Maisel: BYU's Nelson reclaims starting job

A year later, BYU senior quarterback Riley Nelson is fine-tuning his game, preparing for the Cougars' opener on Thursday night against Washington State. He has spent the summer getting his reps, developing the chemistry with his teammates that will create touchdowns this fall.

A year later, Nelson is no longer the quarterback who got Wally Pipped out of his starting job.

"I've certainly made a lot of mistakes," Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall said, "and I've missed things here and there before. So in looking back, I would have to say I missed it."

What Mendenhall missed is the thing that keeps coaches in the business. It's not the money, as plentiful as it is. With the money has come more scrutiny and less privacy. The pressure to win now is as daily as the cock's crow. Coaches get tunnel vision. Sometimes they don't see the big picture.

Read more from Ivan Maisel.

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