Sports
O'Brien not betting on a QB
Tom O'Brien's not making a decision on a starter yet, but he can at least joke about it!
Posted — UpdatedBy Ken Medlin
Tom O’Brien still hasn’t named a starting quarterback, but he has delivered the line of the season so far.
When asked if he were a betting man would there be a day he would bet on naming a starter, O’Brien quickly laughed and said: “I was at BC, we don’t bet!”
O’Brien was, of course, referring to a late 1970’s point shaving scandal at Boston College. The scandal involved BC’s basketball team, and happened way before O’Brien’s time in Beantown.
Interestingly enough, one of the key figures involved in the scandal was Henry Hill – best known now as the central character in the movie “Goodfellas.”
Regardless, don’t place your bets on Mike Glennon to be the Pack’s starting quarterback.
O’Brien has narrowed NC State’s quarterback competition down to two: Daniel Evans and Russell Wilson. And he plans to redshirt Glennon, saying, “It’s just not his time.”
Glennon himself admitted this weekend that the transition has been difficult, saying he’s made more mistakes in pre-season practice than in two years of high school.
But this is not high school. It’s the ACC, and experience matters.
In choosing to redshirt Glennon, O’Brien takes the safe and sure rout. Throwing a true freshman quarterback into the fire, no matter how talented he may be, should only be done in extreme circumstances.
If he’s the best candidate, then trot him out there. But State has older, more experienced options at QB. So why not give Glennon a year to mature and learn the system? He’s still the future. But the future isn’t now.
Russell Wilson may not have game experience, but he does have a year under his belt. And he’s still in the hunt to be leader of the Pack, which says something for his ability.
My guess is still Daniel Evans to start – at least for week one. But I’m not betting on it.
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