RE: Scotty Young…not to pick nits, but Young was not the top rated HS QB in Texas. He was behind Connor Wood (UT), James Frankilin (Missouri), and Zach Lee (LSU). But he WAS the fourth highest rated QB in high school, which is pretty much just as good.

pretty much spot on.

I continue to find irony in the Pott’s / Sheffield debates. Potts was always starter between the two when it appeared he was physically able while Mike was coach and even when the very popular interim OC chose a starter for the bowl game. He was replaced by Sheffield when that OC determined that Potts was injured…at least as it was worded at the time.

Poor Brown is in in unenviable position (perhaps much to Mike’s relief) of having to pick a qb from two guys who are at the heart of the greatest qb controversy of Mike Leach’s tenure. He ain’t gonna come out on that one unless there are lots and lots of wins…regardless of qb play.

I honestly think we can win with either. Maybe Potts has more upside…he certainly had that as a hope from Mike who seemed to be for ever wondering why Potts could not transfer what he did in practice to game time. Twelve or 13 games is all they get to play who ever they are at the helm…geeesh, I hope it is not ‘they’ again. I also think winning will be more of a function of OL and receivers than the qb…but he will get the focus of attention anyway.

Doege, Karam, and Young are the next generation, neither of them see much if any playing time unless he has caught Brown’s eye (perhaps with Cumbie’s influence) and earns a spot ahead of a senior either as starter or 2nd…not likely. Of the three, I am willing to guess that Young has the strongest arm, he is the one who worthy of consideration as a major league pitcher candidate.

QB’s are one of the strengths of the team. Getting the ball every snap is how they get rated. They are entrusted to enable the key spread component of distribution. The success of the offense has been built on the principle that if you don’t cover them they will catch it. If they catch and you don’t tackle in space then they will get the first down by the time the free safety runs them out of bounds.
I agree the starting QB job is Sheffield’s to lose. But the question becomes does he lose it to Potts, Karam or Doege?
IMO. What Leach saw in Potts was arm strength simply stretching the field out another 10 yards. All that reading and evaluating was happening for Taylor but for variety of reasons he was geting wacked around. The only decision Coach Brown has to make by spring is how to put a simple naming convention in place so the O line, backs and receivers are all on the same sheet of music and it doesn’t t sound exactly like what Leach called it.(sarcasm inserted) So IMO whoever gets it quickest gets to start. Yes over simplistic reasoning. What do I know they may keep the same plays just because it’s easier. The truth of the matter will boil down to how many Red Zone opportunities the offense can generate and convert. So no worries on the spread being executed in Lubbock. I will be very interested in the definition of success – will it be a balance achieved by distribution of the ball among positions or type of play calling ?
I think that is where you get to see the hybridization of what Coaches Cumbie, Brown, Mainord the younger and Moore field. It’s gonna be pretty exciting at any rate.

And I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night so there’s no need to question me.

I agree that Sheffield probably gets the nod as the starter for Tech. Potts will makes for a good solid back up and will get play time. My concern with Sheffield is mainly his physical appearance. He needs body weight and a a good summer in the weight room. If he gets hit the way he’s built now we are in trouble. Surely these coaches will beef him up when evaluating him.

I dont think there is any question that Potts gets the nod over Sheffield. Sheffield is like any good back up. He comes in and gives his team a spark that they need when the team is down. Potts on the other hand by the end of the season picked up the desire that he needed to lead the team. Was it just me or did anybody else see how upset he was when he got benched when his hand got hurt in the Alamo Bowl. This kid is a fighter and I would be really surprised if he lets Sheffield take his job from him. I expect Potts to have a great year and turn a lot of heads after the experience he gained this year. And lets not forget how great we thought he was after the Texas game staying in the pocket taking hit after hit and delievering the ball where it needed to be.

Again, Leach has a stellar track record for identifying quarterback talent.

This is a somewhat questionable statement in my opinion. Leach has a really good system. I think in the 10 years Leach was at Tech he had one elite quarterback, Graham Harrell, and a couple of good ones and several very iffy guys (See Hodges, Cody and Cumbie, Sonny). I believe that Leach’s biggest problems at Tech was not having a really good quarterback for most of his tenure. Let’s not start saying that Leach was a great evaluator of talent when he’s only had a handful of players drafted and none of them were QB’s.

TallMike, you are giving KWalsh a run for his money

I know Potts’ history, and regardless of his lack of performance, the dude can play.

My take is that leadership is going to play a major role in Coach’s decision. It just seems like he wants a good leader who will take care of business. Now, I don’t know the work ethic of all these guys so I can’t make a prediction, but I wanted to put my two cents in.

I drive from DFW to go to the Jones games. I paid big $$ to see the Raiders at JerryWorld. I went to the Cotton Bowls and the Valero Bowl.

I love the Raiders!!!

But I am sick and tired of seeing Potts’ passes go “high and outside” (or worse yet, get intercepted) after throwing off his back foot. Where is the daily practice/quarterback coaching, please?

I vote for Sticks! I believe his body guards (the o-line) really play harder for the guy, rather than Potts. Sheffield was always patting the line on the back, encouraging them. I didn’t see that with Potts.

is Dustin Eskew still practicing with the team? I doubt he has a chance at the starting role but I was just curious.

There have been only two other occasions the last decade where Texas Tech has had the fortune of a returning starter, but we have two, three if you count Doege, returning this year. There are two training sessions to go through before the starting QB NEEDS to be selected. Potts and Sheffield have the upper hand due to their possessing the most experience of returners. The possibility of someone other than them being named the 2010 starter is remote. Because Doege has an extra year and a small bit of experience places him slightly over Karem. So, until the decision is made, the starter is a tossup between Potts and Sheffield. What can throw this whole thing into a mixer is if Doege and Karen display enough moxie to push one or both of the leaders down. None of the four can be discounted. That is what Spring and Fall sessions are for: to determine the best option. What may be lost in the speculation is the fact that all four are very talented and capable of leading a BCS division team. While we all have our preferences, the choice of the starter rests with the coaches, with Tuberville having the last say. I can’t read his mind, especially not from about 380 miles away. But, he is an experienced coach and has the people in place to make sound decisions based on what they see and approve of, sorting through it all to make their choice for that coveted slot. I give in to them and can only hope that whomever is selected will lead the Raiders to the best possible year. The rest of you guys can continue arguing, but remember, you have zero say on who plays, so be ready to accept someone you may not prefer. But be happy. Tech will be fine.

Just say Quarter Back!!!
Interesting term. You don’t really have half or full backs anymore. Now we never had 3/4 backs right. Where did tailback come from? I guess the power I. Then you’ve got wing backs, slots, hell even nickel backs on the other side. Long live the wildcat.

he has more playing time than sticks does because potts played quite a bit of mop-up time in 2008 and he looked pretty good. I think potts gets his mental game straight and coach brown and cumbie fix his mechanics. Potts comes out and wows us and we have a great season. :)