QB1 Race Thread

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Talked to some #sauces this weekend and got some interesting info. Some of it may already be out there. And some of it is a bit conflicting. For example, one source I talked to said Sanders and Brown turn it over the same, the other said Sanders turned it over two times in five throws in the portion of competition this person saw. This is to be expected on some level, right? Nobody watches every single play so there’s some information that I would expect to not mesh with other information. With that in mind, I tried to distill the parts that were rock solid and provide something coherent below.

• Sanders is making forward progress and improving. Brown is who he is. Doesn’t mean Brown isn’t going to play, just that his ceiling seems to be lower (one person I talked to said “poor man’s Baker”). How poor, I’m not sure.

• Sanders had an exceptional scrimmage last Sunday. A scrimmage almost nobody was able to attend outside of FB-only folks (i.e. players and coaches) and Mike Holder. But apparently he was just electric.

• Brown’s reads are a bit quicker and overall he just plays like he has more experience than Sanders (which he does).

• Multiple people told me Weeden’s arm > Sanders’ arm > everybody else’s arm. Again, nothing new here, but somebody I talked to said Weeden agreed. I was also told by a different source that Sanders’ mechanics are better than Brown’s.

• Overall Sanders is more athletic, faster and just flat out better than Brown. But he’s not as experienced (like I noted above) and I don’t think he’s as conservative either. You can understand the conundrum.

• Gundy seems to really value what Brown brings to the table, and it seems inevitable that they’re both going to play in Game 1.

• The difference will likely eventually be in their respective electricity running the ball. I was told Brown can keep plays alive, but Sanders can take plays to the house.

• The feeling I got – and I’ll probably write this – after talking to a handful of folks is that Sanders will at some point pull ahead of Brown in this QB race. It’s just a matter of when.

Is it next week? After the OSU game? In 2020? That’s the question seemingly nobody has been able to answer for me.

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I personally like the idea of a 1a and 1b scenario. Brown wouldn’t have stayed for nothing (good for future transfers) and sanders would definitely hang around for next year. Plus I think it always keeps the opponents on their feet and difficult to prepare for. We can just ride thehot hand throughout the game.

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OU had both Baker and an eligible Kyler for a season, I don’t think it would’ve mattered who they put in. Sometimes you have equally talented players at the same position. I say let them both play in the first 3 games to see what they do “under the lights” instead of at practice against a defense that they play against every day.

Also a side benefit of letting both of them play in the first 3 games (as IndieDad mentioned) is that it is harder for Texas to scout the team.

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Great info- thanks. Wish we could have the tape from that scrimmage

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I don’t think it’s that tough to figure out. Gundy hates turnovers, period. Especially on the road. Sanders is more dynamic, but until he makes sure to take care of the football he won’t get all of the reps. Eventually Sanders will either get it or he won’t and he won’t play as much as he could. If he starts getting it, he’ll earn the right to make some mistakes like, Rudolph and Weeden and Robinson.

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I read this and it knocked the wind out of me.

HOWEVER, this portion:

• The feeling I got – and I’ll probably write this – after talking to a handful of folks is that Sanders will at some point pull ahead of Brown in this QB race. It’s just a matter of when.

THIS gives me optimism.

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Here’s what’s so frustrating here. If Sanders IS going to be better this year (which is likely), then splitting reps from the start is going to HINDER his growth. Taking every rep before Texas vs. taking half the reps before Texas is a monumental difference in game experience. Those are not three games we are likely to even be close in, much less lose. Why not let SS throw out his ‘first-timer’ nerves against Tulsa and the like? I get the point about Texas scouting us, but that’s even MORE reason to play SS the first three games, then flip the script on them with Brown in that one (if that’s a plan they want to do).

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I now firmly believe Sanders is starting game one just because the “fall camp” video released an hourish ago by OSU has Sanders before Brown. Small subtle hints.

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Isn’t knocking the wind out if people your specialty?

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The game against UT seems to me like the perfect stage for Sanders to take the helm for good.

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Like everyone else, I’m really hoping Sanders emerges as the guy by the time OSU rolls into Austin. Strangely though, I feel somewhat confident in both options. Maybe I’m hung-over on the Kool-Aid, but I’m stoked to see how Gleeson’s innovative mind changes the way the offense looks. Plus, he’s experienced success using multiple QBs at once, so he might be the perfect OC for the situation OSU finds itself in right now; a gunslinger with sky-high athletic potential and a sneaky athletic game manager who has the experience Gundy values so highly. #InGleesonWeTrust

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I normally get annoyed with coaches for being overly conservative and allergic to turnovers. But with as good as I expect our line to be, plus Chuba and Tylan and plenty of other options, I don’t think a boring game-manager type is the worst thing in the world.

Obviously, I want Sanders to be the guy and to be as amazing as we all think he might be. But if he’s not — if it really is a choice between a boring ball-distributor and an electric but turnover-prone guy — I might lean toward the former.

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Is it possible Gundy is trying to push Sanders to be his best every day and not settle?

I am of the impression that Sanders is going to be the guy sometime this season but I am not sure when that happens.

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Frankly… I think that Gundy knows that some guys just perform better with the lights on, and he wants to see it from both of these guys before making anything official. I don’t think that not naming a starter until after Oregon State… Or even Tulsa… Is a detriment to the team in any sense.

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Oh shoot you’re here?

I think it would be a detriment to not know by Tulsa. Texas looms the week after. If you knew for sure who the guy was at Tulsa, it can be more of a tune up prepare game vs more tryouts.

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I’m starving for wrestling conversation and figured I would try it over here.

All three non-con games are with teams that won’t crack the top 100, so I don’t really know how much tuning up you can really do. I think they’ll both get tons of time in all three because I expect them to all be blowouts.

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I agree with this. I’m fine with sorting things out and splitting reps 50/50 during Oregon State and McNeese. But by Tulsa time, we should be settled.

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We talked all last year about how they should put the best player at QB. I think we’re now learning that Gundy might have done that, and he’s waiting until Sanders is the best player to name him QB1. I agree with IndieDad that a 1a/1b wouldn’t be the worst thing for at least the first few games. I think what helped Mason in 2015 was that he had JW to fall back on, and I think Sanders might be similar in that regard where he wouldn’t feel as much pressure if he knows his backup can do damage too.

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I could see the benefit of playing both if SS isn’t ready or if they really are that close, but the 2015 J.W. thing was as much about OSU’s OL and inept ground game as anything else. Would be a completely different situation and might even cause discord. (That’s just a hunch but MR seemed to not be happy trotting off the field once he got to the red zone, and not everyone would handle it as well he did.)

To me, if Spencer’s as good as we’ve heard he is — and he has been in the system a year — ditch the training wheels. I’m fine with sorting it out on the field, but once your decision is made stick with that and make Spencer or Dru lose the job. There’s no way to mitigate all risk when you’re replacing your QB, regardless of which one you choose and you have to let him figure it out on his own.

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I just want the QB for the future, not Dru Brown.

Gundy has gone through these 6-6 7/5 dunks before when he doesn’t have “the guy”, 2012 a little bit and 2014, 2018 without a doubt. Sometimes taking a few L’s can reinvigorate a coach or a team.

2013 and 2015 were both fantastic years.

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