Saturday’s game between Auburn and Florida might as well be called the “Quarterback Bowl.”
Yes, it’s an extremely corny and hardly creative, but all anyone is concerned about when talking about this matchup is the quarterback position.
That’s what happens when you have Florida coach Will Muschamp fielding two true freshmen and Auburn’s Gene Chizik having to reaffirm earlier this week that his junior quarterback was still the starter.
If you haven’t heard by now, well, welcome back to Earth. Those freshmen are Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel, while the junior is Barrett Trotter, who is seeing freshman Kiehl Frazier get more snaps each game -- and all four could play this weekend.
Hence, the Quarterback Bowl.
Both coaches are working this week to defend multiple quarterbacks and both find it equally as challenging.
“It’s a problem preparing for them regardless of whether you even know who’s starting at quarterback because they do so many things with other guys too,” Chizik said Wednesday. “They’ll do stuff with [Chris] Rainey and they’ll do stuff with [Trey] Burton. They have other avenues to get other people at the quarterback position/wildcat.”
One advantage for the Tigers is that they won’t be game planning for two quarterbacks that are worlds apart in ability. Brissett isn’t quite the runner Driskel is, but he evaded LSU defenders well last week and he can use his legs if he wants to.
Both Muschamp and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis have said the game plan will be the same with both quarterbacks in.
As for Muschamp, he’ll have to scheme for a pure passer in Trotter and a runner in Frazier. However, knowing that Trotter will be the starter, simplifies the preparation to an extent. Facing two quarterbacks with two different skill sets can be frustrating, but knowing who will get the majority of the snaps helps.
“When we’re talking about two totally different, talented guys as far as doing different things, then, yes, that poses some problems and you kind of like to know who that guy might be,“ Muschamp said. “Obviously, they can switch gears in a game at any time and I know [offensive coordinator] Gus [Malzahn] can certainly do that.”
Malzahn no doubt will, but the player who should see most of the snaps is Trotter and Chizik said Trotter will continue to unless he starts regressing both on the field and in practice. Which is how Chizik treats all of his athletes.
“If we feel like there’s somebody’s that either better or somebody is not playing as well at his position and somebody can do the job better than him, then obviously we’ll make the change,” Chizik said.
Video: Preparing for the Rose Bowl - College Football Nation Blog - ESPNespn.memberservices.welcome();EDITIONS:USADEPORTESMoreAsiaAustraliaBrazilUnited KingdomCITIES:BOSTONCHICAGODALLASLOS ANGELESNEW YORKESPNCollege FootballShop.ie6 #searchBox, .ie6 #searchBox div { display: inline; } 855499College Football Nation BlogBlogs HomeCollege FB NationACCBig 12Big EastBig TenPac-10SECespn.core.init.flashHeader(jQuery('#sub-section-title'));window.fbAsyncInit = function() {FB.init({appId: "116656161708917",cookie: true, // these two are not required for partners thatstatus: true, // only rely on stk plugins and don't use connectxfbml: true,channelUrl: document.location.protocol + '//' + document.domain + '/facebook/channel.html'});jQuery(document).ready(function () {FB.XFBML.parse();FB.Event.subscribe('edge.create', function(href, widget) {if(typeof anTrackLink === 'function') {anTrackLink(jQuery('.fb_iframe_widget')[0],'espn','facebook','like');}});});};(function() {var e = document.createElement('script'); e.async = true;e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js';document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e);}());.post-wrapper .mod-content img, .post-wrapper .mod-content table { vertical-align: none; }.mod-blog-post .mod-inline .mod-content p.stats-title {margin: 0 !important;}.mod-blog-post .mod-content ul.stats li {margin: 0 !important;} Video: Preparing for the Rose BowlDecember, 27, 2010Dec 278:25PM ETEmailPrintCommentsBy Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett
Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett discuss the Monday preparations of Wisconsin and TCU for the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO.
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Wisconsin Badgers, TCU Horned Frogs, 2011 Rose Bowl coverage
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112909 (6)helmet stickers 120609 (5)what to watch 120309 (7)what we learned 112209 (8)what we learned 112909 (7)TOP 25 SCOREBOARDTuesday, 12/286:30 PM ET 22West VirginiaNorth Carolina StateESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets10:00 PM ET 12MissouriIowaESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsSaturday, 12/18Final Brigham Young52UTEP24RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartFinal Northern Illinois40Fresno State17RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartFinal Ohio21Troy48RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartTuesday, 12/21Final Southern Miss28Louisville31RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartWednesday, 12/22Final 19Utah310Boise State26RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartThursday, 12/23Final Navy14San Diego State35RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartFriday, 12/24Final 24Hawaii35Tulsa62RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartSunday, 12/26Final Florida International34Toledo32RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartMonday, 12/27Final Air Force14Georgia Tech7RecapBox ScoreDrive ChartWednesday, 12/292:30 PM ET East CarolinaMarylandESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets6:00 PM ET IllinoisBaylorESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets9:15 PM ET 14Oklahoma StateArizonaESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsThursday, 12/3012:00 PM ET ArmySouthern MethodistESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets3:20 PM ET Kansas StateSyracuseESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets6:40 PM ET North CarolinaTennesseeESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets10:00 PM ET 18NebraskaWashingtonESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsFriday, 12/3112:00 PM ET South FloridaClemsonESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets2:00 PM ET Notre DameMiami (FL)CBSPreviewTickets3:30 PM ET Georgia25UCFESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets7:30 PM ET 20South Carolina23Florida StateESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsSaturday, 1/112:00 PM ET NorthwesternTexas TechESPNU PreviewTickets1:00 PM ET 16Alabama9Michigan StateESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets1:00 PM ET FloridaPenn StateABCPreviewTickets1:30 PM ET 21Mississippi StateMichiganESPN2/ESPN3PreviewTickets5:00 PM ET 5Wisconsin3TCUESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets8:30 PM ET Connecticut7OklahomaESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsMonday, 1/38:30 PM ET 4Stanford13Virginia TechESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsTuesday, 1/48:30 PM ET 6Ohio State8ArkansasESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsThursday, 1/68:00 PM ET Middle TennesseeMiami (OH)ESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsFriday, 1/78:00 PM ET 11LSU17Texas A&MFOXPreviewTicketsSaturday, 1/812:00 PM ET PittsburghKentuckyESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsSunday, 1/99:00 PM ET 15NevadaBoston CollegeESPN/ESPN3PreviewTicketsMonday, 1/108:30 PM ET 2Oregon1AuburnESPN/ESPN3PreviewTickets
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TOP PERFORMERSC. Robinson Troy - QB32-42, 387 yds, 4 tdsvs OHIO | FinalR. Hillman San Diego St - RB28 car, 228 yds, 3 tdsvs NAVY | FinalG. Salas Hawaii - WR13 rec, 214 yds, 2 tds@ TUL | Final
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C. Robinson Troy - QB32-42, 387 yds, 4 tdsvs OHIO | Final
R. Hillman San Diego St - RB28 car, 228 yds, 3 tdsvs NAVY | Final
G. Salas Hawaii - WR13 rec, 214 yds, 2 tds@ TUL | Final
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