Vince Young is getting a raw deal. He’s being
treated more unfairly than any other player in the
country, by both those who love him, and those who
hate him. I don’t think there’s been a conversation
about Vince since the Rose Bowl that hasn’t been
infiltrated by a person who thinks he’s either a
bigger, better version of Michael Vick, or a player
whose more deserving of a seat on the bench than a
spot in the Heisman top 5. Why is this you ask?
Because of that very game against Michigan that
launched the hype machine to a degree that hasn’t
been seen in a very long time. So, that’s where
we’ll begin in the search for the true Vince Young.
16-28, 180 yards passing 1 TD, and 21 carries, 192
yards and 4 TDs on the ground. That’s a fine game.
The fact that Vince Young put up those numbers in
such a dramatic game and against such a talented
opponent made fair weather fans think he was THE
undiscovered gem of the college football world. The
only thing that the doubters can say about him based
off of this performance is that it was only one game
in a long season, but it being the last game, we all
remember. Many wonder how they could possibly lose
when they have a QB playing as well as Vince did;
and speaking truthfully, it’d take one brilliant
game by another team to challenge the Longhorns when
he plays like that. However, the fact of the matter
is that he rarely has games like this, especially
when the pressure is on.
8-23, 86 yards, 16 carries, 54 yards. Not so good
this time. You can’t have that type of game and
really expect a victory, especially when it’s coming
against Oklahoma. Similarly, yet opposite, to the
Michigan game, there isn’t much supporters can say
about what he did well during that game. The reason
that no one feels comfortable picking Young and the
Horns for the Title game is that they simply cannot
beat the Sooners. Despite having a better team this
year than OU by a decent margin, the confidence just
isn’t there. Young has to be the guy that makes the
difference in the Red River Shootout, like he was
vs. Michigan, or else they’ll be headed for the same
fate as every other year in recent memory.
Lastly, we come to the arm vs. legs debate. Just as
easily as people can talk up his amazing athletic
ability, and how he’s the most electrifying QB since
the aforementioned Michael Vick, others will bring
up how he’s like Vick in another way, a questionable
arm. Mentioning one without the other like man tend
to do is fairly pointless, considering it’s both
that make up his game. Young has the footwork of a
Running Back half his size, which makes him such a
threat to escape traffic and get to the open field,
where he’s most dangerous. Throwing the ball he can
be just as dangerous, but he hasn’t shown it often
enough. He’s prone to making a great throw, then
coming right back with a terrible one, making you
forget all about the one he made before.
So, who is Vince Young? He’s a good college
quarterback. He’s very good when he’s running the
ball, and has an inconsistent arm, but one with a
load of potential. When he’s on, Texas can beat
anyone in the country; conversely, when he’s not,
they’ll struggle as a whole. It’s unfair to Vince
to call him the best player in the country, then
bash him when he doesn’t meet the huge expectations
that many are placing on him. It’s also unfair to
treat him like he’s just some mediocre player, and
then not give him credit for when he plays well.
Luckily, we’ll find out exactly who the 2005 version
of Vince Young is very early in the season, when he
and the Longhorns travel up to Columbus and play the
Buckeyes. Until then, we’ll just have to wonder…
and watch the tape from that Rose Bowl game over and
over again.
