11-13-2017, 02:45 PM
Petersen is certainly a good coach; I think that's undeniable. Yet I've always been surprised that people are so quick to elevate Petersen over Shaw, for two reasons. As we know, having a great QB can hide a lot of issues (or make you look magnificent when in reality you're just pretty good). Petersen has had two top-flight QBs, Moore and Browning. His teams lost five games over four years when starting Moore, though part of that is Boise's resource advantages over its opponents. Browning has ten losses over three years. So he's very impressive with a great QB.
On the other hand, Petersen is 13-0, 8-4, and 8-6 without Moore or Browning. Even this, I'd argue, is less impressive than it superficially appears due to (again) Boise State's quality advantages over its opposition.
Meanwhile, say what you will about Shaw, but he's been able to win -- against good scheduled, mind -- without great QBs. Stanford went 6-2 with Nunes, and then 16-5 with Burns/Chryst. While winning percentages (.758 for Shaw and .743 for Petersen) are pretty similar when they don't have top-flight QBs, I give the edge to Shaw due to tougher opposition in the Pac-12.
Finally, it's not as if Petersen has an impeccable record at elevating talent. In his first year, he went 8-6 despite boasting a team with 3 first rounders and 1 second rounder in the next NFL draft.
Of course, both Petersen and Shaw are really good coaches -- arguing about them is a classic narcissism of small differences. I just tend to think Shaw's achievements are underrated, or grudgingly conceded.
On the other hand, Petersen is 13-0, 8-4, and 8-6 without Moore or Browning. Even this, I'd argue, is less impressive than it superficially appears due to (again) Boise State's quality advantages over its opposition.
Meanwhile, say what you will about Shaw, but he's been able to win -- against good scheduled, mind -- without great QBs. Stanford went 6-2 with Nunes, and then 16-5 with Burns/Chryst. While winning percentages (.758 for Shaw and .743 for Petersen) are pretty similar when they don't have top-flight QBs, I give the edge to Shaw due to tougher opposition in the Pac-12.
Finally, it's not as if Petersen has an impeccable record at elevating talent. In his first year, he went 8-6 despite boasting a team with 3 first rounders and 1 second rounder in the next NFL draft.
Of course, both Petersen and Shaw are really good coaches -- arguing about them is a classic narcissism of small differences. I just tend to think Shaw's achievements are underrated, or grudgingly conceded.