It seems that Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer's decision to start Sean Glennon at quarterback and redshirt sophomore Tyrod Taylor is a move that was made with a direct look at the future of Hokie football.
It was an opportunity to give Taylor - a player with excellent potential - three years to be the sole signal-caller of the team.
While this choice should have positive effects in 2009 and beyond, it will also be beneficial to this year's team - if all goes as planned.
As a fifth-year senior, Glennon has established himself as a pocket passer who needs a stable offensive line.
That wasn't the case last year. Glennon was sacked four times in last year's opener against East Carolina and three more times in the Hokies' 24-21 Orange Bowl loss to the Kansas Jayhawks.
Glennon didn't have the time to look around the field and find the open receiver, sometimes forcing him into mistakes.
Part of the reason was the shaky offensive line, which struggled mainly because of injuries - with Ed Wang - and because of the fact that many blockers were out of their normal positions - such as Nick Marshman having to play both right tackle and left guard.
Things are much different heading into this year, having only lost one starter - Duane Brown. Health and an extra year of experience could mean better protection for Glennon to throw to his untested receivers.
Speaking of those wide outs, there are a bevy of them. Most of them are young and some of them will be getting their feet wet come tomorrow afternoon in Charlotte. In order to get accustomed to an offense in live game action, a receiver needs an accurate quarterback that can throw the ball on target. Although Taylor was a speedster and made big plays with his feet, Glennon has proven to be more precise with his throws, completing 61 percent of his passes in 2007, compared to Taylor's 54 percent rating.
The receivers aren't the only youthful athletes on the Tech team, as 41 percent of the players that will dress for Beamer's club on Saturday will be freshmen.
That means that the Hokies need a senior leader, especially on offense, that will be the voice of reason. Someone that will keep the team focused in a situation that might rattle a freshman. What's more, a two-quarterback system may further confuse them, especially when the two players have polar opposite playing personalities.
That isn't to say that Taylor couldn't lead this team. He's shown that he's wise beyond his years, especially with a solid performance in Death Valley as the Hokies beat Clemson.
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