Who Starts at QB this week?

[W.E.D 11,070]

Interested to see the boards votes.  I feel like TJ should start.  He deserves it.  But I think the coaches are going to be conservative and Bo will be the starter...unfortunately 

Edited September 30, 2021 by W.E.D

[tgrogan21 6,198]

4 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Interested to see the boards votes.  I feel like TJ should start.  He deserves it.  But I think the coaches are going to be conservative and Bo will be the starter...unfortunately 

That's how I feel as well. TJ should start, Bo will start.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Bo ranked # 14 in the sec…. Playing 3 patsies. 
start TJ. 

[abw0004 10,109]

I know Bo is my man crush so I am biased, but I think he starts but on a short leash.  TJ will need to be ready to come in if Bo doesn't perform to what we hope he can be.

I also think Bo may very well still have been injured last game still which may explain his performance to a degree.  If you remember in the Penn State game he took that shot to his throwing shoulder.

[WalkingCarpet 1,379]

Finley should start.

Bo will start.

[steeleagle 2,945]

11 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Interested to see the boards votes.  I feel like TJ should start.  He deserves it.  But I think the coaches are going to be conservative and Bo will be the starter...unfortunately 

One thing we don't know is how Harsin handles QB controversy and production issues. If anyone knows how he handled it at Boise I would like to know. Maybe there are tendencies in his decisions.

Harsin being an exQB and an OC, I wonder how he thinks when the starter struggles.

Does he tend to bring in the relief guy(ala Finley) like he did against GA st bc Harsin thought they needed a spark? But he starts the incumbent again the next week, giving him another chance to improve, and also see how he reacts to being on the bench for the first time in his college career.

Or is Harsin the type that goes with the hot hand. Finley is the starter bc of his past success. But if he falters, he too will have a quicker hook.

IMO, I think Harsin starts BO, and gives the veteran one more chance to have a good outing at LSU, AND Harsin also allows Finley to not have that pressure going back to the school he left, and was benched and eventually lost out the starting QB position.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Every bit of logic in my bones says to start TJ, except one thing. It being LSU and the fact that TJ came from there. Throwing him into a night game at Death Valley for his first start would be an emotional nightmare. I personally would still start him, but I think Coach starts Bo and brings TJ in the minute struggles begin.

[RHN1975 302]

Bo is going to start. He will have an extremely short leash but he will have the chance to show he can do it. Nix and Finley are basically the same QB and both need a great game by their standards to even hit a 60% completions. Do you go with the one that's played these games or one who hasn't that will have a huge amount of emotion Saturday night?

I think Nix knows he is out of opportunities to step up and be an Auburn QB. If he doesn't prove something at LSU he will be the back up and looking for a spot through the portal.

[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

36%?!?  That's horrific.  

Edited September 30, 2021 by SRBautigerfan

[The Freak 2,526]

Rain?  Bo

No Rain? TJ

[Strychnine 1,802]

I voted TJ, because I believe he earned the opportunity.  That said, I have not observed enough from this staff to make a prediction.  If it were Gus, Bo would start, regardless of what TJ did in the previous game.  The only exception to that would be if Bo was too injured to play.  With Harsin, I can see good reasons to start either QB.  It may depend entirely on how the two of them worked this week.  Did Bo double down on working harder, working like he needed to get his job back?  Did TJ double down on working harder, to earn and keep the job?  Between unknowns about coaches, what is happening in practice, and what kinds of conversations the two are having with coaches, there are simply too many unknowns to make anything more accurate than a wild guess.

As @steeleagle put forth, how does Bo react to being benched for possibly the first time ever?  If that does not motivate Bo to work his ass off to get better, then I suspect nothing will.

[WarTim 3,456]

Experience. Bo. JMHO 

[woodford 3,655]

43 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

Bo ranked # 14 in the sec…. Playing 3 patsies. 
start TJ. 

Good god. TRASH. 
 

Bo’s advanced statistics will make you cry. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

[cbo 7,811]

55 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Interested to see the boards votes.  I feel like TJ should start.  He deserves it.  But I think the coaches are going to be conservative and Bo will be the starter...unfortunately 

Exactly what I think. 

[W.E.D 11,070]

5 minutes ago, woodford said:

Good god. TRASH. 
 

Bo’s advanced statistics will make you cry. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

I really wanted/hoped/thought Bo would improve, but he hasn't.  We are 2.5 years in and it's time to do something different.  We can't run out another 55% performance with 0 deep ball threat and hope it's enough.  It isn't.

[fredst 9,064]

51 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

Bo ranked # 14 in the sec…. Playing 3 patsies. 
start TJ. 

Damn, Corral is 🔥. OM liable to beat our damn brains out

[aublue88 145]

I would hope both get equal reps in practice and it comes down to who was the most effective running the offense.  I think Bo has the experience but TJ sees the field better.  They both know what is on the line so probably for the first time ever, Bo is fighting for his job and TJ knows it is up for grabs, may the best man win.  I will support either as I know that they fought hard for the opportunity.

[TigerPAC 963]

I voted Bo to start.   But is he hurt?   Throwing motion seems different and, please correct me if needed, but he didn’t run much—if at all—against Ga state.  I don’t remember any zone read or QB runs.   Idk just wondering.  

[Old fan 47 769]

14 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

I really wanted/hoped/thought Bo would improve, but he hasn't.  We are 2.5 years in and it's time to do something different.  We can't run out another 55% performance with 0 deep ball threat and hope it's enough.  It isn't.

Me too. I don’t know how many more opportunities he deserves at this point. He is NOT an SEC caliber QB. No consistency, pocket presence or accuracy. I don’t enjoy piling on, but he’s being paid now for his likeness, so heat comes with money. I don’t think either of our first two QBs are very good and I would be shocked if we got  four SEC wins this year. I so hope I’m wrong, but we lose to LSU again, I think things will really begin to unravel. 

[JMassie11 1,610]

1 hour ago, gr82b4au said:

Bo ranked # 14 in the sec…. Playing 3 patsies. 
start TJ. 

Without the threat to push the ball down the field you will see them load the box with movement before the snap. Not sure if anyone remembers Chuck Knoblauch but what has happened to Bo is the football version of what he went through.

[Potatooooooes!! 1,370]

I would not at all be surprised to see Bo start. I would be unequally surprised to see him pulled. I can see it as a last test for Bo. Give the more experienced guy the start, especially on the road, and if he still shows the same issues, it’s TJ’s show from now on. That’s probably how I would do it. Honestly, based on what I’ve seen, I believe it’s only a matter of time until TJ takes over for good. It just seems like we’re delaying the inevitable. 

[Hank2020 3,196]

28 minutes ago, aublue88 said:

I would hope both get equal reps in practice and it comes down to who was the most effective running the offense.  I think Bo has the experience but TJ sees the field better.  They both know what is on the line so probably for the first time ever, Bo is fighting for his job and TJ knows it is up for grabs, may the best man win.  I will support either as I know that they fought hard for the opportunity.

Doesn’t make sense to me that Bo has been holding out bc he didn’t feel threatened to lose his job. I really believe they thought Bo was better option but maybe TJ’s performance shows what really happens when an actual game is on. 

[AUinfusion 390]

To date, neither QB has shown greatness. I don't think one ranks above the other, I think that they have different strengths and weakness.

Bo:

Excellent athlete who is dangerous running the ball

Inconsistent accuracy on intermediate throws, sometime making easy catches harder

Really not very good long ball accuracy

Tendency to leave the pocket early

Tendency to try and force plays which can lead to turnovers

 

Finley (based past play, not just 4-1/2 minutes last week):

Bigger QB, but less mobile

Throws a beautiful ball

Puts too much heat on the ball, sometimes, making easy catches tougher

Tendency to stay in the pocket too long (I was happily surprised to see his improvement here last Sat)

Just doesn't see coverage sometimes and throws to the wrong team, regardless of pressure, which can lead to turnovers

 

I'm sure people could argue with any given point, or add others, but that's generally how I feel. Both QBs missed some throws they should make, and the WRs didn't help. I would say that Finley is more of a threat to connect on the long ball, Bo is more of a threat to burn a team with his feet. Which helps AU more against LSU? 🤷‍♂️

 

 

[keesler 5,924]

11 minutes ago, JMassie11 said:

Without the threat to push the ball down the field you will see them load the box with movement before the snap. Not sure if anyone remembers Chuck Knoblauch but what has happened to Bo is the football version of what he went through.

You are right.  At first, LSU will replicate what worked for GaState and see how we respond.

Bo gets the start, he's the veteran so I believe he deserves to start in a big night game like this.  But the whole team knows he'll get sidelined if he struggles. 

[The Freak 2,526]

4 minutes ago, AUinfusion said:

To date, neither QB has shown greatness.

One has shown average-ness, though.  Jury is still out on the other.