Tom O’Brien After Russell Wilson

Although Russell says he is coming back to play in the fall even after being drafted in the 4th round of Major League Baseball’s Draft, it may be time for Tom O’Brien to dust off his Contingency Plan. After all, professional athletes NEVER posture and use leverage to get the maximum salary they can pull…

So the potential question now arises… what does the 2010 Football squad look like without Russell Wilson? Not good, it turns out.

If there was ever a time where we NEEDED an experienced quarterback, it would be this year, the year where we basically have a stable of unused and unproven running backs. Wilson would be able to use his plethora of weapons to keep defenses honest allowing the running game to get some reps and mature.

Enter Glennon, an unused and unproven quarterback. All of a sudden and despite Glennon’s tremendous upside potential, the offense looks anemic due to an utter lack of experience. It’s tough to have building years on both arms of the offense and it looks like we may have just that.

This scenario looks a lot like the first year post Rivers. Jay Davis was a highly recruited quarterback with all of intangibles and even said to have been “better than Rivers” at the time. Hah. Yea. But we drank the kool aid (at least to some extent) and believed that we would probably be ok even after losing one of the best quarterbacks the league had ever seen. Jay Davis would at least be competent while he gained experience.

It didn’t turn out that way for Jay Davis. And consistently bad quarterback play was a major nail in Chuck Amato’s coffin. Now I don’t want anyone to think I’m jumping to any conclusions as there’s a lot of “ifs” in this situation (IF Wilson doesn’t return, IF Glennon doesn’t turn out to be a standout quarterback, IF Tom O’Brien has consistently bad quarterback play).

However, looking at this season without Wilson doesn’t look good for Tom O’Brien. O’Brien has so far posted seasons of 5-7, 6-7, and 5-7, another sub .500 season may have Coach O’Brien’s seat getting mighty hot. How we improve upon last year’s bad season by removing the most athletic and talented guy on the field is a mountain that will be tough to climb.

Now, I am not advocating the firing of Tom O’Brien nor am I hoping or wishing that he has a bad season so he would get fired. I am merely pointing out a scenario that may very likely, and unfortunately, play out.

On the upside, Glennon does offer an extreme upside potential that I am sure he will no doubt fulfill. But to ask him to carry a weak team (on both sides of the ball) having never played a meaningful snap of college ball… may be asking a little too much and setting him up for ultimate failure. If Wilson does not return, I say we all temper our expectations and give Glennon the room and the time to grow. Rome wasn’t built in a day and NC State won’t be a national contender in a season.

One thing that Chuck Amato had the first year post Rivers… was a history of going to Bowl Games (and winning them).

'10 Football NCS Football Tom O'Brien

33 Responses to Tom O’Brien After Russell Wilson

  1. tann84 06/09/2010 at 10:10 AM #

    Whats wrong with Glennon? Isn’t he suppose to be the next QB for NC State and Russel Wilson was just suppose to ‘man the post’ until Glennon got coached up? If Glennon isn’t ready to play now as a redshirt sophmore (basically a Junior) then that speaks to poor development by the coaches. Wilson hasn’t improved much at all since he started 2 years ago. TOB needs to have a good year to save his job and have glennon start producing. I think Wilson leaving might be a good thing for state. It is ultimately in the best interest of Wilson since know he doesn’t have a pro football career ahead of him.

  2. choppack1 06/09/2010 at 10:11 AM #

    Hey – he somehow managed to go 5-7 with Daniel Evans – so there should be some hope.

    I think a bigger question for the football program is the health and energy level of Dana Bible and will our defense stop being awful. IMHO, Bible is one of the top developers of QBs in the country.

    As good as Wilson has been – our defense has been historically bad when Nate Irving isn’t on the field. The TOB era will not last much longer if we don’t improve significantly on the defensive side of the ball. As long as Horton and Bible are around and engaged – I feel decent about our long term ability on offense.

  3. tobaccordshow 06/09/2010 at 10:15 AM #

    Tann – I don’t think we can expect Russell Wilson numbers out of Glennon in year 1… even year 1 Wilson numbers out of a year 1 Glennon. Wilson is an athlete all around and he made plays based on his athleticism. It is very likely that Glennon may eventually be better, but that is dependent on better play from the receivers, the running backs, and the line.

  4. Alpha Wolf 06/09/2010 at 10:20 AM #

    Offense stops and starts with the O Line.

    People look at quarterback as being a little more important than it is. Yes, it is a critical skilled position — but no matter how good or bad the QB, a good O-line will give even a marginal running back room to gain yards, and that in turn will give a defense pause in play-action situations.

    Additionally, solid pass blocking gives a QB more time to locate receivers and for those receivers to get open. If a QB can find the right receiver, set his feet properly and make the throw, he will often succeed. We all know Glennon can deliver the ball, but the real question is will he have the time to do it before the pass rush knocks him down.

  5. tobaccordshow 06/09/2010 at 10:24 AM #

    Absolutely Alpha. The OLine will be the difference between a standard year and a disaster year if the situation turns that Wilson goes and plays baseball.

    Even with shotty OLine ball, I think we are at least looking at a .500+ season with Wilson behind center.

  6. cWOhLFrPAiCKs 06/09/2010 at 10:37 AM #

    I would say the same goes for the d line in relation to the defense as a whole. If they can apply consistent pressure, our backs don’t have to cover as long and the zone starts to work in our favor: defenders keep their eyes towards the qb and can be in better position to break up the pass or intercept. I’m most concerned about our ability to stop the run game this year. How many times last year did we give up 3rd and 5s or less to a stupid run play? Hopefully having Mate in the middle will help with that.

  7. gopack968 06/09/2010 at 11:12 AM #

    I don’t think the issue is Glennon – he will be the QB this fall or the next. The real question is who is behind Glennon this fall. The Pack is woefully stocked on quarterbacks right now.

    Both possible back ups are non-scholarship local kids.Imhof is a senior who played at Lee County and Snotherly a sophomore from Athens Drive. Niether has ever taken a snap.

    If Wilson goes, and Glennon gets hurt…

  8. Alpha Wolf 06/09/2010 at 11:25 AM #

    I would say the same goes for the d line in relation to the defense as a whole.

    In a 4-3 alignment like we play, you are 100% correct.

    I would say that in a 3-4, the LBs share equal importance, but that’s just one man’s opinion.

  9. rtpack24 06/09/2010 at 11:28 AM #

    Imhof looked great in the Red-White game. Now that is a good indication that he may be a decent QB or it is a good indication that our defense sucks once again.

  10. Statefan1998 06/09/2010 at 12:14 PM #

    We don’t have the size to run a 3-4. Our LB’s are small and we have no DL players that fit the mold (Kuhn could play 3-4 end). The Oline has talent, the question is who plays where and when. Some combination of Vermiglio, Allen, Wentz, Mattes???, Jones, Good, Crisp, Wallace, and Christope is not bad. They need to find the first 5, put them in place and play them.

  11. jbwbubba 06/09/2010 at 12:19 PM #

    Here is scary, Wilson leaves and Glennon starts then gets hurt in game 3. Now that is a disaster; we have zip QB dept after Glennon.

  12. Statefan1998 06/09/2010 at 12:56 PM #

    Bubba, when/if that happens we should form the next coach search committee.

  13. packbackr04 06/09/2010 at 1:03 PM #

    “Wilson hasn’t improved much at all since he started 2 years ago.”

    kinda hard to improve on first team all ACC as a freshman… his play last year was excellent as well, especially considering the lack of talent on the o line.

    “I think Wilson leaving might be a good thing for state”

    this is the craziest thing i have EVER heard. Wilson leaving is the WORST thing that could happen to NC State. He is the best player on the team, at the most important position on the team and you think it is a good thing he is leaving early??????

    am i confused, did i miss something somewhere? and lets not forget, Wilson would have several more TD’s and many more yards if we had a reciever other than Owen Spencer that could… you know, get open AND catch the ball.

  14. packbackr04 06/09/2010 at 1:10 PM #

    “It is very likely that Glennon may eventually be better,”

    this is based on what exactly, Russell Wilson is the second best QB to play at NCSU in recent memory.. with the opportunity to be the best if he stuck around all 4 years. Glennon is a skinny pocket passer with a decent arm. Russel has also has a decent arm , but he can create on his own when the pocket breaks down (which happens alot at NCSU)
    I will concede that Glennon may be a better pro prospect, but in College football, i take Russell all day.

  15. packplantpath 06/09/2010 at 1:10 PM #

    My comment from the previous thread:

    I really don’t get our fans. How could you possibly be ready for RW to leave? The probability that Glennon will be able to put up better numbers than RW is almost zero. Sure, it is a non-zero probability, but those are not betting odds.

    Is it due to the fact that in spite of having the best QB in the ACC and some of the best offense in the ACC over the last 2 years, we have sucked anyway? Newsflash, the problem hasn’t been the offense.

    I won’t be mad with him if he decides to leave, but I will be thrilled if he stays.

  16. choppack1 06/09/2010 at 1:49 PM #

    Wilson is actually your prototype college QB. Glennon – is potentially the prototype pro QB.

    Glennon may be very good -and he may even end up being better than Wilson. However, we KNOW Wilson is awesome. Glennon – we have no clue. I suspect he’ll be good…but if I had to bet, I’d wager he’d be better than Davis, Stone, Evans, and Beck – but not as good as RW.

  17. tobaccordshow 06/09/2010 at 2:01 PM #

    “but if I had to bet, I’d wager he’d be better than Davis, Stone, Evans, and Beck – but not as good as RW.”

    This is exactly what I called for in my column… Lower expectations. Can’t get any lower than that!

  18. Alpha Wolf 06/09/2010 at 2:10 PM #

    The way I see it, if there is a year to make an unexpected QB change, this one’s it. That’s because I would like to take the long view.

  19. Sam92 06/09/2010 at 2:26 PM #

    TOB’s indictment is embedded in this article:

    “It’s tough to have building years on both arms of the offense and it looks like we may have just that.”

    What’s more the defense sucks as well.

    The problem here is that a coach’s fourth year is not supposed to be a building year, he is supposed to have the team built!

    If we do not show significant improvement this year, the calls for TOB’s ouster will quite rightly begin.

  20. RW4H22 06/09/2010 at 4:33 PM #

    If Wilson leaves, does that mean Proctor gets another look at QB?

  21. Classof89 06/09/2010 at 6:55 PM #

    “The TOB era will not last much longer if we don’t improve significantly on the defensive side of the ball.”

    Should we have seen this coming? Given results the last three years, BC clearly got the better half of TOB’s staff by keeping the defense guys.

    Should we have seen this coming? Downfall of Amato, old defensive coach, was inability to install competent offense post PR. Downfall of TOB, old offensive coach, will be inability to install a competent defense?? Same song, different verse. And both, in their own ways were inept with the press…Amato was a jackass, TOB is simply too reserved. Don’t reporters hate guys who never give them interesting quotes as much as they hate people like Amato who constantly bash them (“you people”)?

  22. packplantpath 06/09/2010 at 6:58 PM #

    I’d say TOB gives plenty of fodder for the press. The post Pitt press conference and “best program in the state” come to mind.

  23. baxter 06/09/2010 at 7:40 PM #

    I’d rather have RW for one more year, let Glennon take some meaninful snaps throughout games, build his confidence for next year and have him available if anything happened to RW. The only thing I’m worried about is Russel having missed time with the offense and developing rhythm with the guys over the offseason. I just fear the awful “slow start” we are accustomed to.

    Side bar, is Nate expected to be 100% at the beginning of the season, or several games into the season? Because I’M more worried about the defense.

    Also, any word on Mustafa and whether he will get redshirted? I am actually really pumped about the unknowns in the backfield. I guess the concern is can they pick up the blitz, but if RW is back there, who gives a crap, he’s running away anyway.

  24. GAWolf 06/09/2010 at 7:56 PM #

    Classof89: that certainly was the common theme comming from the BC camp when we “stole” TOB.

  25. john of sparta 06/09/2010 at 8:10 PM #

    “betting” has come up a lot, so here’s mine….
    RW goes pro.
    but…can one be a pro and an amateur?
    Ted Williams was. Jim Thorpe was.
    there’s precedent for being pro in ______,
    and remaining an amateur in ______.
    “today, Reds third baseman Wilson threw for 177 yards.”

Leave a Reply