Pondering the quarterbacks

I watched the Washington game (duh). I was like just about everyone else. More Jeremiah Masoli, more Chris Harper. Roper? Eh, moving on.

But wait. Let’s think about this with a little more thought. Why are we all so sure Roper isn’t the guy?

He played well enough as a 5th string fill-in to get Oregon a Civil War win. He tied a Sun Bowl record for touchdown passes. He even ran for a score against OSU. One quarter into his start against Washington, the Ducks were up a quick 14 points. He was 7-11 passing. Yeah, he had a bad pick, but you try functioning with a concussion. He has unquestioned athleticism as a track and basketball star in high school. So what’s the problem?

It basically boils down to this: Dennis Dixon.

The former Heisman front-runner changed the way Duck fans view the quarterback position. You have to have escapability. You have to not just win, but electrify crowds from the 50 yard line of Autzen Stadium to people in the east still learning to say Or-eh-gun.

Unfortunately for Roper, when the infirmary filled up with quarterbacks in front of him, he became just another guy that couldn’t keep the magic of 2007 alive. He looked too much like Brady Leaf (tall and white). He couldn’t run the option with the same flare and effectiveness.

Masoli and Harper (and even Costa before his injury) are fresh faces. They had nothing to do with last season’s collapse. Therefore, they automatically are a better option going forward. After all, the next man up is always a fan’s best friend.

When I honestly look at what Roper’s done and put my biases aside, I can’t escape that fact that the sophomore has been pretty damn good. Perhaps Masoli does become the guy – and I’d be happy to see it – but I’m not ready to make that coronation.