I have a hard time believing an interim coach, fighting to save his job and the respectability of the program, is doing this just to juice the fan base. You gotta pick the kid who gives you the best chance to win. Let's not pretend Whitmer has been all sunshine and flowers. Maybe it's all the O-line. Maybe not. But it sounds like, from what we've heard in practices, that people think Boyle is ready.
Hard to believe they'd throw him to the wolves to sell a few more tickets. I hope.
Ok Let's get this little lesson out to everybody once and for all.
#1. Division 1 football programs have people that monitor beat writers, websites, chat boards, newspapers 24/7 to get any information they can about their opponents. No - it's not paranoia - it's football.
#2. Announcing that you will be starting a true freshmen in the media, is essentially extending an open invitation to your opponent, to throw the kitchen sink at your offense in the form of blitz packages and gear up like hell to stop the run.
#3. Announcing that you will be starting a true freshmen QB TWO WEEKS in advance of a game, is giving your opponent defense two weeks to prepare for #2.
NOW: With that in mind, through 4 games of film this season, 12 last season, and the 12 before that - there is no reason whatsoever, for our offense, to be expecting anything but every opponent we see from here on in blitzing on every down, and gearing up like hell to stop the run.
So what possible purpose could announcing such a change now have?
Public relations.
I've got no problem with it. I'm excited to see the kid play. I'm tired of Whitmer's mistakes, and if we're going to have to live with QB mistakes, I'd prefer them to be freshmen mistakes, where it's easy to learn from and demonstrate progress, than what we're enduring with Whitmer.
Also - the best way to take pressure of a true freshmen QB in his first start, is to actually run the ball.
Get it?
The challenge has been laid down on this new coaching staff, and the players.
I like it.