Tough Decisions

Is it OK for an athlete to lose his starting job while he's injured?

In professional sports, the answer has to be yes. Professional teams must try to win at all costs, so little is out of bounds. Just look at the Patriots. If Drew Bledsoe had been given back the starting job after he healed during the 2001 season, then the Pats would probably never have become a dynasty. Bledsoe was a good player, but Tom Brady was and is a better one.

But what about college sports? Do the same rules apply?

Through the first five and a half games of the season, Tony Pike of the Cincinnati Bearcats had completed more than 64 percent of his passes for 1,633 yards with 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions. But Pike’s broken left forearm from last season was aggravated Oct. 15 against South Florida and the senior was forced out of the game early in the second half.

Enter redshirt sophomore Zach Collaros, who exploded for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in the second half as the Bearcats beat the Bulls 34-17

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Since filling in for Pike, Collaros has completed more than 78 percent of his passes (70-of-89) for 1,050 yards and eight touchdowns. On the ground, he’s averaging more than six and a half yards per carry and has four more scores.

Saturday night against Connecticut, Collaros threw for the second-most yards in a game in school history (480) and his 555 total yards set a school and Big East record. Talk going into the UConn game was that Pike would be available to play and might see some playing time in an effort to dust off some rust before Friday’s game against West Virginia, where he was expected to start.

Now there is no way Kelly can start the former Heisman candidate. Pike was brilliant in the season’s first five games, but Collaros’ play in four conference wins this past month has been out of this world.

Kelly has no excuse for putting Collaros back on the bench, especially after his performance against the Huskies.

One year ago it was Pike who, while filling in for the injured Dustin Grutza, and put a stranglehold on the starting quarterback position. Grutza, despite being a senior and having first earned the starting job in the preseason, never started under center again.

This year it’s Pike who is the senior and who went out with an injury.

Collaros has come in and made believers out of fans. Now he has to get coach Brian Kelly on board.

Until recently, Cincinnati head coach Kelly said Pike would regain his starting quarterback job once he was fully healed, which appears to be now. But Kelly is re-thinking that position. According to the Associated Press, when asked about his future starting quarterback, Kelly said, “I've changed my mind based on the way [Collaros has] played the last three games. I think I have to reconsider my decision.”

So what should coach Kelly do?

In big-time college sports, you don’t owe anyone anything. Coaches must use whatever players they believe give them the best chance to win. It is not fair to the rest of the team to start a player who is anything less than the best option you have.

You can replace a highly touted recruit with a walk-on, you can use a more experienced player even though he is not as talented and you can certainly lose your starting job while injured.

For Cincinnati, I would stick with what works. The offense has been playing well with Collaros, so there is no need to change. Yes, that is tough news for Tony Pike, but a coach must do what is right for the entire team, not one individual player. Neither Cincinnati nor Collaros should be penalized for sentimental reasons.

Quarterback is also a special case. It isn’t like linebacker or wide receiver. If the starting quarterback plays well, then the backup will rarely play, so you never really get to see what they can do in a game. The only time a backup plays an extended role is when the starter gets injured or proves to be completely ineffective. If a starting quarterback goes down and the backup shines, then the backup should be given the opportunity to keep the job.

There are no guarantees in college sports. The best players available should play, no matter where on the depth chart they began the season.

If I were Kelly I would start Collaros. You never want to mess with chemistry and momentum if you can help it and although Pike was playing amazing before he went down you can't risk him being rusty when coming back. Cincinnati is ranked #4 in the country right now and is undefeated. If they want to have a realistic shot at the National Championship they need to make sure they stay undefeated.

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