It's been the popular question this offseason for Big 12 fans: Who's your team's starting quarterback?
Turner Gill has found his answer.
So has Bill Snyder.
Bo Pelini, it seems, has not.
In what will be the conference's final season with all 12 members, never have there been more questions at arguably the game's most important position.
Eight teams will enter the 2010 season with a quarterback that's either untested or coming back from injury.
With the season less than a week away, most teams — unlike Nebraska — have come to their final conclusion on who will be under center for their opener.
Included on that list is Big 12 newcomer and Kansas coach Turner Gill.
He replaces Mark Mangino, a former Big 12 coach of the year who had the luxury of coaching a three-year starter in Todd Reesing.
Now, Gill must find his own man for the job.
According to the new Jayhawk coach, that man is sophomore Kale Pick.
"I love his intangibles, his body language as far as how he ran the football team and all the things of that nature," Gill said.
That's not to say, though, that the competition between Pick and freshman Jordan Webb wasn't close.
"It was a great competition, and Jordan Webb isn't too far behind," Gill said.
"We really believe we have two very good football players at the quarterback position."
Down the road in Manhattan, Wildcats coach Bill Snyder confirmed on Monday's league conference call that Carson Coffman will get the start when KSU travels to UCLA this weekend.
"(Coffman) has shown more consistency throughout the course of our preseason camp, and the performance level was just better," Snyder said.
"That probably comes with the consistency that he has, which has a lot to do with his experience. He has more experience on the field than the other two guys."
The Kansas schools aren't alone in their positional battles.
Under-fire Colorado coach Dan Hawkins was forced to make a tough decision this offseason when he chose junior quarterback Tyler Hansen over his own son, senior Cody Hawkins.
Hawkins wasn't the only coach put in a slightly unusual circumstance with his quarterbacks.
New Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville inherited two signal callers with significant experience in fall camp.
After beginning last season as the starter, Taylor Potts went down with an injury and fellow senior Steven Sheffield took his opportunity and stepped up.
Sheffield went on to establish himself as the favorite coming into Tuberville's first season in charge. It didn't last long.
Potts is back from a year of nagging injuries and has retaken the job, but according to Tuberville, it was the guy who didn't get the job who he was most worried about.
"The main thing I was worried about was Steven Sheffield," Tuberville said.
"He could have easily been our starter. He did a great job. He's a good young man who understands the situation, and he's one play away from being the starter."
With kickoff rapidly approaching, Nebraska still hasn't announced who will trot onto the field and take the first snaps Saturday night against Western Kentucky.
NU coach Bo Pelini declined to comment on who his starter will be, saying he has an idea but nothing is for sure yet.
But that doesn't mean Pelini isn't ready for his team to take the field and kick off the hugely anticipated year.
"It's always different, that first game," he said.
"It's the first time you have a live opponent, somebody other than playing against your own guys. I'm looking forward to seeing our guys put it to the test and execute."
tomgrant@dailynebraskan.com
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!