I’m just going to come out and say it: Football fans in Wisconsin have been spoiled by great quarterbacks. Going from arguably a top-five all-time QB, Brett Favre, to arguably a top-two in the game right now, Aaron Rodgers, is absurd, and many Packers fans seem to think that’s just the way football is.
I, on the other hand, have seen the other side. My beloved Lions have struggled through Joey Harrington and Jon Kitna, with spurts of Dan Orlovsky thrown in for good measure.
Now, this isn’t supposed to be a pity party for me, I’m just trying to paint a picture of why a lot of Badger fans expect such perfection from their quarterbacks. I don’t think this year’s crop of UW QB’s are as bad as some of the Lions’, but they certainly aren’t like the Packers of recent memory. Wisconsin fans have very high expectations, and sometimes, like this year, they aren’t going to be met.
Redshirt senior Bart Houston didn’t look very good under center against LSU, but people chalked that up to playing against a great defense. He looked okay against Akron, but realistically, he should’ve played better, and against Georgia State he played poorly enough to get benched in the third quarter.
So against Michigan State this weekend, all signs point to redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook taking over. However, I’m warning you now, don’t expect Hornibrook to be a left-handed Rodgers.
A lot of fans thought Houston was bad and are looking forward to having someone else under center. Keep in mind, though, that the reason Hornibrook didn’t start in the first place is because the two are similarly skilled, at least right now.
Hornibrook has plenty of talent, and plenty of potential, but early in his career there’s likely to be some major growing pains at some point this season. It could be this game, it could be three weeks down the road. Don’t lose faith. People lost faith in Joel Stave, and it clouded their judgment when he looked good, and reinforced their opinion when he looked bad.
Keep an open mind and you’ll be much better off. If Hornibrook plays poorly and loses his first career start, it isn’t the end of the world. If he plays great and pulls off an upset, don’t hail him as the next Russell Wilson. No matter Saturday’s result, listen to Aaron Rodgers and R-E-L-A-X.
