Based on 1 season where he had a great supporting cast and the most QB friendly offense in football to work with.

This year he's throw 3 picks in 3 games against sub-standard competition, including 2 in a loss to Rutgers.

Are we just going to ignore the fact that he completed 55% of his passes against Louisiana Monroe? Oh, and got picked off again. Or 51% of his passes against a juggernaut Rutgers squad?

The kid's been bad this year - just bad. All this talk about his phenominal accuracy, rocket arm and leadership qualities are based on 11 games with a super-spread offense and insane skill position players at his disposal (and a not insignificant amount of confirmation bias to boot). And the games I've seen haven't shown me superlative raw talent.

This year, with a more 'normal' offense and merely above average weapons around him, he's underperformed as well as thrown his teammates under the bus.

I just don't understand the undying affection for this kid.

All this talk about collegiate quarterbacks... what the devil for?

He also threw for over 400 yards and 3 TDs in that game...coming off of an injury.

And for such a QB friendly offense...that offense sure was missing him while he was gone.

Um...Alabama will do that to you. Wilson only put up 14 against 'Bama last year with Petrino still at the helm and with better weapons around him.

His offense this year isn't nearly as QB friendly with Petrino gone and it's clearly showing in his statistics. When everything was in his favor last year, 'Bama still curb-stomped them and he still struggled.

The best thing that could've happened to Wilson was to miss that game. They'd have still got blasted and the questions would be even louder. Now he gets to point to a 400 yard passing game against Rutgers (300 of which were by the same WR...progressions indeed) to puff out his chest.

He's been bad this season and watching Cobi Hamilton pile up YAC yards against Rutgers doesn't really change that.

Who's 'thrived' against Alabama...?

Nobody.

So what was your point exactly?

You're the one that claimed his offense sure missed him when he was hurt. I presume you're touting the fact that Arkansas got shut out against Bama as evidence of same. My point is that they could just as easily have been shut out with him at the controls - he wasn't great shakes against them last year.

You're 'defense' here is exactly why I say he's lucky to have missed that game. The unknown actually works to his benefit.

Geno Smith plays in a Dana Holgorson offense that is anything but pro style. There is some offensive talent at WVU as well. Not trying to downplay him or build up Wilson, but things need to remain n perspective when evaluating both of them. Smith is lighting it up against clearly inferior teams. I want to see how he does against a team with a more stout defense if they play against any this year.

Did you watch the end of the Louisiana Monroe game and the Alabama game...or did you just look at the box score?

My argument for Smith has always been that he was actually performing well as a Soph in a very pro-style offense before Holgorsen arrived. He was excellent in 2010 under Stewart (who features a very pro-style system).

Your argument here is a non-starter, IMO. What makes Smith so appealing is that he's done it in multiple systems AND the fact that he's simply more impressive on tape.

I will say that Arkansas has a terrible o line and continuously runs deep crossing and out routes taking forever to develop, getting the qb killed.

But what DJ is saying holds a lot of water. He had a lot of weapons last year. He did get his all American rb back this year but he can't do shit

I was at the MU/GA game for LA-Monroe, all I saw were clips. I saw parts of the Bama game and it was a pretty clear disaster.

I'm not arguing he's not better than his backup (what part of 'good prospect' was missed). I am arguing, however, that he wouldn't have made a difference against Bama and is fortunate to have missed the game.

If this was the pros the turmoil that has surround Arkansas would be an excuse for a star veteran player playing poorly. Why should that not play into the season Wilson is having?

Smith is in a spread type offense, but to be totally honest how different are today's spreads from an nfl system.

It does.

But again - I wasn't impressed with him last season. His stats were fine, but I didn't like what I saw in his game at all.

So when I see the guy struggling, I'll give him some deference for the situation, but it's also going to confirm my thought that he was overrated from the jump.

Don't know, but there are still plenty of those who still knock spread QBs, especially in the media.