15 Pivotal QBs in 2013 – Logan Thomas
Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas hopes to live up to his potential in 2013 and lift the Hokies back toward the top of the ACC. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Ask any coach about the importance of the quarterback position and he is quick to throw out a tired cliché about quarterbacks getting too much credit and blame.
They will tell you there are 11 guys on the field at all times and each one of them must work together for the team to win.
Coaches know a lot about football. They also know about deflecting pressure from the most important pressure on the field.
How important is the quarterback position? Ask Texas A&M what Johnny Manziel meant to the team in 2012. Ask Auburn about Cam Newton’s worth in 2010. Ask Ohio State after Urban Meyer got a chance to turn around QB Braxton Miller in 2012.
A quarterback might not be everything, but a good one can mask a number of different deficiencies – be it a porous defense, a non-existent run game or erratic special teams.
Teams without a solid quarterback need virtually every other facet of the game to click in order to overcome poor play from the most important position.
This list is designed to spotlight 15 quarterbacks whose play will dictate their teams’ fates. With two exceptions, this list is made up exclusively of established QBs who have been starters for at least half a season.
The carefully chosen term “pivotal” is key here. This is to spotlight teams that could have significant swings based on the position. Players like Manziel and Miller are proven commodities at this point. Florida State has enough surrounding its yet-to-be-named starter – presumably Jameis Winston – to repeat as ACC champ even without great play from the position. Those appearing on this list are opined to have a wider swing.
Today marks the first edition of a 15-part series.
15. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech
Thomas is a perfect person to kickoff this countdown.
He’s a first-round talent with big-time QB size at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds. The knock on Thomas is that he makes crippling mistakes at critical times.
In key games last year, Thomas disappeared. He threw three interceptions and completed less than 50 percent of his passes in an upset loss at Pittsburgh. Thomas also struggled with turnovers and consistency in consecutive losses to Clemson, Miami and Florida State.
In fairness, though, Thomas can be a difference-maker with his legs even when the passing game struggles. The senior rushed for nine touchdowns, including one in eight of his final nine regular-season games.
With a hot-and-cold offense, Virginia Tech limped to a 6-6 regular-season record. The Hokies were so inept that they couldn’t win a division that featured North Carolina and Miami both ineligible for the title.
Not all of Virginia Tech’s woes can be placed at Thomas’ feet. He played especially well in a 48-34 loss at North Carolina last year, accounting for 3 TDs and 374 yards of total offense.
Then again, the Hokies won some games in spite of Thomas, as it did when he completed just 15 of 39 passes with two INTs in their bowl win over Rutgers. The win ensured Virginia Tech avoided its first losing record since 1992.
Life doesn’t get easier for Thomas in his collegiate swan song. The Hokies open against two-time defending national champion Alabama in a neutral-site game in Atlanta. Virginia Tech opened as a 22-point underdog.
Not only will this be Thomas’ first shot at redemption in 2013, it will also mark new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler’s debut as Virginia Tech offensive coordinator. Loeffler suffered through an even more frustrating 2012 while trying to navigate Auburn’s miscast offense into the end-zone.
After the opener, the Hokies’ schedule sets up well. They miss defending ACC champ Florida State and the league’s second-best team, Clemson. Arguably Tech’s toughest game – North Carolina – will be played at Lane Stadium.
Thomas’ play will tell the tale for the Tech offense.
If he lives up to his considerable hype, Thomas will be an early first-rounder and the Hokies are easily capable of winning the ACC. If Thomas plays as he did a year ago, Virginia Tech could find itself playing a bowl game in Charlotte – or worse.
Tomorrow: No. 14