map and pinpoint as many areas that I could watch and cheer her on.

Of course, the longest I have ever run is a half-marathon, and that exceeded the limit for my worn-out body to ever try again. Yet, that doesn’t stop me from trying to tell my wife about, “Back in the day, I used to be in great shape.” Followed by, “If it wasn’t for my knee injury and my herniated disc, then I could easily keep up.” But, with all my bluster and foolish talk, she would only smile and try to encourage me to exercise.

Just like any runner, the type of shoes she has matters a whole lot. It has to match the arc of her foot, provide enough space in the shoe for when the foot swells while running, and provide a light sole and material to help the body as she pushes through the metaphorical wall during the race. Thus, the best present I could think of was taking her to a running store and have her test and try on new shoes. I would listen to the all the expert advice and soak it in with her. Then I would see her smile as she found the right pair of Brooks running shoes that fit perfectly to help her for the upcoming marathons. The potential of these new shoes would far exceed any other pair that she would have in her closet.

So, it was a surprise for me when the next day she didn’t wear the new pair of shoes at all. She would keep using her old pair and run with those as she did her long-distance training. Now, she would put on the new pair of shoes for some short runs, but nothing beyond a few kilometers. I was anxious, because here she had a high-end pair of shoes that would help her beat her personal record and she barely wore them. I wanted the best for her but didn’t understand why she didn’t want it for herself.

But as an expert runner, she knew more than I ever could. Running in a new pair of shoes for a long distance without breaking them in first, will cause her more harm than good. It takes time to make the shoe fit the foot and to provide the help she needed without causing pain. She would beat her best time with the old shoes in the end, but for the next marathon, she would have the new pair of shoes ready and fully prepared.

As I look at the Michigan QB battle, I cannot help but see the similarities. Too often, we rush to use the best product right away, but just like a new pair of running shoes, it takes time before it can be used to its full potential. Andy Reid took a year to develop Patrick Mahomes behind Alex Smith. He had the potential to lead the Chiefs to a Superbowl win that Alex Smith could never do, but Mahomes was still given a year to develop and learn.

For any new college player, taking a year to develop all you can and prepare yourself, both physically and mentally, for the college game is often underrated. Coaches are pushed towards starting a new QB fresh out of high school due to multiple reasons, and yes, it can work out, but not all the time. The blisters and pains that develop from pushing a QB out early can ruin the proper development of the player (as we see when they come to the NFL), cause the team to lose more matches resulting in the firing of the coach, and deflate a fan base desperate to fill the problems of life into the winning results of their favorite American college football team.

Now, there are multiple reasons that affect a QB’s ability to handle the pressure of starting early, and each person is different. How they can handle the mental aspect of the game and the physical hardships vary per individual. So, I cannot say that this should be extrapolated to all of American college football players/quarterbacks. Yet, with that being said, JJ McCarthy’s time to lead this team was the right time. It wasn’t last year, and it wasn’t the start of this season. This was the right time. Just like seeing someone putting aside a new pair of running shoes to use the ones they know and can rely on for the time being, it is often the best way and also a very wise thing to do.