This is unprecedented, yes?  A quarterback sets the Total Offense record for his team and is benched for the very next game?  Has that ever happened?

A quick glance at the Big Ten Total Offense leaders tells me it more than likely hasn’t ever happened.  I don’t think Drew Brees was dropped on the depth chart his senior season at Purdue.  I doubt Chuck Long was demoted at Iowa.  Chad Henne?  Antwaan Randle-El?  I don’t seem to remember them riding pine.

And yet here we are.  Our total offense leader, the guy who has started 38 games, the #2 running QB in Big Ten history, is now a second stringer.  And I think it’s the right call.  For 2 reasons:

1. Something has to happen.  Something has to spark them.

Yes, our three losses are to #8, #12, and #18 in the Coaches’ Poll.  But 12 points in the first 11 quarters against those three teams is simply unacceptable.

A buddy of mine came up to my seats to chat at halftime on Saturday for our usual 10 minute first-half breakdown.  And as he approached, I said “222 yards, three points – that’s all that needs to be said”.  For the last 16 games, that’s all that has mattered.  Yards, but no points.  A 75 yard drive in 1:10 from our 1 to the Ohio State 23… and no points.  49 yard toss from 7 to 9 to take us inside the 10… and 3 points.  Same old, same old.

Think about that.  222 yards of offense and 3 points.  Or the Minnesota game last year: 550 yards and 20 points.  An explosive offense between the 20s, and then field goal attempts.  It’s the rut we’ve been stuck in since the win at Michigan last year.

So we need a spark.  We need a QB that will make the right decision on 3rd and goal from the 4.  Is Eddie that guy?  I have absolutely no idea.  If you asked me after the spring game, or after a two-minute drill at Camp Rantoul, I would tell you absolutely not.  Eddie was so mad at himself in Rantoul for throwing yet another interception that I though he was going to throw his helmet 45 yards.  But then again, Juice looked fantastic that day, yet was unable to replicate that in a game.  Maybe Eddie is the opposite – maybe he’s a gamer.  Maybe he’ll turn it on once he hits the field and never look back.  Certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

So Eddie it is.  MSU’s defense, which was supposed to be their strength, has been struggling.  So Eddie will have every opportunity to show himself.  Whatcha got, kid?

2. It’s a Mike Schultz world

TCU has one theory on offense: minutes, not points. They couldn’t care less if they score in the first half. That’s not the point. The point is 15 play drives, keeping their D fresh.

Because in the second half – as we saw on Saturday – the non-fresh D is done. Hands on hips, gasping for breath, barely able to hold off an offensive lineman done. So when TCU was only up 12-7 at halftime on pitiful SMU on Saturday, were they worried? Not at all. Because they knew that the second half would be knife through butter.

That’s who Mike Schultz is. And, honestly, that’s what he was brought here to do. Make our defense better by keeping them off the field. Right or wrong, that’s why he’s here.

Except it just doesn’t work with Juice Williams at QB. He’s not accurate enough (I’m full-on depressed typing that). As we saw on the two scoring drives Saturday, an inaccurate QB can lead scoring drives by running a vertical passing game (you only have to complete one of three 15 yard passes to keep a drive going), but it does nothing for our defense. Back out they go 2:27 later, hands on hips and gasping for breath.

So there’s our rock and hard place. Juice isn’t accurate enough to run clock (he is in practice, but once the red jersey comes off… ), and our D isn’t deep enough to be worth anything in the 4th quarter.  Sure, we could come out and throw it 45 times like the Western Michigan game last year, but that didn’t exactly work either.  The answer is balance, and the coaching staff thinks Eddie gives us our best shot at balance.

I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Juice Williams.  My guess is he’ll make a triumphant return in the second half of a game we’re trailing badly.  And who knows – maybe this benching will break him down to the point where he’ll stop thinking and go out and have fun the next time he gets a chance.  I’d certainly love to see it.

But for now, he’s second on the depth chart.  A Heisman watch-list guy, holding a clipboard.  7-to-9.com watching 10 throw it to 9.  The stadium record holder for total offense in the 82 year history of Michigan Stadium, getting the snap from Tyler Sands in practice and tossing it to Steve Hull.

My son’s Juice jersey – the one he wears to school all the time – looked really, really strange this morning.