Looks like many Badger fans will get their wish, if there is football that is. Reportedly Jack Coan broke his foot and is out indefinitely. It appears graham Mertz will be the starting QB for the Badgers this season. Backing up Mertz will be Chase Wolf and Danny Vanden Boom.
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Experience matters but honestly it’s time for Mertz to show what he can do. If he’s close to as advertised they should be in good shape.
I hate to see a guy get hurt like that and be out for a long time. But, I think it was time for Mertz even if Coan was healthy.
This obviously forces Chryst's hand.
Coan was going to be the comfortable choice. He's the Mike Samuel/Stocco/Stave/Tolzien type of guy that isn't going to make stupid mistakes to lose you games, but is not going to make plays to win games against the elite teams. You start him and your floor for a regular-season is probably 8 wins. The problem is that your ceiling is likely to be 10 or 11 wins. Still good, but you are less likely to beat Ohio State or an elite team (basically an SEC team in a bowl game). The Badgers can still beat those types of teams any given week, but it will not be because the QB makes NFL-level throws.
Mertz is an unknown quality, but he seems like a risk. From what we've heard, he's got the physical skills to make NFL-level throws. The risk is that he may take more risks and make it a little more likely you'll lose some games that you would expect to win most of the time against the good, but not great, Big 10 teams (MSU, Iowa, Nebraska, etc.). His ceiling is likely higher than Coan's, but his floor is also lower.
Side note- I thought Stocco would make the best pro
@ammo posted:Looks like many Badger fans will get their wish, if there is football that is. Reportedly Jack Coan broke his foot and is out indefinitely. It appears graham Mertz will be the starting QB for the Badgers this season. Backing up Mertz will be Chase Wolf and Danny Vanden Boom.
Be careful what you wish for. Coan was decent. HOWEVER, I expect Mertz to be a star.
Mertz is the more talented player, no question. Will his inexperience hurt him, or is he prepared to take this thing and run with it?
There is a question mark in the run game- with Taylor, Mertz would be able to take advantage of more single coverage. Teams are not as apt to stack with Taylor gone. But if the successors are able to prove the Badgers run game is still potent, there will be more opportunities.
This circumstance, while unfortunate, does more for 2021 than 2020 in my view.
Is this Mertz 2nd or 3rd year in the system?
2nd
The league announced Monday morning that UW will host Illinois on Oct. 23, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. at Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network, a week from this Friday.
edit: No fans are allowed at Big Ten games as of now.
