Things I found Interesting on MSU Media Day

[Bubb Rubb]

Who is looking likely?

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

[HSVDawg]

According to one of their parents- that is 100% the plan. Mullen has been asked to make a decision by the end of week 3

End of week 3 is not before the season starts. And that would be incredibly stupid on the part of whichever player it is if they left midseason. They'd lose a whole year of eligibility even if they never played a snap in the first couple of weeks.

ETA: Sorry, missed above post about it being Week 3 of practice. Please disregard.

[Jarius]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

If Williams is our qb we will struggle to get bowl eligible. He is nowhere near an SEC caliber player.

[Maroons]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

I don't believe it even if Mullen is really saying it.

But if he's saying it offline, why in the world do you feel the need to post it publicly? Don't do crap like that.

[Mjoelner34]

If Williams is our qb we will struggle to beat South Alabama.

fify

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams. I don't think Fitz has his act together off the field.

Funny,I heard the complete opposite the other day...rumors abound this time of year.

[mcain31]

I don't care which QB wins. I want someone to grab the brass ring and be a winner

[thf24]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams.

Sounds like 100% coachspeak to me. If a shred of possibility of Williams being the starter over Fitz and Staley had ever existed in Mullen's mind, he would have played last year after he'd healed up. You don't redshirt a veteran for a year just to throw him on the field over multiple more talented younger guys the next. Seems pretty clear to me that Mullen's plan last year was to get Fitz and Staley the garbage time reps in preparation for this year while sitting Williams to give him an extra year should he choose to transfer. If he'd entertained the smallest possibility of Williams being this year's starter, he'd have gotten some reps towards the end of the year.

[maroonmania]

I'm sure Mullen doesn't either. Curious to see how he handles it. If nobody transfers out- we are going to see both of them play early. The thing is, you don't want to keep someone around that's going to be a problem either. That could easily happen into the season if he doesn't make a decision and one of them ends up sitting. They want to be able to transfer out to play juco and then find another school.

Why would anyone leave or announce a transfer during the season? That would be stupid. We've had seasons where our 3rd string QB has ended up starting due to injuries. I mean even if you want to transfer you can't do that until the next semester.

[maroonmania]

Yes but can they realistically go into another team mid season like that and pick up their offense that quickly? It just seems like it would be hard to just show up and do that. Especially as short as the JUCO season is.

Exactly, if one of our QBs wants to step down in competition to play they would at least need to get a fall camp in at the new place just to get the offense down a little. Anyway, by the time our starting job is settled its likely going to be too late to transfer and enroll as a student to get on any other team anyway.

[maroonmania]

If they want Mullen to pick a starter by week 3, they aren't going to get to juco by the time the 1st game is played. Their schedule starts the same as ours. They aren't going to go through our fall camp and 2 weeks of the season and then go to a juco team and pick up the playbook in the middle of the football season (if you are talking about week 3 of the season). If you are talking about week 3 of training camp, well he isn't going to make a decision by then more than likely so they are probably going to have to get over it.

If anyone leaves its going to be someone that has seen the handwriting on the wall and does so before the first game.

[Bothrops]

Remember, Mullen likes tall qb's. People are knocking on Williams, but he would have been a great SEC qb prospect 15-20 years ago. I think he can play, but is limited with his height. The 3 other guys have too much of an advantage.

[lamont]

Why would anyone leave or announce a transfer during the season? That would be stupid. We've had seasons where our 3rd string QB has ended up starting due to injuries. I mean even if you want to transfer you can't do that until the next semester.

Because players today aren't interested in waiting their turn. Why sit here on the bench when you can go juco and start? Then be recruited again somewhere that needs QB help in D-1.

Why stay here and ride the pine in Year 3?

[maroonmania]

Because players today aren't interested in waiting their turn. Why sit here on the bench when you can go juco and start? Then be recruited again somewhere that needs QB help in D-1.

Why stay here and ride the pine in Year 3?

Your response only answers why someone would leave after the season. To leave or announce leaving during the season still makes no sense. EVERY school has a last day to enroll (even JUCOs) so even if someone saw they weren't getting playing time in the first game or two they would be hard pressed to get onto a team somewhere else.

[lamont]

Your response only answers why someone would leave after the season. To leave or announce leaving during the season still makes no sense. EVERY school has a last day to enroll (even JUCOs) so even if someone saw they weren't getting playing time in the first game or two they would be hard pressed to get onto a team somewhere else.

Let me spell this out:

If Fitz or Staley isn't named the starter by the end of the 3rd week of practice- Aug 20th or so- then they are going to be frantically looking for a school to transfer to. Considering most colleges don't start classes until middle or late August- that is plenty of time to transfer.

I can't be any clearer. Mullen, the QB's, and most everybody on the team is going to know who the starting QB is going to be by the end of week 3 of practice.

[Beaver]

Mullen is telling people offline that if the season started today it would be Williams.

And if the first game actually was tonight, I'd expect Williams to start. When Mullen lies in bed before the first game, he won't be thinking "who has the best upside" or "who can throw the ball downfield", he'll be thinking "who can manage the game well, and not turn the ball over"? Williams, AS OF TODAY, is the only QB who has any experience in a big time environment. He's kinda like Wyatt Roberts from Last Chance U...He's not Cadillac, but he's a reliable truck.

Now, I think most agree Fitz/Tiano/Staley all have higher ceilings than Williams. But one of them is going to have to start reaching towards their ceiling during fall camp. Someone who can lead the team, and can manage the gameplan. Personally, I hope it's Fitz or Tiano that receives the 1st snap against USA. However, if Williams is the guy, I won't bash Mullen....unless Williams turns the ball over and can't manage the game. Then all bets are off.

[1bigdawg]

Let me spell this out:

If Fitz or Staley isn't named the starter by the end of the 3rd week of practice- Aug 20th or so- then they are going to be frantically looking for a school to transfer to. Considering most colleges don't start classes until middle or late August- that is plenty of time to transfer.

I can't be any clearer. Mullen, the QB's, and most everybody on the team is going to know who the starting QB is going to be by the end of week 3 of practice.

This. I don't understand why so many posters can't grasp this and you have to spell it out for them. Also, Tiano will not start the first game no matter what. Mullen is not going to have both Fitz and Staley transfer.

[Jarius]

Williams is not reliable. He helped us beat an Arkansas team in overtime that went winless in the conference and he scored 7 points in 3 quarters against ole miss. He got worse as a sophomore. He is not the answer, and if he is named the starter we are in serious shit. Fitzgerald looked better last year than Williams has looked at any point in his MSU career.

[ShotgunDawg]

Williams is not reliable. He helped us beat an Arkansas team in overtime that went winless in the conference and he scored 7 points in 3 quarters against ole miss. He got worse as a sophomore. He is not the answer, and if he is named the starter we are in serious shit.

This. My opinion is that Mullen is spreading the Williams stuff to make a point to the other QBs about what they will need to do to win the job.

Williams starting would be a disaster. He has little upside, a long release, and still turns the ball over.

[RiverCityDawg]

And if the first game actually was tonight, I'd expect Williams to start. When Mullen lies in bed before the first game, he won't be thinking "who has the best upside" or "who can throw the ball downfield", he'll be thinking "who can manage the game well, and not turn the ball over"? Williams, AS OF TODAY, is the only QB who has any experience in a big time environment. He's kinda like Wyatt Roberts from Last Chance U...He's not Cadillac, but he's a reliable truck.

Now, I think most agree Fitz/Tiano/Staley all have higher ceilings than Williams. But one of them is going to have to start reaching towards their ceiling during fall camp. Someone who can lead the team, and can manage the gameplan. Personally, I hope it's Fitz or Tiano that receives the 1st snap against USA. However, if Williams is the guy, I won't bash Mullen....unless Williams turns the ball over and can't manage the game. Then all bets are off.

I agree with this explanation, except not based on Williams being "reliable" as much as Fitz/Staley not quite doing everything they need to do YET to seize the job. Mullen isn't going to give the job to either of them by default. Not at this point, at least. Like you, I'm extremely hopeful that one of them will take the next step during camp. Just part of the process.