Tudor's Take: Who's the boss at FSU?

Jimbo Fisher, Florida State’s offensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting, has made a decision that will expose him either to the delight or disgust of Seminoles fans by selecting  sophomore Christian Ponder over senior Drew Weatherford and sophomore D'Vontrey Richardson as the team’s starting quarterback.

The decision was announced Thursday and although it probably will make no difference whatsoever in the outcome this weekend against Western Carolina or next week against Chattanooga,  it is a clear indication that Fisher is already looking ahead to a Sept. 20 visit from Wake Forest and beyond into ‘09 and ‘10.

Fisher told reporters in Florida that Ponder, a Texan whose father played for the Seminoles in the 1980s, won the starting nod primarily because of his passing accuracy. Even so, Fisher left open the possibility that Richardson and perhaps Weatherford could play at some point in the opening game.

But make no mistake, this move rates as the first major decision by Fisher, who is beginning his second season in Tallahassee. At the preseason ACC meetings in late July, both Weatherford and head coach Bobby Bowden seemed confident that Weatherford would claim the starting position.

But based on Fisher’s statements this week, Weatherford apparently is now No. 3 on the depth chart.

"Ponder is going to play and we're going to go with it," Fisher said. "And D'Vontrey has earned the right to earn some time. So we'll see how it goes."

Weatherford, last season, passed for 2,049 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions.

“I’m ready to have the kind of season everyone has been looking for from me,” he said in July. “I think I’m the right guy to lead us back to the top.”

Bowden no doubt went along with the call, but this is the clearest evidence yet that Fisher is moving into the command chair.