NCAA Football Report (Week 4)
The NCAA is enjoying a new era of quarterbacks that have taken over the league thanks to more talent and better situations.
It has always been the tradition in the NCAA to find players and then build a strategy around those players.
That is the easiest way to win the NCAA because you have to find ways to use your most talented players when you get them.
Not every recruiting class is going to have a player that can literally take over a game.
Those type of players come around only a few times and when they are put on a team they need to be used properly.
The NCAA is good about this and those who aren’t good about this tend to fall behind fast.
To keep a NCAA job winning right now is very important as recruiting classes will only take someone so far.
If those recruiting classes aren’t used properly the talent won’t translate and the teams won’t win like they need to in order for coaches to keep their jobs.
That’s why these NCAA coaches need to be flexible and when they get the talent that can change a team they need to have that ability to let those players be at their best.
That is what is happening in the NCAA right now and as of right now the talent is mainly in the quarterback position.
The biggest difference from the past though is that this era is full of dual threat quarterbacks who can hurt a team both through the air and on the ground.
They have the athletic ability to run the ball and still have arms that can make life tough on defences throughout the league.
These quarterbacks are becoming more common than ever before as every team is looking for that player that can make a difference in both aspects of the game.
Right now one is taking over again as Lamar Jackson has quickly become the talk of the NCAA for his ability to score touchdowns from anywhere.
He is the latest example of a great dual-threat QB but he also presents the same issues that every other dual-threat quarterback does.
Namely, that issue comes up when looking ahead to the pros where these dual-threats aren’t catching on at the same speed.
There are some great ones that have been successful but in the NFL there are more coaches unwilling to change their philosophy for a player than there are in the NCAA.
Instead, head coaches in the NFL want players that can fit their system and for many that means a traditional signal caller.
They prefer someone who can stand in the pocket and make all of the reads to find the right receiver to throw to downfield.
It is a bonus if that quarterback can get out of the pocket when the reads aren’t open and make something out of nothing.
A true dual-threat QB can often panic in the NFL when their first or second read isn’t there and they get out of the pocket early.
They can fail to make the proper reads and rely on their athleticism to carry them which is fine in the NCAA but won’t work in the NFL.
In a league where everyone is faster and stronger relying on athleticism alone doesn’t work because there will always be someone who can catch them or someone who understands angles better than they do who will get them.
The need to win allows for these great athletes to truly be themselves and play at a different level but it is also doing them a disservice.
Although NCAA coaches need to win and would prefer to let their athletes be athletes they are not teaching these quarterbacks some of the fundamental parts of the game and of being a quarterback are lost.
They are not preparing them for a future in the NFL instead sacrificing a future for the present in a theme of the NCAA, preparing the future for the athletes comes second to the program.
Key Scores:
#7 Stanford Cardinal 22-13 UCLA Bruins
– The Cardinal and their star Christian McCaffrey had another chance to be featured but this time, he didn’t take full advantage as the Cardinal came out on top but barely with McCaffrey not having his best game
#11 Wisconsin Badgers 30-6 Michigan State Spartans #8
– The Spartans were riding high after beating the Irish in a big rivalry game but that big win might have given them a bit too much confidence as they didn’t seem ready to face the Badgers who ended their season streak
#14 Tennessee Volunteers 38-28 Florida Gators #19
– It has been a while since Tennessee has been a contender and their 11-game losing streak to the Gators was proof but they broke that streak and proved that they are contenders now as their great season continues on
Auburn Tigers 18-13 LSU Tigers #18
– The Tiger Bowl is always a great SEC rivalry and with any SEC rivalry there are sure to be some twists and turns which included this game as LSU seemed to have the game in the bag until a video review took away a last minute touchdown to give Auburn the win
Next Week:
Stanford Cardinal vs. Washington Huskies (Friday, September 30th; 9:00 pm ET)
– The cardinals will once again get a chance to be on the big stage in their toughest game yet against a quietly good Huskies team who will have the chance to prove that they belong among the best teams in the country
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan Wolverines (Saturday, October 1st; 3:30 pm ET)
– The Badgers have had a good run this year surprising plenty of good teams and now they try to get one more as they take on the Wolverines in hopes that another win can bring them closer to a Big Ten championship
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Georgia Bulldogs (Saturday, October 1st; 3:30 pm ET)
– The Vols are having a great year breaking a big streak against Florida and they continue their SEC schedule against the Bulldogs in hopes that their big win will not distract them from another important game
Louisville Cardinals vs. Clemson Tigers (Saturday, October 1st; 8:00 pm ET)
– The Cardinals are one of the best teams in the country and they hope to prove it as Lamar Jackson heads to Clemson where he tries to beat a top team and outshine one of the best quarterbacks in the country
The Sport Addiction 