Does Chubb Deserve the Start?

I agree wholeheartedly but I got hammered for saying this yesterday in the thread that Broncothor linked.

Best player starts. Chubb has 2 more seasons to get starts.

Gurley. But, I could go for the "wild dawg" with both out there

Dawgs receive. Kickoff goes for a touchback.

1st and 10 from the 20. Gurley lined up in the backfield. Crowd going insane. Gator defenders trembling with adrenaline, wanting to stuff the Gurley train on the first play to set the tone. To give their beleaguered fans some hope. Everyone in the building KNOWS we're running Gurley.

Mason turns to handoff, Gurley grabs it and runs to the right... but wait, it's a FAKE. Mason performs a David Greene worthy fake and uncorks a deep ball to a wide open JSW who is also making a comeback. 80 YD touchdown. Dawgs fans go crazy and Gators pull out their flasks, preparing for the misery that lies ahead.

FIN

Many fans would likely have no problem with Richt starting Gurley but Chubb himself has said that Gurley should be the starter and that he, Chubb, will have 3 years to earn the starting role after Gurley is gone. In that spirit, if I were Richt, I would honor Chubb's wishes and start Gurley but bring in Chubb to relieve him early and often. Frankly I think the running game would be more effective with frequent relief of Gurley because he seems to get tired more easily than does Chubb.

If that happened, Georgia could always do what we did with Marlin Lane and Jalen Hurd at the begging of the season. We named Marlin Lane starter and TBH with his senior leadership, grit, and the abuse he's taken he earned that much but it was only in name - even on his best days he split reps with Hurd. Now Hurd is our starter.

Obviously, Georgia has two (healthy) great RBs in Chubb and Gurley and Chubb has carried the load while Gurley has been out and done so like a champ. And if Gurley stays out Chubb will continue to do that.

It's interesting that they appear to have developed 2 very different identities. Chubb is an all purpose/every down back and just runs right through people. Gurley runs over people too but it's his ability to make tacklers look like fools and amazing speed that really separates them (again this is just my point of view as an outsider). Gurley has that special something that Chubb doesn't yet have and may or may not develop - no knock against Chubb either as I wanted him badly as a recruit and think he's yet another beast at RB. However, beyond his athletic gifts, Gurley can't flat out will his team to victory whereas even other 'greats' often can't do that. I've seen him do it more than once and it was especially noteworthy when we played y'all.

And with Gurley, it doesn't even matter whether the rest of the team is inspired/effected by his will or not as he can do it all by himself. Simply an amazing player. Other players have similar talent but few, if any, current players have the same intangibles.

Does Chubb Deserve to Start? Short Answer - Yes, he deserves it, no question.

Should he start? No.

To quote Herm Edwards, "Hello, you play to win the game". To do that, you play your best, period. Gurley is the best in the country at his position. You start him. He served his time, probably more then he should have, and now it's time to release him and let him drop the hammer of justice on anyone who gets in the way.

There's no question Chubb has earned to opportunity to start. He would be starting for most any other team in the country. But not here, not now. He will. And he will dominate.
He did something for this team that will make us better this year. He helped this team understand the concept of "team". Not in a teachable way, but in an emotional, "in the trenches" kind of way. This team now believes in themselves, not just in Gurley.
So yes, he deserves it. But it shouldn't happen, not yet.