Nebraska's first game is a week and a half away. Someone, whether it be Zac Lee, Cody Green, or Taylor Martinez, is going to get the start. Knowing Bo Pelini, we won't know until just before the game starts, and even then it probably won't matter much.
Western Kentucky, the team with the longest losing current losing streak in FBS, isn't likely to put up much of a fight. That means that everybody will play, so the game is likely to generate more controversy than it resolves unless two of the three quarterback candidates fall flat on their faces. Or Latravis Washington plays like a man possessed.
Case in point - during last year's Florida Atlantic game, Cody Green ripped off a nice looking 49-yard run, and completed 2-of-3 passes in a 49-3 romp. After the game, Mrs CN said the guys behind her were falling all over Green.
"He's the real deal", said one.
"Sure is", said the other.
You know the rest of the story. Green started two games, looked every bit as raw as a freshman quarterback would. Nothing shocking there, he just wasn't the offensive messiah everyone wanted him to be. For that reason, Green isn't carrying the buzz this season.
No, that's left to the next man up, Taylor Martinez. The buzz is everywhere, being generated by a Nebraska media that's looking for any story line that'll stick to the wall because Pelini doesn't give them much to go on. They can't just make shit up like we can (did I just contradict myself?), or have t-shirt contests to fill in where football content should go. Martinez hasn't played a down of college football, and he's got a nickname - "T-Magic". Zac Lee don't have no nickname. Neither does Cody Green.
The same thing that attracts us to Martinez is the same thing that attracts us to political candidates who have little to no experience, to blind dates, (or in my case a beer that I've never had before) - they could be the greatest thing ever ..... until they let you down.
The fact that this is the most anticipated year of football EVER is only adding to the tension.
I'm not trying to piss on your parade. What I'm saying is - be cautious about what you're hearing and reading. Don't set the next man up to fail because he doesn't immediately meet expectations.
My guy is still Zac Lee. He has the experience, and he may have one other thing that hasn't been mentioned much, and that is a chemistry with his teammates. You could argue that last year's offense was so lousy that there wasn't much chemistry being developed, but the Zac Lee to Niles Paul combination won the game in the downpour at Missouri, and destroyed Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.
Granted, that ain't a whole lot to go on, but it's a whole lot more than the other two have at this point, and if you're basing your hopes on wishful thinking or that you hate Zac Lee, then answer this - when was the last time a team with a starting freshman quarterback won a championship?
The week after Western Kentucky comes Idaho. They don't appear to be too dangerous, although their offense could spell trouble if Nebraska's offense can't get going. For the purposes of this article, we'll ignore the dangerous aspect and expect another crushing Husker win.
How many expect that we'll know who the starter is going into Idaho, or will Pelini get some satisfaction in playing the "competition" card, meaning we don't find out who starts that game until the team takes the field. More controversy, more talk.
By the time we head to Washington, fans don't know who the real starter is, and neither do the Huskies. Now, that could be intriguing. For whom do they prepare? Zac Lee, the game manager, Taylor Martinez, the whizz bang kid who can light up a defense with his feet, or that Cody Green kid who's somewhere in between.
Like I said. Longest Offseason EVER.
(Oh, wait, I'm supposed to put periods between those for emphasis.)
Longest. Offseason. EVER.