Walk-on Shane McGregor not only could be but also should be Penn State's starting quarterback in the TicketCity Bowl.
Tom Bradley said he made a vow to his Nittany Lion players when he took over as their interim head coach, and now he faces a situation where his word is at stake.
"I made it perfectly clear," Bradley said Nov. 15, "that if you step out of line, I'm coming down quick and fast and hard."
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That should mean benching Matt McGloin for his role in a fight with receiver Curtis Drake on Saturday.
It also should mean benching Rob Bolden for his alleged legal discretion Friday night. The Mirror has learned from sources it was a relatively minor incident -- we are waiting for confirmation from officials before printing what it was -- but if indeed true, it merits some sort of disciplinary action for Bolden.
Would it hurt Penn State's chances of beating Houston if Bradley starts McGregor over McGloin and Bolden? Absolutely.
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UPDATE
Rob Bolden has been cited by university police for retail theft of a $2 bottle of Gatorade, which Tom Bradley called a "prank." The interim coach said Bolden would not miss any playing time because of the incident.
"There will be internal discipline for Robert Bolden, but it won't be playing time," Bradley said Monday.
Bolden was taking first-team snaps in practice Monday, while Shane McGregor was working with the second team.
Yes, it was just a bottle of Gatorade, but I stand behind my argument of sitting Bolden for a quarter, even thought it probably won't happen.
At a time when the kids on the team need to be showing leadership and be on their best behavior, and in light of Bradley's quote in this story, the right move would have been sending a message to Bolden that something like theft -- even minor theft -- won't be tolerated.
But it also would be the right thing to do in lieu of their indiscretions and disturbing lack of leadership over the past few days.
It's unclear if McGloin will even be able to play two weeks from today after he reportedly suffered a seizure and concussion in the fight with Drake. Hopefully he recovers and is ready to go, but sitting for the first quarter or half is a reasonable punishment.
Same goes for Bolden, who should not be rewarded with a start under any circumstance after he what he allegedly did.
Which brings us to McGregor, one of the brightest, hardest-working, most spiritual kids on the team.
The redshirt junior from Central Cambria has played two games in mop-up duty this season, completing 1-of-4 passes for 12 yards and carrying one time for a 3-yard TD against Indiana State.
This has nothing to do with statistics, however. If it did, there would be no discussion because McGregor simply is not as good as McGloin or Bolden.
This is about doing the right thing, sending the right message and making sure the players understand they will be held accountable for their actions.
If that means Penn State loses the game because McGregor starts and struggles, so be it. Maybe, though, he can surprise everyone, play great for a long as he's in there and help lead the Lions to victory against a Houston team with a suspect defense.
Bradley has done an exceptional job with how he's handled himself during very difficult times as the interim coach. Now he faces what would appear to be his toughest decision yet, although it shouldn't be that tough at all.
Cory Giger is the host of "Sports Central" from 4 to 6 p.m. daily on ESPN Radio 1430 WVAM. Reach him at 949-7031 or @CoryGiger on Twitter.
