Kirk Ferentz has finally revealed who will get the first crack at running the offense

After months of deliberation, we finally know who will take the first snaps against Northern Illinois later today.

Kirk Ferentz took until the last possible second to name who will start against the Huskies, staying true to what he has said all along. The decision clearly wasn't easy, and Ferentz has consistently stated that the competition has been too close to call. Now, with just hours remaining before kickoff, he revealed who will take the first snaps.

Hank Brown will take the first snaps against in week one against NIU

The starting quarterback competition has been too close to call, and even though Ferentz revealed the "starter" for week one, that doesn't necessarily mean it will stay that way for the rest of the season. Ferentz is sticking to his "pitch count" strategy for at least the first week, with both quarterbacks playing a few series before switching. After all the uncertainty, Hank Brown was named as the week one starter.

According to Matt Zenitz, Brown will start and play a few series before Jeremy Hecklinski gets a few series. While Ferentz's current strategy isn't a long-term solution, we will see how each player performs with meaningful game reps. Brown definitely closed whatever gap there was after last season and performed well enough after Kids Day to earn the starting nod, but if you had asked most people a few weeks ago, Hecklinski was the clear starter. Brown struggled against pressure and did not perform well against the Iowa defense during the Kids Day open practice, with an official total of 42 passing yards and zero touchdowns on 9/21 passing. Hecklinski ran circles around him, finishing with 205 passing yards and five touchdowns, completing 17/25 passes.

When the Big Ten Network was in town, both quarterbacks had rough outings, with Hecklinski struggling with turnovers. They also claimed that Brown "won the day." It further shows that both quarterbacks have been inconsistent throughout the offseason, and the decision wasn't as cut-and-dried as most people initially thought. We don't know what went on behind the scenes, but if Brown was named the starter, he clearly outplayed Hecklinski over the past few weeks.

Brown was named the starter, but week one shouldn't decide who earns the job

Regardless of who ultimately earned the starting role this week against NIU, it shouldn't determine who moves forward. NIU is rebuilding under an interim coach as it transitions to the Mountain West Conference. If there was a time to experiment, it is in week one, and that is exactly what Ferentz is doing. This isn't taking anything away from Brown, who earned the first snaps against NIU, but this game isn't the deciding factor. The real test will be in week two when rival Iowa State comes to Kinnick and battles for the coveted Cy-Hawk Trophy. Even though ISU is also rebuilding after Matt Campbell bolted to Penn State, it is rarely an easy game.

It would be wise for the program to continue the process through week two, and then truly name a starting quarterback for week three against Northern Iowa. If today's performances are drastically different, with one far outplaying the other, that alters the plan, but if there isn't much between them, carry the competition through week two. Two quarterback systems rarely, if ever, work, and if the competition isn't over by week four against Michigan, the program will be in big trouble. In a perfect world, one quarterback takes full command of the offense against NIU and proves overwhelmingly that they should be the starter. That is unlikely to happen, so the game against Iowa State should be the deciding factor.

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