What to do with Nichol?

I wandered to midfield early in the fourth quarter last night just in time to see quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel come up to freshman QB Keith Nichol and tell him "warm up -- you're going in." (see pic). At that time the game had been virtually over for two hours -- the score was already well into AARP status -- but the look on young master Nichol was, well...kinda cute.

Yeah, cute. As in Bambi eyes deer in the headlights cute.

Nichol pitched some warm up balls to Jermaine Gresham while North Texas was floundering on the field. Then after another UNT punt to change the possession, Nichol sauntered onto the field like John Elway. He looked as smooth as Joey Halzle did moments before, and as smooth as starter Sam Bradford did what seemed like a few days before (the game seemed really long -- it's hard to maintain concentration when Oklahoma teams are scoring half a hundred, ala Barry-esqe, by halftime.)

I give great credit to Coach Heupel for preparing all three quarterbacks.

But, was it a good idea to break this barely-out-of-high school player's redshirt (you know the one the fans placed on him, but apparently the coaches never donned him with)?

Well, I don't think so. I don't get the point. Some might say if Bradford succeeds, Nichol won't get much playing time anyway, especially with recruits-to-be waiting in the wings at some high school locker room in New Mexico or who knows where else. Others say Nichol is the best back-up, so why not get him playing time in case Bradford gets hurt. While I admit there is some merit to the last suggestion, that is oh so not Bob Stoops if we've paid any attention to his coaching style lo these last eight years.

It just seems to me you want to save the kid's eligibility. We did that last year with Bradford. Has something changed? Note, you'll see our poll here on the blog over to the right. Vote and tell us what you think.

--Mike D.