OT: Barkley starter at USC
I was just reading the always awesome Doc. Saturday when I saw this story from the good Doctor. Apparently Barkley is going to be the starting QB for USC rather than Aaron Corp (Source for the Doc's story).
I myself am quite surprised at this. I assumed that a true freshman just wouldn't be good enough to overcome Corp and his time working with the offense. USC is good enough that just working with their practice team is going to make you a fair bit better so I assumed that Corp was going to be the man when he was healthy. Doc. Saturday also mentioned that Barkley has been turnover prone, that's generally not something that's going to be changed in the course of fall practice.
It seems slightly risky to me and an indication that USC isn't the team that we've all gotten used to over the past several years. I'm not saying they're going to be or anything, but I do expect them to be challenged a lot more than usual in most of their games. In fact, I think it's highly possible (maybe even probable) that they won't win the Pac-10 this year.
What do ya'all make of this? I just thought that since we'd been analyzing QBs so much we might as well turn our well-trained eyes to a different battle. How do you think that will affect that USC-OSU game? Will a true freshman be able to keep his poise in a very hostile place like the Shoe?
August 27th, 2009 at 6:00 PM ^
Mitch Mustain is probably not very happy with his decision to transfer.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:54 PM ^
No kidden man, I wonder what the hell is going through his mind? He has got to be extremely pissed. I really haven't heard his name mentioned at all?!?!
August 27th, 2009 at 6:02 PM ^
This is actually pretty surprising to me. I never would've envisioned a true freshman starting at qb for USC given how well they recruit. I'll be anxious to see whether Barkley is that good, or the others are just that bad.
I get the feeling that USC is gonna fall to OSU. I could be wrong, but with starting a true frosh and the game being at OSU I have to think that OSU is now slightly favored, unfortunately. Should be a much closer game than their match up last year, though, which makes for good spectating.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:06 PM ^
I do think that it'll be much closer than 35-3... but how could it not be. As for OSU being favored, I don't think so. Pryor has too many question marks around him not to mention all the people that they lost (including their star RB and LB).
As always when OSU plays against a team that I hate like USC, I root for a meteor to hit the stadium. It's the only thing a Michigan fan can really do.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:12 PM ^
Hmmm, I think you might be right in that USC has more talent and thus is favored in that regard, but if USC is starting a true frosh qb at the horseshoe then I have to think OSU might have the edge psychologically.
Just a thought.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:06 PM ^
Well there goes them beating OSU. A true frosh in his first away game at the shoe. He didn't have a great spring either.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:06 PM ^
I really can't imagine them not winning the Pac-10. No other Pac-10 team is anywhere near as talented as them. They still have more 5 star talent then they know what to do with, and if Carrol named a true freshman the starter he must think he's something special.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:14 PM ^
Based on the relatively bad reports about Barkley, it could just be that he's better than the competition.
I find it hard to believe that Corp is so "bad" that he got beat out by a freshman that is prone to throwing interceptions so maybe there's something else going on (maybe Corp still really isn't healthy yet or is having a hard time getting past some of the more basic plays, etc.).
As for USC not winning the Pac-10, I think that because Cal and Oregon are away games for them. Add in the now expected "stunning" loss and USC might not win the Pac-10 this year. Am I saying that I'd be astounded if they did win it, no. You're right, they have more talent there than any other team that they're going to face all year. But, with a new QB (when Carroll clearly wanted Sanchez to stay) a lot lost on defense (which has been regressing even if that means they're still amazing), and as a tough a conference schedule as the Pac-10 can muster, I don't think that it's impossible for USC to wind up second in the conference.
I of course assume that Cal or Oregon play to the level that I think they're capable of. We'll have to wait and see if that happens.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:01 PM ^
where are all these bad reports on Barkley? Other than the 1 poster who mentioned his thoughts a few days ago. Everything I have read suggests that Barkley is doing real well.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:15 PM ^
I've also heard he's been looking pretty mediocre (at best) so far. The local sports radio around here (Petros and Matt "Money" Smith) have gone to a number of practices and said he has looked very inconsistent and thrown a lot of picks. But since Corp was injured and Mustain has vanished into thin air, he hasn't had any competition. Hopefully he turns it around (or not if you don't like SC), but so far he's been looking pretty weak.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:16 PM ^
quite surprising. If I had read that that Corp's knee was holding him back, this would seem more plausible.
If the coach was Weis, I would write this story off as a coach trying to deceive the opposition, but I can't recall Carroll trying to deceive the media in the past.
And I second the opinion that Mustain is likely kicking himself right now. I do enjoy seeing a "pre Madonna" get what he deserves.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:20 PM ^
I agree about Corp's knee and to some degree even that Weis might try to do that (although I think it's a bad idea).
As for Carroll deceiving the media... he's not above trying to deceive his own players (even if it is just for a "joke" (suicide is always hilarious)).
August 27th, 2009 at 6:21 PM ^
to Mustain? Is he that bad?
Also, I guess this is why sneaky Pete wanted to keep Sanchez around this season.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^
I think this shines more light onto Carrol's (over)reaction when Sanchez left. He must have known that Corps and Mustain we that bad and knew that without Sanchez the QB would be weak.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^
I think you guys are jumping the gun on this one, FYI. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I can say with certainty that this decision has not been made yet. Corp is back to practicing full contact (or as full as PC lets the QBs get) and Corp still might be the starter. There's still time before that decision will be made definitively.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:11 PM ^
I am pretty sure a decision has been made:
"He's the starting quarterback at USC -- it's not a one-game deal," Carroll said. "He seized the opportunity that was in front of him and took control. He deserves all the credit in the world, and we expect nothing but great things from him."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4426998
Unless I am missing something here it sounds like Pete made up his mind.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:26 PM ^
Looks like PC is a believer in the "if you have 2 QBs, you don't have any" mantra. His mind is made up until he changes it (which will probably happen if Barkley has a horrible game).
August 27th, 2009 at 9:40 PM ^
The last line from that article:
"Aaron has done a marvelous job of getting back from his injury," Carroll said. "By next Saturday, we'd expect him to be ready to play if needed, but he's not ready yet. The competition will continue at this position, but at this point, Barkley is our starting quarterback."
August 27th, 2009 at 9:43 PM ^
True this.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:48 PM ^
You hit the nail on the head. Pete is always ready to shake up the depth chart if he feels that one person is playing better than the starter at that time. "Always Compete," is not something they say for the media's sake.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:55 PM ^
I'm not sure if the article mentions this or not, but SC has a scrimmage this Saturday, I would imagine a lot of what happens there will have an effect on who the starter is game one.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:27 PM ^
I want to see USC suck so badly. Please, God, let it happen.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:56 PM ^
USC would still be decent with Sherideath as their QB. However, I think this news makes Ohio State beating them in Columbus much more likely. An OSU win over USC, regardless of USC's strength, would do wonders for the Big Ten getting two teams into BCS bowls. Two BCS bowl berths for the conference could be the difference between Michigan going to a decent bowl, the Motor City bowl, or no bowl at all.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:01 PM ^
On the other hand, 2 B10 teams in the BCS means at least one of them will probably be outmatched and thus lose badly. That team being in means that all the other teams moved up one bowl in terms of where they actually "should" be in order to place an opponent of equivalent strength. Thus, it could contribute to the B10 bad image of losing bowls if we get 2 teams in the BCS.
August 27th, 2009 at 10:15 PM ^
the possibility of Michigan being demoted from the Insight to the Motor City Bowl or from the Motor City to no bowl at all.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:05 PM ^
but this makes me happy cause i (ack) wat osu to win just for the good of the big ten and i bet there is a better chance is a freshy is starting at U$C at qb
August 27th, 2009 at 7:08 PM ^
I grew up in L.A. and my Dad was an SC grad, so until the age of 13 (when we moved) I was a major SC fan. I'm surprised about this move, it may be that Corp simply missed too much time with his knee to really prepare, or that Barkley is that good. Contrary to the report, I've heard/read some quite good things about Barkley. Anyway, I think OSU can now win, which really has me torn--it would be good for the B10's rep, which we sorely need, and I'm not above rooting for all the other B10 teams as long as we're not playing them. On the other hand, it's OSU, and after a win the trolls will have more ammo. And they're OSU. Torn.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:34 PM ^
want USC to blow ohio state's doors off. it'd be even better if they could do it with a true freshman in at QB. all they've gotta do is run the ball the way they did last year and then hit the receivers over the top. if USC can get out to a lead (and i think they can), it'll pretty much be over.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:24 PM ^
Agreed. The defense wins it for them, though.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:42 PM ^
Taylor Mays is absolutely spectacular and Christian Tupou is solid, but the Trojans absolutely must have a passing game to win this game. They didn't score a single rushing touchdown against the Buckeyes last year, despite consistently moving the ball on the ground in 5 and 6 yard chunks.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:53 PM ^
Yeah SC only returns a couple starters, but not only are those guys really really good, but the guys taking over for the departed defenders are studs as well. I've heard reports that their LB corps could be better(!) than last year's, and we all know who those guys were. Even though I doubt that to be the case, the fact that it's been thrown around means there shouldn't be much of a drop off, and SC's defense could be half as good as last year and still be one of the best in the country.
August 28th, 2009 at 3:59 PM ^
"They didn't score a single rushing touchdown against the Buckeyes last year, despite consistently moving the ball on the ground in 5 and 6 yard chunks."
I don't understand this. Because last year they scored 35 points without a rush TD, despite moving the ball 5/6 yards at will, they must have a passing game to win this year?
http://espndb.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=282570030
(not adjusting for roughly 10 yards in sacks)
6.1 Yards per attempt passing
5.1 Yards per carry
If anything they won the game last year by running, not passing.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:20 PM ^
Mostly because Ohio State has surrendered 10 rushing touchdowns in the last two years combined. This may seem arrogant, but I don't expect this unit to turn into a sieve, even with the turnover.
August 28th, 2009 at 7:35 PM ^
Those stats are a little misleading. SC won with the D. They really only needed the INT return by Rey Rey. McKnight had a pretty fantastic game but the majority of big plays came through the air.
I fully expect to see SC run the ball very effectively in Columbus due not only to the outstanding backs but because of that nasty oline. That being said I doubt OSU surrenders a bevy of rushing touchdowns.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:06 PM ^
Pinkard, Mays, Tupuo, and Thomas are all returning starters who played all or most of last year. On top of that, Shareece Wright, Everson Griffen, Chris Gallipo, and Mike Morgan have all made starts in their careers. That is leaving out Averell Spicer whom has made starts and seems to finally be out of the bad graces of the coaching staff following some of his horrendously stupid mistakes during the Oregon State game last year.
The Trojans return few full time starters on D, but have a stable of talent that has either made starts or has been competing against the Trojans first string offense for some time now. The defense will be fine.
They will need some form of production from the passing game but it won't be as severe as people think in order to compete. Hand the ball off behind that offensive line and I could probably carry for 4 yards per.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:16 PM ^
I'll take that.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:38 PM ^
I want OSU to lose, but if they win, it will be all the better chance for UM to deliver a crushing blow reminiscent of the Cooper era in November.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:56 PM ^
I think this shows how much sc is going to plan on running the ball at people. They have some stellar rb's so they will be able to run all day and pass if they absolutely have too. if any of those backs break loose at all they will be gone.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:16 PM ^
Its not too surprising that Barkley is starting against SJSU.
Corp is back to practice but still has another week till he will be full go, the 1-2week rehab is actually 2-3 weeks. Barkley is starting because Corp will not have enough time to get the whole game plan digested let alone back into the full swing of practice before the first game. Don't be surprised to see Corp in for a few drives though.
Now what will be interesting to see is if Barkley starts week 2, right now I don't think he will.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:23 PM ^
No offense, Ted Kennedy could start at QB for USC against you guys and they'd still put up 40 points.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:40 PM ^
Yikes, too soon.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:17 PM ^
I was afraid of that. I hoped the fact that I was bashing ND would make up for it.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:28 PM ^
I think the joke was bad enough to quell any offense I could have taken,
lol :)
August 27th, 2009 at 9:48 PM ^
Charles?
August 27th, 2009 at 10:04 PM ^
Yeah, it is weird that a freshman is STARTING let alone playing at the QB position. BUT, it seems to me, that once the game starts, USC, no matter who is running what position, just takes over the game. As a Wolverine fan at Quarterback 'U,' it will be tough watching pro-style QB after pro-style QB from USC get drafted over ours. It is really a no brainer that a healthy Barkley, in two-three years time, garners 1st round draft money over what we currently have at UofM. And that is also another reason why Denard Robinson should stay(shows commitment and loyalty) at Michigan should be not find time at the QB position. Because if he's that fast and skilled, an NFL team will make room for him somewhere at some position.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:51 AM ^
After watching Wolverine Historian's collection on YouTube during a "One Week To Go" bout with insomnia, I reminisce over the offense and the QB's past myself.
But I wonder how many Matt Barkley types are going to be out there in the future, as it really seems dual threat QB's and spread-type offenses are becomming the norm at high schools and college football teams across the country. There may not yet be a place for them in the NFL--but at these levels, that seems t be the way things are still evolving.
The way things are at UM right now, I can see that Rodriguez has the luxury of still experimenting this year. He can see which way works best outside of the cocoon of the Big East. Do the (apparent) attributes of the btter passer mixed in with the (apparent) scrambling of Forcier present the better chances to win? Do the (apparent) better legs of Robinson mixed in with (apparent) at least adequate passing of Robinson present the better chance to win?
We're still in the formative years, and having two QB's who have somewhat different (although you could argue complimentary) skill sets is a luxury that offers this staff some flexibility in game planning and may confuse opposing defensive coaches. It also, in a year of not yet high expectations, allows them a chance to fine tune, adjust, invent, add to, or subtract from their playbook and scheming to get ready for the next couple seasons, especially if they make a bowl this year and get in those pretty valuable 15 extra practices.
One other area that will benefit is, of course, recruiting--a more targeted and selective process as they get more of a handle on what they have to work with and what they will need to improve.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:42 AM ^
I just don't see it long term. People talk of the core ideas of offensive football changing from an offensive formation. That formation being the spread. Did Donovan McNabb make his money in the NFL running the ball or from his scrambling mobility? Think of Steve Young firing lasers to T. Owens. Think of any running vs scrambling QB and you'll see scramblers, who are tall with good instincts and passing ability succeeding in the NFL. For gods sakes Eli Manning is the highest paid NFL player. Dude couldnt run our spread if he tried. To make money in any professional sport, you need reps. You do not currently get enough reps when as a NFL QB you're only reps come from running the Wildcat. McNabb, he made his money by scrambling and also being an adept passer. As a QB, first and foremost you need to be able to throw the football. Sorry, but it's a job req. and it always will be. A running QB will rarely be franchised(because of fear of injury) by anyone looking to throw money at a young college kid. Even Timothy Tebow will have to prove himself as a drop back passer in the coming years in the NFL. The fact is there is no way D. Rob or even Darth Forcier garner the NFL looks Barkely will, should all stay healthy. With Mark Sanchez starting as a rookie in the NFL in his first game you have the perfect analog for Barkely. The reality is here and is no longer on the horizon. USC is winning with the old Michigan ideas and formulas. And thus the idea and title of QB U has passed to them. So the idea of a 'draftable' high round QB from Michigan is no more. Maybe, maybe Gardner should be develop though.
August 27th, 2009 at 10:55 PM ^
It will be interesting to see how they do in the OSU game if they are starting a true freshman QB playing his first road game. Maybe that gets offset with all the ridiculous talent they have on the roster but I think that USC is going to have a tough time in that game if Barkley loses his confidence.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:14 AM ^
I want Ohio State to win. I hate the Bucks, but I hate Mark May and all the talking heads at ESPN more at this point. Enough of the Big10 bashing.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:46 PM ^
Barkley is raw and puts too much faith in his arm. That being said, he gives USC a downfield threat that Corp apparently didn't. The thing that apparently separated the two in the spring - Corp's mobility - has been largely nullified by injury. USC still returns every offensive linemen and the same stable of running backs from last year, and if they can run the ball in a manner reminiscent of the '08 game, they'll probably still win.