McCarron was the one signalling in plays from the sideline (which is almost always done under Saban by the back-up QB), and I’ve also read several people saying that in fact it was McCarron running the second team offense in pregame warm-ups. Regardless of the potential veracity of the rumor that McElroy was this close to getting pulled, I feel 100% confident that McCarron was indeed the back-up against LSU.

Now, given the physical skill set of Jordan Jefferson, I’d bet good money that Star ended up drawing scout team duties in the two weeks we were preparing for LSU. That’s fair enough, but even so that doesn’t totally explain why McCarron would have gone in the game instead of Darrah. If we were really interested in saving McCarron’s redshirt, Darrah would have gone in, not McCarron.

Now, in normal mop-up duty situations, I’m 100% certain that either Jackson or Darrah would go into the game. We aren’t going to burn McCarron’s redshirt just so he can play a few series against UTC when the game is out of reach. However, that’s not to say that in a critical situation where a big game is on the line that we wouldn’t bring McCarron in.

Obviously it is all speculation, but based on what I have read, I would speculate that McCarron has looked really good the past several weeks — keep in mind that he got pretty sick at the start of Fall camp and that slowed his progress early — and now he is legitimately the back-up if we in fact need a back-up to come in and play in a meaningful situation.

The order I saw in warmups was left to right: McElroy, Jackson, McCarron, Darrah. There was a line of QBs just tossing, getting loose. And that was the order they were standing in.

continually calling out McElroy for being “sensitive”? He seems pretty solid to me.

I did like the bit about the ridiculous nature of the conspiracy theories with the refs, and how LSU was on both sides of the situation, but only squawked when it affected them adversely.

Wow, I’d forgotten that Cecil existed. Good work, T-News.

been shocked to see McCarron come into the game if McElroy had not driven us down the field at the start of the 2nd half.

I know the thought is “Why waste a red shirt year?” I can tell you why, to win the SEC West. I think Saban is the kind of coach that wants to do whatever is necessary to win the game we are playing right now.

I’d even go this far. If we remain undefeated and GMac is killing us against UF I would not be surprsied to see Saban send McCarron in even then and give a whole red shirt year for a chance to win the SEC.

I think in Mike Shula’s freshman year they put him in for about 5 plays in a mop up roll and it cost him a year, now that was a waste. But, to put a guy in to try and win a game is no waste.

in Mobile and some friends of his family said last week, before the game, that he had been moved up to #2. Some people said, in response no way they would burn that red shirt this late and others, like OTS, said oh yes, they would. My thought was whether he would snap like a skiiny twig if hit pretty hard. He has very litle padding on those bones, so I hope he is very flexible and very fast, if it comes down to it. Hopefully, it won’t.

For it to be valid in the last game, at least two officials had to be in on it—the one calling the no-interception and the guy in the replay booth, approving it. Human beings are lousy for keeping secrets. My police clients tell me that 95% of murders are solved by the killer telling someone. They say, if you want to kill someone and get away with it, do it yourself and don’t tell your wife, girlfriend, cell mate, etc. So, bribing two and keeping their silence is hard.

What would be easy is sabotaging equipment, as in the replay equipment. Like what happened to our non-reception, at the start of the game. So, really, the more credible theory is that Verne and Gary, in keeping with their Tebow/Meyer obsession, poured coffee into the replay equipment, right after that reception (that was called out) so that we couldn’t get it reviewed. The real conspiracy is by CBS against us, so that FL will win out in the East and won’t have to play us (the better team) and will have an easier time winning the SEC Champs and going on to Pasadena against Boise (that is still in the planning stage). Just see what happens to Texas soon.

it was interesting to learn that they aren’t using HD monitors for replays. With all the money the SEC is raking in, you’d think they could splurge on some HD monitors. I know that HD Production monitors are more expensive than normal TVs but still….

I know I’m gonna sound like every other person out there who thinks he’s way more connected than he really is, but I did hear from a pretty reliable source that McCarron was seriously being considered to play Saturday.

Apparently at the beginning of the season he was quite an arrogant prick and the coaching staff told the defense to “RUN HIS ASS IN THE DIRT” as much as they could, and they humbled him a lot, completely changing his overall attitude and, therefore, his style and level of play.

I hear he’s the best pure quarterback on the team right now and the coaching staff seems to agree. I’m not saying it’s 100% b/c it was a second-hand source, but it is interesting nonetheless…