Last week, Matt Barkley surprised the world of college football by announcing that he was returning to the University of Southern California for his senior season. Barkley had been projected as a top-10 pick in next April’s NFL draft as one of the best quarterback prospects behind Stanford’s Andrew Luck. Luck actually surprised everyone last year when he announced his intentions to return to college for his senior year instead of jumping to the NFL where he would have most likely been the top pick.

Both quarterbacks resisted the temptations of a huge paycheck to finish their college experiences, even if it meant risking injury. This is a nice change from athletes who are not mature enough athletically or mentally to make the jump, resulting in ever-disappointing busts (see: Vince Young and Ryan Leaf). Because the jump from college to the pros is so unpredictable, the correct formula for predicting an athlete’s future has yet to be found. From Wonderlic tests, to workouts, to combine interviews, the decision to stay or go has huge implications.

Many times, the mental maturity is overlooked in these decisions, and the state of sports has taken a turn for the worse as we have seen a spike in arrests, scandals, and unsportsmanlike conduct. Respect for mental health needs to increase so that athletes can be viewed as role models again, whether that is their responsibility or not. Only then will college athletics begin to move away from an emphasis on money to one on a balanced education and love of the game.

I do have to admit that the money available can be extremely tempting, and without some of restrictions by the NCAA and professional leagues, athletes would jump to the pros at even earlier ages. But there is no extensive support system that teaches athletes, sometimes from dismal backgrounds, to deal with societal, financial, and social pressures that come with this business. Maybe these problems trace themselves back to bigger root causes: the failing educational system and the priorities of American society. But seeing a small trend of athletes hold back for an extra year to complete their education or take time to mature has been refreshing.

There are still two quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III and Landry Jones, who are yet to decide on their NFL draft statuses for 2012, but either way, they are doing their homework to make an educated decision. The new NFL rookie pay scale, implemented starting this year, limits ridiculous bonuses for new players, and this change will keep more athletes from making premature jumps. As fans of all sports, we can only hope that money does not continue to persuade athletes to become professionals when they will be better served in the long-run by waiting an extra season. Instead of rushing to criticize athletes for not taking the leap, the media should realize that enjoying life is actually more important than sports.

If you have watched “SportsCenter” over the last year, you will know that the state of college football is not great. Ohio State and Miami (Fla.), among others, have had major issues with compliance and players have been suspended and coaches terminated. While the repetitiveness of offences suggests a flaw in the system, I am here to focus on another flaw in the system: dual quarterbacks.

As a native of Ohio, I grew up rooting for (the) Ohio State University football team. I floated along through the Cooper era until Tressel returned OSU to football glory. One constant on the teams that competed for a BCS bid every year was the presence of a capable quarterback. Troy Smith, Craig Krenzel, and Terrelle Pryor come to mind.

Now, Tressel and Pryor are gone, having been inked out for NCAA violations (tattoo pun). With Pryor’s exit, the quarterback battle was left wide open between 26-year-old former minor league baseball player Joe Bauserman and much-hyped, dual-threat freshman Braxton Miller. Interim coach Luke Fickell decided from the first game that he would start Bauserman but bring in Miller for a few series at a time.

If you are reading this as either an OSU fan or the fan of a team that has been in this situation, you probably just cringed. While we do not see this in the NFL, we see it all too much at the college level. A program has just lost its incumbent starter and has a freshman or unproven upperclassmen in the wings. Instead of just having them battle it out and declare a starter in the spring, the coach lets it linger and it becomes a dual quarterback system.

The quarterback position is probably the most important in football, because the mistakes of the signal caller are magnified and the pressure to perform is more immense. When being put in a new situation, mistakes are expected, but adding to that the idea of another quarterback coming in is just plain silly. It does not allow for one quarterback to become comfortable in the face of adversity, nor does it allow for him to get in a flow, get loose, and get up to speed.

This is obviously not the recipe for success or building confidence. Neither quarterback feels comfortable, and the bad performance by one adds pressure on the coach. This negative energy trickles down to all members of the team and hurts confidence for the next game. Many times, the fan base and media are calling for the young prospect, but the coach feels he is not ready, as in the case of Ohio State this year.

Once Bauserman struggled, fans called for his head. It had already been the roughest offseason in Ohio State history, so this was a throwaway season anyway and there was no reason not to play Braxton Miller. Now that Coach Fickell has declared Miller the full-time starter (after Ohio State struggled under Bauserman), the Buckeyes are playing a little better. Though they are 3-3, Ohio State had a big lead on Nebraska before Miller got hurt and Bauserman came in and failed to keep the lead, showing that Miller was the right choice.

So, as an OSU fan, I can say that I have been frustrated with this season. Sure, the offseason drama did not help, but that was more digestible than a “Fickell” decision on the quarterback position at the beginning of the fall (I’m on a roll!).

Coaches beware: take heed of history when thinking that a dual quarterback situation is a good idea or will benefit either player. Psychologically, this is a position that needs the backing of the coach, team, and fans, and trying to share that with someone else does not work. Make a strong decision, but evaluate constantly, and then if a change is needed, stick with that. Your fans will thank you.