Who’s going to start at quarterback for Texas when they take the field September 1st against Wyoming? We still don’t know the answer to that, but if they played today, Texas is apparently set to play both David Ash and Case McCoy who have been battling for the starting job throughout the spring and into fall camp.
"Right now obviously one guy is going to have to roll out there at the beginning. You have to do that," offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin said. "But if they continue progressing like they have been through these next few practices before we play, you can expect both guys out there."
Hmmm, this could get interesting.
Many have tabbed 2012 as the year Texas starts playing like the Texas again. They will have one of the best defenses in the country. The running game should be solid. They have playmakers at wide receiver. The one variable affecting all the preseason predictions, however, has always been what to expect from the quarterback position. And apparently it’s still a question mark, and a big one at that.
"There are strength and weakness with both guys," Harsin said. "And what we found out is each guy, you put them in different scenarios and they go and they operate. They both operated well in different situations.
"So we're looking at different schemes and things like that that both quarterbacks can be successful."
Of course this doesn’t mean that Ash and McCoy will be rotating every play, every series, or even playing anywhere near the same amount of snaps. Harsin said himself if the situation is right, it could create an opportunity for the other guy to come in and play. So does mean if the situation isn’t right, one guy goes the whole way as Ash did in the Holiday Bowl last December?
By Texas contemplating playing two guys under center, it does become apparent the Longhorns don’t yet have a guy who has stepped forward and made the job his. You don’t hear any rumblings about USC considering rotating Matt Barkley at quarterback do you? If you have a guy who can do everything you ask of him, there’s no need to play anyone else.
Who knows, maybe they can find a system that works for them. After all, it doesn’t matter how you win games as long as you leave the field with more points than your opponent. Oklahoma has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Landry Jones, yet they still plan on using Blake Bell in the Bell Dozer package at times. That’s situational and seems to work for them.
But that raises the question, what exactly does Ash do better than McCoy and vice versa. They are two quarterbacks that seem to have similar skill sets. Each has strengths and weaknesses just like every other player on the roster. Maybe we’ll find out exactly what situations each excels in when they take the field against Wyoming. Or maybe we won’t.
With the season less than two weeks away, the fact Texas is considering play both of its quarterbacks creates as many questions as it does answers. Until one guy puts his best foot forward and proves he can be the leader on offense, the uncertainty around the position is going to continue to exist and that’s one big distraction Texas could do without.
