Years down the road, when we go back and think about this season, we may forget that JJ was overlooked early in the season and Hatch favored instead. And we will look back on it and say why the hell was that?
The point is that earlier in the season, Hatch and Lee were the two best options available, with JJ further back in development (green). I don't think anyone could have known about the rate of progression, or lack of, on Lee's part until later in the season, or the hidden gem in Jefferson. It seems like there is some similarity with Lee and JR in the sense that there were not much opportunity in the easier games to allow the other backup QB to come in with more meaningful playing time....I am referring to JJ and Flynn respectively. I was impressed with JJ's character when he told his teammates before the game that he WOULD NOT let them down.:thumb: I am afraid you are right; LEE lost the confidence of the team toward's season's end and he has an uphill battle in his hands.
He wouldn't have played anyway if his knowledge of the playbook was any better. Lee "knew" the play book (and made loads more mistakes in the same amount of playing time as JJ), and had he not been injured against OM, he'd still be the starter. It was Lee or bust. To my understanding, Rohan and Hester both looked like crap in practice, but it was in game time situations where they shined. You can't tell me that ALL of Lee's shortcomings were nowhere to be found on the practice field. There is a very good possibility JJ wasn't given a fair shot.
While we're playing the "what if" game: What if JJ had come in earlier and under more perceived pressure threw incompletions, INTS and was sacked often by SEC defenses , who BTW are superior to GT's defense. With a bruised/crushed confidence and the team not buying into his youthful leadership, how would you feel about next season? What if could always be worse. Just sayin'
:insane: All I'm saying is that he's smarter about the LSU football program (you know, the one he's the CEO and head bottle-washer of) than you. You'd be surprised at how many things about Miles rub me the wrong way - I just don't presume to know more about his $4M a year job than he does. Even when I'm at my giddiest/most despondent about the program. You're an excellent poster, Izzy. You're just not always right. Neither am I.
In 2000, we finished 8-4, and a lot of people were mad that Saban stuck with Booty. Booty played the first four games, and did poorly (including in the loss to UAB). Then Booty got hurt and Rohan Davey goes in and we beat #8 Tennessee. Then Davey does poorly against a juggernaut Florida defense, so Saban put Booty back in and stuck with Booty the rest of the season. Booty did alright until his horrible performance in our lost to Arkansas and his horrible performance in the first half of the Peach Bowl. Saban put Davey in, and Davey won Peach Bowl MVP. After the game, people were bitter at Saban for not playing Davey more during the season (fortunately Booty left early for the NFL Draft, so we didn't have to worry about it the next season). Same with the Randall/Russell QB situation... it made people mad. That's why I hate not having a proven QB, because it gets people upset. Fortunately JJ blew up yesterday and played like a megastar, similar to what Lee did against Auburn. Hopefully JJ can keep it up next season.
This is fair. But, Les and Crowton would have had him running the offense that Hatch was running, which did not put Hatch in situations where he was throwing picks (I think Hatch had only 1 interception). It was merely to come in and either hand off the ball or run the option and throw a few "safe" passes. Nothing tells me that there would have been any chance that we would have ruined JJ's confidence or psyche based on that.
If you want to fault the coaches, fault them for wanting to redshirt JJ. I didn't think that was a realistic expectation from seeing Hatch in practice. No doubt JJ had more potential than Hatch. The unknown was the potential for failure. I choose to side with Bandit and believe the coaches know much more about the situation than we do.
