Besides the President of the United States, a starting quarterback is probably one of the most scrutinized people in America.

Anytime things head south for a football team, blame usually falls on the quarterback after the head coach takes most of the heat.

What other position in sports receives headlines when the starter is named at the beginning of a season?

There aren̢۪t too many chat rooms blowing up with traffic when the starting left tackle is revealed on the depth chart.

So why does quarterback receive so much attention?

Football is the ultimate team sports where it takes 11 guys executing at the same time to produce a positive result.

This leads me to wonder why I̢۪ve heard so much disdain over Ryan Colburn̢۪s performance at quarterback over the first four games of the season.

But I guess it’s pretty simple once you look at one BIG, glaring statistic – 7 interceptions. That’s almost two picks a game!

And it seems like these turnovers have come at the least opportune times, i.e. double-overtime at Wisconsin or at Cincinnati̢۪s six-yard line when the Bulldogs are about to take the lead.

But as much as those plays have hurt Fresno State, does it really merit a change at quarterback?

Here’s a non-quarterback statistic for you Red Wave – the defense has allowed 28.25 points per game this season, but that number is a little slanted since the Bulldogs shut out the lowly UC Davis Aggies.

I don̢۪t think I̢۪ve seen Colburn getting burned on the defensive side of the ball.

Was Colburn the one getting run over by Boise State̢۪s Jeremy Avery, or letting Tony Pike and the Bearcats play backyard football?

Yes, he has made mistakes thus far, but Fresno State fans need to remember that he has only played four games at the collegiate level.

Does putting in true freshman Derek Carr, who hasn̢۪t even played against a I-A team this season, make things better?

It may hurt for a little bit, but patience may be the best thing at this point and it’s not as if ‘Dog fans aren’t used to this by the way.

Let̢۪s take a look at Colburn̢۪s predecessors in their first seasons as starters and see how the young southpaw is progressing.

Tom Brandstater – 2006

Much like Colburn, Brandstater had to earn the starting job in training camp.

Though many would like to forget the 2006 season in which the Bulldogs finished 4-8, Brandstater didn̢۪t have the easiest set of games to begin with, much like Colburn.

And after four games under center, Brandstater̢۪s record was exactly that of Colburn̢۪s at 1-3.

In his first four starts, Brandstater had a passer rating of 96.00; Colburn̢۪s is 131.1. See, it could be worse.

Tom̢۪s touchdown-to-interception ratio was a bit lower as well at 2-to-3, but as of last weekend, Colburn̢۪s is 1-to-1.

Brandstater did lose his job though midway through the season, but ended up getting the lion̢۪s share of the snaps in 2006.

His defense was a little better than Colburn̢۪s has been, as the Bulldogs were allowing 26.5 points per game through four games in 2006.

Let’s just hope Colburn doesn’t get booed off the field like Brandstater did against Hawaii that year – brutal.

Paul Pinegar – 2002

Pinegar didn̢۪t have much wiggle room in his first season because his defense allowed 31 points per game in his first four games.

While splitting time with now-offensive coordinator Jeff Grady, Pinegar put up a passer rating of 130.34.

His seven touchdowns compared to three interceptions as a true freshman through four games was impressive, but like Colburn, he also began his career with a 1-3 start.

Pinegar ended up winning three bowl games with the Bulldogs and held down the starting job for all four of the seasons he played at Fresno.

David Carr- 2000

How could we forget about Derek̢۪s older brother David, who is arguably the man who put Fresno State football on the map.

But before he was gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated, signing autographs and kissing babies, Carr was in the same exact spot as Colburn.

He was a red-shirt junior born and raised in the Valley, starting his collegiate career with moderate expectations.

The now-NFL quarterback had to experience baptism by fire more than anyone could ever imagine.

How would you like your first ever college game to be against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Horse Shoe?

Carr ended up throwing four picks that day in Columbus, but came back the very next week and threw three touchdown passes.

In his first four games for the Bulldogs in 2000, Carr threw seven touchdown passes, but also tossed seven interceptions. Sound familiar?

His 2-2 record is a game better than Colburn̢۪s, but Carr̢۪s 124.69 passer rating is lower than the lefty̢۪s.

Plus, Carr̢۪s defense allowed 23.5 points per game, about five points less than what the defense is averaging this season.

Wait and See

Three out of the last four first-year starters at Fresno State have began their careers 1-3, but how much of that is even on them to blame?

For Colburn, Brandstater and Pinegar, the defense was allowing more than 25 points per game, which is tough to keep up with for any quarterback, let alone a first-year starter.

And as much as fans want to start chanting for Derek Carr or Ebahn Feathers, that̢۪s probably not the best solution right now.

It̢۪s the beginning of October, conference play is gearing up and I think everyone is about to see what Colburn is really made of.

Or at least if Fresno State is allowing more than 30 points per game, we̢۪ll know where the blame really should be placed.