BCS Championship Game
After the first half of the BCS championship game, I didn’t know who I felt worse for – Colt McCoy or Garret Gilbert. On the one hand, Colt McCoy was knocked out of the biggest game of his life, just as Texas was about to take an enormous lead against Alabama. On the other hand, Garret Gilbert was a true freshman quarterback who had know run game to prop him up as he floundered to establish a tempo with his receivers. Colt McCoy had a golden arm, and Texas built its entire offense around it. And then, at the last minute, Alabama pulled the rug out from under them and forced them to go to their untested freshman. I felt bad for McCoy, but I felt worse for Gilbert.
But then Gilbert started to get his rhythm down, and I thought “this can’t be that bad for him – he’s playing in front of the entire nation with no expectations and he’s making this an interesting game!” I started to feel worse for poor Colt McCoy, standing there on the sidelines listening helplessly to the play calling.
And then, when it was 24-21, came the worst play for Gilbert: the sack and fumble. I knew who I felt worse for. Strictly speaking, I’m sure I’d have preferred to be Gilbert over being McCoy. But I felt worse for poor Garret Gilbert, thrust into the limelight without proper preparation against the #1 team in the nation. His final line of 15/40, 186 YDs passing, 2 TD and 4 INT doesn’t really tell the whole story. Gilbert is still the premiere young QB in the game today. He just got called up on the day he least expected it.
