Michigan Football: When will it be time for Brandon Peters?
John O’Korn will start for Michigan football Saturday against Indiana, but if he struggles, how long before we see Brandon Peters?
The quarterback position has been a constant question this season for Michigan football. First, it was about Wilton Speight, now the focus is on John O’Korn and to a lesser extent Brandon Peters.
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Following O’Korn’s terrible three-interception performance against Michigan State, many Michigan football fans wanted head coach Jim Harbaugh to make a change. Yet, Monday he announced that O’Korn would be the starter again. One game doesn’t necessarily define a player. But, the question is, how long is the leash for O’Korn?
Will Harbaugh allow him to struggle through another turnover-laden disaster? One would hope not, particularly with the slim margin of error the Wolverines now have in the Big Ten East race.
Michigan football can’t afford to lose another game, period. Not if they want to have a chance in the Big Ten. The Wolverines especially can’t lose on the road to Indiana, not with games against Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Maryland and Minnesota on the horizon.
Those wins are not going to be easy to come by. And solid quarterback play will be needed. It’s reasonable to assume O’Korn can play better than he did last Saturday, we have all seen it.
But at some point, if he doesn’t improve, what do the Wolverines have to lose by going to Peters, the quarterback Harbaugh once compared to Andrew Luck?
Many have speculated that maybe Peters isn’t that good and that’s why Harbaugh has been hesitant to go to him. While you do have to question why he didn’t at least get a chance against the Spartans, Harbaugh isn’t one to play musical chairs at QB.
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The coach stuck with Jake Rudock when struggled to start the 2015 season and ultimately, it paid off with a 10-3 record. Yet, when you dip deep into O’Korn’s three starts, the picture isn’t pretty.
Including last year’s game against Indiana, as well as the starts this season against Purdue and Michigan State, O’Korn has completed just 53 percent of his passes. He is also averaging just 175 yards passing and has thrown four interceptions, compared to just one touchdown pass.
No matter who you are, those numbers are awful. Yes, bad weather was a factor in two of those starts. But so what? This is the Big Ten, O’Korn better get used to playing in less than ideal conditions.
The senior did have a nice game against Purdue, but Michigan football has to figure out if that’s something he can do consistently. Right now, that’s a huge question mark. Is he the guy that looked efficient against Purdue or the turnover machine we saw at the Big House vs Sparty?
All I know is that if O’Korn can’t handle Indiana, why would Michigan believe he could play well at Penn State? Michigan’s defense is elite, but it can’t carry a terrible quarterback. It’s not good enough to overcome a barrage of turnovers.
Hopefully, O’Korn rebounds and holds the starting job for the rest of the season. That would be the ideal scenario for Michigan football. But if he struggles, Harbaugh has to give Peters a shot.
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At this point, with the season on the line, what other choice does he have?