Jordan Gross Unites For The Utes
We’re on the road again as the #FS1OpeningDrive tour bus is leaving Charlotte and is headed to Atlanta for our next stop. Throughout the tour, we’ll provide a morning recap of the news, commentary, tidbits and whimsy surrounding our tour stops, as we prepare for Michigan vs. Utah, Sept. 3 on FOX Sports 1.
Jordan Gross stands up for Utah, throws khakis at The HarBros
We had a chance to talk shop with Jordan Gross, the former All-American for the Utah Utes and 3-time Pro Bowler for the Carolina Panthers, as we posted the HarBus right outside Bank of America Stadium. Gross was excited about Utah getting a chance to shine on the bright stage of Fox Sports 1 and taking on the challenge of a big-time program like Michigan. However, what was abundantly clear from the start of our interactions was that Gross was not about that khaki life.
Former Utah All-American and Carolina Panther Jordan Gross is fed up with the @HarBros #NoMoreKhakis #FS1OpeningDrive pic.twitter.com/xfIKg3L4Sr
— Sports Fan Journal (@theSFjournal) August 27, 2015
First it was The HarBros, now it's #NoMoreKhakis. The trends keep coming.
Solving QB controversies with Dave Wannstedt
There’s a tried and true philosophy when it comes to football.
"If you have two starting quarterbacks, you don't have one." -- some old crotchety football coach back in the day
This is the conundrum that football coaches all across the country are dealing with, especially in college. With an influx of new talent and a resetting of priorities on a seasonal basis, a head coach’s first order of business sometimes can be just figuring out who’s going to take the snaps at the beginning of the season.
Michigan and Utah provide such an example next week, as both teams are still unsettled at the QB position and each team has options under the snap that are vastly different from an experience and skillset standpoint.
Earlier in the week, we talked with former Pitt Panthers and Miami Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt on the Fox Sports 1 tour bus as he discussed how views Michigan's current situation and comparing it to Jim Harbaugh's QB conundrum back in San Francisco.
Well, Jim’s coaching philosophy, based off his time at the San Francisco 49ers, looking at Kaepernick versus Alex Smith, he did play two QBs. Alex was the starter, then he played Kap when he matured into the position. The two QB situation isn’t any coaches wish, but you have to deal with it if it gives you the best chance to win. You do it.
Jake Rudock is a Iowa transfer graduate student who could now be a starter for a team that has been a rival for the Hawkeyes for a long time. Harbaugh's interest are always focused in ball security over everything else, and that makes Rudock an appealing choice. However, Shane Morris is another interesting story. A Michigan kid with a great arm and looks like he could be the future in Ann Arbor. The worry with Morris is can he make the decisions.
Utah's in a similar pickle. They have the Oklahoma transfer in Kendal Thompson who is a terrific athlete, but Travis Wilson has shown that he’s a capable leader and winner. Remember back during the Utah-USC game when Wilson led them all the way down the field and scored with literally one second to go. Is Thompson ready to take on that type of pressure? Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham must roll the dice to figure out if poise versus talent is the answer in Salt Lake City.
The Schedule
August 22: Detroit/Ann Arbor
August 23: Chicago
August 24: Cincinnati
August 25: Columbus
August 26: New York
August 27: Charlotte
August 28-29: Atlanta
August 30: Dallas
August 31-September 1: St. Louis
September 2-3: Salt Lake City
Our next stop is Atlanta! Be on the lookout for the HarBus as we roll through America. Use the hashtag #FS1OpeningDrive and follow us on Twitter at @edthesportsfan, @yardbarker and @FoxSports1 for more updates on the tour, as we prepare for Michigan vs. Utah, Sept. 3 on FOX Sports 1.
Eddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”
