Is it time for Wisconsin to bench quarterback Jack Coan in favor of freshman phenom Graham Mertz?
This seems to be the question everybody is asking after back-to-back losses to Illinois and Ohio State. We didn’t just lose to the Buckeyes, my Badgers got absolutely smoked.
RAPID REACTION: Ohio State blows out Wisconsin. I’m embarrassed for my Badgers. Absolutely humiliating. pic.twitter.com/No5b72L0FN
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) October 26, 2019
In the losing effort, Coan completed a grand total of 10 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown. His QBR was an abysmal 13.9. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
That’s simply not acceptable. We don’t need Coan to ball out like he’s Russell Wilson in order to win, but we need a much better performance than that.
The question now is whether or not we burn Graham Mertz’s redshirt and make a switch at quarterback. Luckily, the answer to this question is incredibly simple.
The answer is not a chance in hell. Right now, we’re out of the playoff race, and we can beat every team left on our schedule with Coan under center.
Just like all other people out there, I’m pumped for the future with Mertz, but I’m not burning his redshirt when it’s not necessary.
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Trust me, I’m more frustrated than all of you are. I’m pissed off that we got embarrassed on national TV, and I hope you all are too.
Yet, it’s moments like this that we have to remember to not make emotional decisions. Burning Mertz’s redshirt isn’t going to get us into the playoff.
It’s just not. As one Wisconsin power player told me this weekend, why burn the redshirt for a season that no longer matters.
While I disagree that the season no longer matters, I totally understand the point. Let him continue to develop and go from there.
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As for Coan, he just needs to play better in big games. If he doesn’t, then the calls for Mertz will only get louder.
I’m all in on keeping him under center for the time being, but I’m also open to re-evaluating things at the end of the season.