The 2010 National Championship game was not your typical football contest.
Sure, it pitted the top two teams in the country against each other in one of college football’s most recognizable venues. But the sudden injury to one of the game’s premier players instantly changed the circumstances.
Young Garrett Gilbert was forced into the fray against perhaps the best defense in college football, and his overall performance was commendable to say the least.
However, it was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde night for the freshman.
Just before halftime, Gilbert hadn’t completed a forward pass on 10 attempts. He also added two picks in the first half.
While he did end up fumbling away Texas’ surprising chance to perhaps win the game late in the fourth quarter, Gilbert’s second half performance was stunning.
Two touchdown passes to Jordan Shipley and a two-point conversion throw to Dan Buckner lifted Texas to within three points of Alabama, after the Longhorns found themselves trailing the Tide 24-6 well into the third quarter.
Gilbert carried the momentum of his heroic performance into the spring, throwing three touchdowns in the annual Orange-White spring game. Coaches have raved about his impressive arm strength and his improving accuracy.
But, for all the positive coverage Garrett Gilbert has received, he is still one of the great unknowns in college football this season. There are very few lists that include him among the top five quarterbacks in the Big 12, much less the nation.
If anything, it’s because we have yet to see just how good Garrett Gilbert can be.
While the National Championship game may have been the hardest test Gilbert will have to face in his college career, games against Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas A&M will be challenging in their own right.
Gilbert could very well be one of the most talented quarterbacks Mack Brown has brought to Austin in some time. But his success on the field is far from a guarantee, as is the same with most young quarterbacks.
There are a few specific paths Garrett Gilbert could follow based on the performance of some of the past few Texas quarterbacks.
Lets take a look at three of the major possibilities.