Is Motley The Best Option For Virginia Tech?

Let's just start with the obvious and get out of the way that of course Brenden Motley was put in an impossible situation on Monday night against the defending national champion Buckeyes. Whomever the Hokies threw in there at QB to replace Brewer would have faced the same losing result. The QB play was not the only reason why the Hokies were run out of Lane stadium as the defense has many holes and issues to address due to the alarming amount of big plays given up. This little rant is strictly to focus on the state of the Hokies QB group and to point out a troubling trend at the position which hasn't just occurred this season but in the recent past as well.

First things first, Motley cannot throw the ball down field.That is a major issue when you play QB for any program outside of Georgia Tech or Navy (Option teams). The motto what can go wrong will go wrong is a motto to live by especially in football because injuries will happen and occasionally those injuries happen to the most key players on your team a la Buckeyes losing Braxton Miller prior to the 2014 season and we all know how that ended up. So, in reference to Murphy's Law, when your QB is a pedestrian 6 foot, 200 pound QB it would be prudent to have a serviceable back-up QB who at the drop of a hat can come into the game and manage the offense to some degree. Even more so, if your back-up QB prefers a specific type of play such as Motley's preference for option based attack, one would think our Offensive Coordinator (Scot Loeffler) would have a list of plays/formations ready to go in the event Brewer were to suffer an injury of any sorts.  If Loeffler's package for Motley is strictly zone read, jet sweeps and QB draws then the most concerning issue is obvious...is Motley really the second best QB on the roster? How can a QB who cannot convert a forward pass 50% of the time be the back-up QB in a so-called "pro style" offense?

We can't pinpoint all the blame on Loeffler as easy as it always is because having an ineptitude back-up has been the norm the past couple years as Mark Leal showed the world against UCLA in the Sun Bowl replacing Logan Thomas that he could barely pass the ball downfield going 12 of 25 with two INT's, but wait there's more! Let's not forget our dear friend Ju-Ju Clayton who backed up Tyrod Taylor and thankfully never had to play due to Taylor's health and stellar performances on the field. Remembering these back-ups makes you miss the days of having Sean Glennon and I'm dead serious! He won us some big games back in the day!

So what does this all mean? Is Motley truly the best and most deserving QB to be slated as the number 2 to Brewer because if he is it is alarming in several ways. First, if he's better then Chris Durkin (R-Freshman) and Dwayne Lawson (Freshman) then good grief who are we recruiting for the most important position on the football field and why?! Second, if you're defending Motley with the whole "he knows the offense" routine let us remember he is a redshirt junior which means he has been with the program for nearly four years now and still can't throw the football down the field. How in the world, in nearly four years has Motley been able to attain the back-up QB position without somewhat mastering the playbook or at a minimum the ability to make SOME plays within the offense Loeffler built? The scariest part of it all is that Brewer has been a savior to VT and hear me out! Had Brewer never transferred to VT before the 2014 season the Hokies would have trotted out an offense led by Mark Leal and Motley as back-up!!!!! Can someone logically explain how the most important position in all of football across the country has been so blatantly ignored in Blacksburg?

Loeffler and the whole VT coaching staff need to STOP with the "we support Motley" routine because if you do then you do it alone. If the competition at the most IMPORTANT position on any football team is that lacking and is apparently not open for competitive discussion (Durkin/Lawson anyone?) then the more painful question needs to be asked, what has happened to the Virginia Tech football program?

If Loeffler and more importantly Beamer want to continue coaching in Blacksburg for years to come then perhaps its time to get in new blood at the QB position and develop some talent there because Motley at the helm spells disaster for the 2015 season.