[Goose]

It may need to happen and pronto.  This "utter disaster" someone mentioned in the thread could be as disastrous as Chryst's ACL really does take 10 months to heal, not six; and Costello tweaks an ankle or gets sick for a game or can't find his helmet or .....

OF has been (rightly) beating this drum for months if not longer.  Any playbook so complicated that a) it takes 3-4 years to master or b) can't function when simplified so that someone can master it during spring and summer training is a playbook that needs a major edit.

If you are arguing that it should be possible, in general, to have a playbook that "someone" can master during summer (no spring for Frosh, mostly) and play adequate football in the fall, I think you should become a coach. Arizona had to do that this year. Ask them how that turned out, with the 5 plays he could actually execute.

All playbooks require reads at the LOS, even in high school. Why is ours so difficult, apparently, to master unless the QB is Andrew Luck or a 3rd year Kevin Hogan, might be a problem when Andrew Luck and 3rd year Kevin Hogan aren't on campus.  RS and true frosh start all the time at other programs; why does Stanford have to be so different?

We aren't. Andrew Luck started as a RS frosh. Kevin Hogan played 4 years, and I am pretty sure he became a starter as a red-shirt, although he didn't start out the year as a starter. The coaches play the guy they think can do the best job. I am sure that, if Costello is hurt, and the walk-ons are no good, if Mills is healthy, he will play. It the comes down to deciding if Mills is better (with his limited playbook) than a not as talented guy with a better grasp. It is that simple. I am sure Shaw will give the walk-ons every chance. He won't pick Mills first unless it is absolutely clear he is the best choice. If you look at the history with Luck, supposedly JH was going to start him and Luck himself kind of talked him out of it. Look at USC this year. They didn't choose Darnold right off the start. Experience and study does matter. It is not a sole determinant, but it counts.

Always need a backup plan; maybe it is a couple of walk-ons with playbook mastery, but maybe circumstances are different going into this particular spring and summer with all the experience wrapped up in an injury and transfer.

It could be so. We all hope Costello is the "real-deal", Chryst recovers early, and Mills is a healthy and precocious player who can get a year to develop. But if the first two aren't true, I absolutely assure you that Shaw will play Mills if need be. It won't be optimal, but may be necessary.

[Goose]

It may need to happen and pronto.  This "utter disaster" someone mentioned in the thread could be as disastrous as Chryst's ACL really does take 10 months to heal, not six; and Costello tweaks an ankle or gets sick for a game or can't find his helmet or .....

OF has been (rightly) beating this drum for months if not longer.  Any playbook so complicated that a) it takes 3-4 years to master or b) can't function when simplified so that someone can master it during spring and summer training is a playbook that needs a major edit.

If you are arguing that it should be possible, in general, to have a playbook that "someone" can master during summer (no spring for Frosh, mostly) and play adequate football in the fall, I think you should become a coach. Arizona had to do that this year. Ask them how that turned out, with the 5 plays he could actually execute.

All playbooks require reads at the LOS, even in high school. Why is ours so difficult, apparently, to master unless the QB is Andrew Luck or a 3rd year Kevin Hogan, might be a problem when Andrew Luck and 3rd year Kevin Hogan aren't on campus.  RS and true frosh start all the time at other programs; why does Stanford have to be so different?

We aren't. Andrew Luck started as a RS frosh. Kevin Hogan played 4 years, and I am pretty sure he became a starter as a red-shirt, although he didn't start out the year as a starter. The coaches play the guy they think can do the best job. I am sure that, if Costello is hurt, and the walk-ons are no good, if Mills is healthy, he will play. It the comes down to deciding if Mills is better (with his limited playbook) than a not as talented guy with a better grasp. It is that simple. I am sure Shaw will give the walk-ons every chance. He won't pick Mills first unless it is absolutely clear he is the best choice. If you look at the history with Luck, supposedly JH was going to start him and Luck himself kind of talked him out of it. Look at USC this year. They didn't choose Darnold right off the start. Experience and study does matter. It is not a sole determinant, but it counts.

Always need a backup plan; maybe it is a couple of walk-ons with playbook mastery, but maybe circumstances are different going into this particular spring and summer with all the experience wrapped up in an injury and transfer.

It could be so. We all hope Costello is the "real-deal", Chryst recovers early, and Mills is a healthy and precocious player who can get a year to develop. But if the first two aren't true, I absolutely assure you that Shaw will play Mills if need be. It won't be optimal, but may be necessary.