How Do They Do It?

I watched part of an absolute shootout last night that got me wondering about National Signing Day, which was yesterday for every sport except football: Is college coaching a total gamble, or just the prequalifier for the freakishly talented?

The quarterbacks in last night's Ball State-Northern Illinois game were two of the best prepared and solidly talented quarterbacks I've seen in college football.  Keith Wenning of Ball State and Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois put on a show, something normally not seen in football on a Wednesday night.  Both quarterbacks ran the ball well, threw for over 320 yards, and each team had one turnover, sign of solid play.  Wenning was 35-49, 324 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and ran for a disciplined 9 yards.  Lynch was 26-32, 345 yards, two touchdowns, and broke the game with 120 rushing yards and two more touchdowns.

How did these guys escape the spotlight programs? Wenning, from Coldwater, OH, is 6'3", 220 pounds, an accurate arm and strong decision maker, who has started from the moment he set foot on the campus in Muncie. A senior is winding his career down with a showcase season, last night's 48-27 loss the Cardinals' second of the season.  Is he an NFL quarterback?  Arm strength may be a question, so would the speed of the NFL game to his decision making.

Lynch has a win in a BCS under his belt and looking to bust the money bags one more time. Lynch, a 6'0" 215 pound senior from Chicago, has blossomed during these past two seasons.  He has two wins against Big Ten teams this season, albeit against Iowa and Purdue.  He has shown he can play at a much higher level, especially as a runner.  Is he an NFL quarterback?  Read option has been figured out by NFL defensive coordinators for the most part, so the question is, "Can he play pro style?"  Stay tuned, someone will give him the opportunity.

I am most impressed with Lynch's humility.  ESPN followed him to his classes on gameday: he doesn't own a car, rides a bike to campus, and was actually seen in a classroom.  Maybe it was all staged, but I have a hunch it wasn't an act.

Maybe these people escape because they don't want the spotlight of a high profile program.  Maybe they escape because of size or speed issues.  Maybe they escape because of the amount of talent out there.  Maybe their best isn't good enough to play on Sundays.  Hopefully they are leaving with an education that can change their lives.  After all, isn't that the point of college athletics?

So...am I off base?