FRIDAY FACE-OFF: WHO SHOULD BACK UP BRADFORD?



Kieth Nichol

With Bradford at the helm, and the exhausting question of who will lead the Sooners this fall answered, coach Bob Stoops must now finalize his depth chart by placing his two remaining quarterbacks to their rightful second and third team slots. Like the first quarterback crisis, this query is sure to go on agonizingly long, but to save time, I’ll just tell you who it’ll be. Very simply, Keith Nichol is the right guy for the back-up position.

As a junior, Joey Halzle can argue he has experience, but that’s just about all he can argue. Nichol can’t quite argue experience, but his abilities on the field will more than make up for that.

Halzle can act as a competent back up to Bradford, largely due to the fact that both quarterbacks are calm pocket qbs. However, Nichol challenges Bradford at the starting position through his fast paced scrambling style. Nichol only lacks in experience but has proven within the few months here that he is ready to assume even a starting position for the Sooners.

With redshirt freshmen Bradford and true freshmen Nichol, both looking ahead at four years of developing side by side, the Sooners have the chance to capitalize off both qbs by attacking opponents with their unique differences.

Much like the Chris Leak-Tim Tebow combination that took the Florida Gators to their national championship, Bradford and Nichol mirror similar skills in a pass and run offenses. However, unlike the Chris Leak and Tebow, who learned to play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses within a relatively short time, Nichol and Bradford, both starting their first of four seasons, have their entire collegiate career to develop the ultimate dynamic duo.

Whether OU chooses to utilize a two quarterback system remains a separate issue but the contrasting abilities between Nichol and Bradford calls for more competition between the two for the starter role rather than it does for Nichol and Halzle over third string.

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