Soon as I heard Ehlinger was out of practice due to head injury my mind raced back to the play when his helmet hit the ground (not as bad, but similar to the last time) at which time I thought he would come out and Shane would go in. That did not happen, so my next immediate thought this evening was... could that explain his judgment when he threw on 3rd and 4 at the 6? The moment he threw and I saw the ball arch like a rainbow and hang a long time before coming down.... it seemed so eerily unfathomable, as strange as seeing a player getting turned around in a pile and ending up running the wrong way toward the opposing teams goal.
My stomach felt like a bowling ball landed inside. I was spinning thinking... I did not see that. I did not see that. How on earth in a million years could that happen.
Much as I had gotten behind Ehlinger after the USC game, I now favor Shane playing the rest of the way. And Jerrod Heard should have packages inside the red zone when the playing distance shortens for passing routes. Motion plays with speed to the outside is now required. No 18-Wheeler package for off tackle pushes. And this season we don't need Ehlinger running anymore than necessary. I favor for now not even playing him.
Start with Baylor getting Shane ready for the last 5 games, and work Jerrod in for more offense. I suggest biting the lower lip and putting #30 in for passing plays that gets him in open spaces even near the line of scrimmage. There is a lot that can be done with this offense I don't care who is lining up. The offense from tackle-to-tackle does not need to push people all over the field. Just contact and contain long enough for speed and motion to get going and the ball to get out of the QBs hands very fast. Now is the time for innovation and play offense with what you got, not necessarily what you'd like to see. Wait til next year for that.
