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Chances Tommy is our starter next year?

NebChicago

First Team All-Big Ten
Oct 14, 2009
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Chances Tommy is our starter next year?

Given Riley's age can he really stomach another year of this nonsense?

What's your % chance Tommy is starter and what would other options be?
 
Watching his post game interview now. He takes full responsibility - "it's all on me". "I've got to fix myself before this thing gets better."
 
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Per MR: "Riley said quarterback Tommy Armstrong had a lot of production over the course of the season, "so you want to accentuate the positives and correct the negatives" going into the offseason."
So yeah, he'll probably start again.
 
Who exactly is going to replace him next season?

O'Brien certainly could, since he'll be here for Spring ball. I mean, he'd have to be a freshman mature beyond his years, but if he can avoid truly stupid throws, he'll have a shot to be a kind of game manager
 
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Per MR: "Riley said quarterback Tommy Armstrong had a lot of production over the course of the season, "so you want to accentuate the positives and correct the negatives" going into the offseason."
So yeah, he'll probably start again.
There's literally no way to read anything into that. What's he supposed to say? "He sucks and I'm going to yank his scholarship."
 
O'Brien certainly could, since he'll be here for Spring ball. I mean, he'd have to be a freshman mature beyond his years, but if he can avoid truly stupid throws, he'll have a shot to be a kind of game manager

It's been awhile since we've had a true freshman stating at QB and the last one was a legend here.
 
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depends who we get, most freshmen qb's need time, too bad we couldn't get a good juco passing qb
 
It's a valid question -- for all the good Tommy can bring, he negates it all with his extremely poor decision making. You can win with a QB who isn't necessarily a big stats guy, heck Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl -- but you cannot win consistently with a QB that doesn't take care of the football at any level. So, yeah, if POB can take care of the football, he has a really good shot.
 
It's been awhile since we've had a true freshman stating at QB and the last one was a legend here.

I'd argue that Tommy Armstrong is the equivalent of this generation's Mike Grant. He's just not very good. He's a place holder. I know freshman don't start very often, and it may be a thing where Tommy starts the year and O'brien slides in, but getting in earlier does give him a bonus.
 
I thought Darlington looked good in the Spring and he didn't even sniff the field this season. So I highly doubt O'Brien will be the starter against Fresno next September. Maybe later in the season if TA doesn't improve his decision making.
 
I'd argue that Tommy Armstrong is the equivalent of this generation's Mike Grant. He's just not very good. He's a place holder. I know freshman don't start very often, and it may be a thing where Tommy starts the year and O'brien slides in, but getting in earlier does give him a bonus.

I'm not saying he cant do so but I just don't think he will do so. It's hard to replace experience no matter how many mistakes you make. The problem with the young guys is that they make the same mistakes Tommy makes, Tommy just hasnt gotten over his mistakes and probably never will.
 
I think Tommy starts the season and ideally plays well enough to play the entire season. It's a lot to ask a true freshman QB to come in and win the job. Maybe POB is the exception but I think it's more likely he redshirts than starts.
 
I'm not saying he cant do so but I just don't think he will do so. It's hard to replace experience no matter how many mistakes you make. The problem with the young guys is that they make the same mistakes Tommy makes, Tommy just hasnt gotten over his mistakes and probably never will.

I'm by no means saying O'Brien is a lock, but I have a hard time believing that if O'Brien is as good as advertised, Riley is going to be willing to give Tommy a long leash. Armstrong made some really good plays this year, he made more bad ones. His receivers, especially towards the end of the year bailed him out and kept his season from looking epically bad. As many people as there are calling for Riley's head right now, if we start out struggling and even a few of those struggles can be pinned on Armstrong's decision making I don't think it's unrealistic to think O'Brien might get a shot. Or Bush or Darlington.
 
Coaching staff will never correct tommy, but he will be our starter next year. Book it.
 
We'll get the exact same thing from TA that we've got every other year. Unless POB is Beau Davis, start him and let him take his bumps.
 
It's lumps. And people wanted Ryker fife to start, right up until he did, And threw 5 picks.

Hey Bumps...lumps...my brain is still drunk and frozen. :-/ That's how I feel. If TA shows up and plays amazing next year, I'll happily eat my crow.
 
O'Brien certainly could, since he'll be here for Spring ball. I mean, he'd have to be a freshman mature beyond his years, but if he can avoid truly stupid throws, he'll have a shot to be a kind of game manager
in the mike riley offense you cant be a game manager. qb is going to throw it to much to be a game manager
 
Per MR: "Riley said quarterback Tommy Armstrong had a lot of production over the course of the season, "so you want to accentuate the positives and correct the negatives" going into the offseason."
So yeah, he'll probably start again.
In theory that is true, but Armstrong is who he is. At this point you aren't going to correct how he throws, you aren't going to correct his accuracy, you aren't going to correct poor decision making. Guessing he has been playing qb since 4th grade. His habits are established. Yes I am sure certain aspects can be tweaked. Nothing drastic will change. He is a senior. What you see is what you get. Either the coach adapt the game play to his strength ( scrambling and running) or we find a qb that fits this system.
 
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Probably safe to assume POB doesn't have the arm that Armstrong does. But, from his highlights it seems adequate and some of what he lacks in arm strength can be made up for with timing, anticipation, and accuracy. The biggest thing he has to be on par with or better than Armstrong is decision making and field vision. Doesn't get much worse than what we have seen this year from him in those categories.
 
in the mike riley offense you cant be a game manager. qb is going to throw it to much to be a game manager

That's just not true. You can be a game manager by making correct decisions and not going for the home run ball on every throw. You look at the bombs Tommy put up tonight. There were ALWAYS receivers running wide open underneath. Instead of throwing it as hard as he could every time somone ran a streak, he could have "managed" the game by dinking and dunking and going to his checkdown, since the deep receiver was always well covered.

I don't mean game manager in that he throws 12 times a game and hands it off the rest. I mean a game manager in that he's looking to get first downs instead of touchdowns and letting the game unfold in front of him. Somewhere along the way, Tommy fell in love with his arm, and it absolutely destroyed any chance for real growth as a quarterback.
 
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