QB Quandry
Published by Jake Novak on April 15, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Who will be the Tigers’ QB in 2009? Your guess is as good as any.
Princeton came in fifth in the Ivy standings in 2008, leading the second division with wins over Columbia, Cornell, and Dartmouth.
There are some decent arguments from all sides on the question of whether the Tigers will move up, fall down or stay put.
1) Who the heck is playing QB this season?
That’s the $64 trillion question (sorry, inflation) right now.
Last season, Princeton got lucky as first-time starter Brian Anderson (he actually started one game going into 2008), had a very good year under center. But now he’s graduated and the Tigers aren’t touting any of his backups the way they promoted him last year during the off-season.
And while it’s not unusual to break in a new starter in college football, it doesn’t seem like Princeton has anybody even groomed for the job. The school web site portrays the situation as an “open competition,” which has a lot of Tiger fans fearing the worst.
And this is an offense that needs a shot in the arm.
Princeton struggled to average about 18 points-per-game overall and less than that in the Ivy contests. All the key 2008 receivers, with the exception of the promising rising junior, Trey Peacock, are also gone.
2) Are the other position situations as scary as the QB slot?
Absolutely not.
There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic thanks to a decent amount of very good returning players, especially on defense.
Two-thirds of the starting defensive line are gone. However, beyond that, the defense remains mostly intact. The big stars are guys like Scot Britton, Cart Kelly, Steven Cody and Wilson Cates. The high-powered Brown Bears were the only Ivy team to crack the 30-point threshhold against the Tigers in 2008.
The offense brings back 2008 Ivy League rushing leader, Jordan Culbreath and three-forths of a starting offensive line that is probably the most experienced group in Ivy history. It’s going to be a lot easier for the Tigers’ new QB to get comfy with a supporting cast like that.
There are a lot of Ivy teams that would be happy to get a starting tailback with HALF the yardage Culbreath put out last season.
3) Can Princeton Surprise?
I think the Tigers could be a 4-3 team in the league with a few good breaks, but anything better is a stretch.
Getting lucky with a brand new QB, new receiving corps, AND a mostly-new defensive line is really asking too much. Plus, if Culbreath gets hurt or suffers statistically for whatever reason, Princeton could be fighting to stay out of the basement.
The bubble games for the Tigers are the home contests against Columbia in week three and Yale in week nine. I think Princeton can beat Cornell and Dartmouth, but will have a very rough time edging Harvard, Penn, and Brown (all road games).
If they can beat the Lions and Elis, then the Tigers will go 4-3 and climb into the first division. A split, and they stay where they are. Get swept, and it’s bottom feeding time.
Tomorrow’s Quick Review/Preview: YALE
