J.T. O'Sullivan is ornery enough to make this 49ers quarterback situation interesting. I believe that. He is also going to surprise people outside the UC Davis zip code with his arm, his feet, his intellect and his competence.

But those aren't the only reasons Alex Smith went from being in deep trouble (last season) to doomed (this season) as the 49ers' franchise player.

Mike Nolan can take a bow here. He threw his young quarterback and his throbbing right shoulder under the bus, onto a ledge and over the fence. He played the blame game last season, targeting the malleable Smith for inept offensive schemes, personnel mistakes, departure of three offensive coordinators and wide receivers who couldn't separate from defenders or hold on to the ball.

Maybe Nolan is right about Smith's diminishing prospects as an NFL starter. Maybe the four-year veteran just doesn't have the gravitas to get it done. And certainly in Mike Martz's system, the slow, looping release is an issue. But Nolan nonetheless botched the situation. He felt the heat last year and roasted his ailing quarterback, whose season should have ended with his right shoulder injury in Game 4, and instead ended in surgery two months later.

Now Smith is supposed to trust Nolan? Believe in Nolan? Be inspired by Nolan? Develop under Nolan?

No chance. Smith, who is thoughtful and engaging, and at 24, young enough to start over, needs to start packing. But when he leaves, he should take a few things with him, specifically, a healthy dose of that O'Sullivan combativeness. Think of a nasty cold. Then catch it.

O'Sullivan, who turns 29 next week, knows this is his big opportunity and is gripping the ball tightly. He has been signed and waived and signed and waived, and even spent a season in Europe. But as far back as his Aggies days, league executives were intrigued with his skills, the scouting report reading something like this: Sturdy 6-foot-2, 225-pounder with quick, compact release, strong and accurate arm, nimble feet, powerful presence.

"Everybody keeps asking me about J.T.," said Aggies coach Bob Biggs, sounding somewhat exasperated, "but he's always been a good player. You have to get opportunities in the league, and sometimes when you don't, you get stereotyped. I think that's what happened to J.T."

Initially, there were other concerns. Though O'Sullivan is a brainy sort, inclined to frequent the downtown art galleries on Second Saturday, his feistiness worked against him. The season after an alcohol-related escapade earned him a 1 1/2 week suspension, he was ejected for taunting and tossing the football after scoring against Humboldt State.

While labeling his senior's actions "immature" at the time, Biggs insisted, "This isn't a guy out of control by any means. J.T. just plays with a lot of competitive fire."

The edginess that remains today, on the field as he duels with Smith and Shaun Hill and in the locker room when surrounded by journalists, salvaged O'Sullivan's confidence. It might have saved his career. Starting quarterbacks don't get multiple opportunities unless they take the hit and come back for more. Unless they are fearsome, unless they can lead. And in some respects, O'Sullivan hasn't changed much at all.

While standing a few yards away from where Smith was discussing the trauma of losing a friend to suicide and acknowledging the discomfort in his unfamiliar role of backup after Saturday's victory over Green Bay, the former Jesuit star offered nothing in the way of insight or sound-bite material. He provided abrupt, ambiguous answers and often stared at his questioner with startling intensity.

"J.T. is short (with his words)," Biggs said, "and he has no time for nonsense. That throws people off. But he has to be who he is. Players want to know, 'What are you going to do? How are you going to react under pressure?' "

As rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan noted Saturday, O'Sullivan, who has been turnover-prone, has also displayed tenacity and escapability. O'Sullivan acts like a starter, talks like a starter, commands a huddle like a starter.

He exudes the air of someone on the attack and someone in control. Regardless if he succeeds with the 49ers, he won't be pushed around, either by opponents or by his coaches.

Smith, wherever he ends up, should take note.

Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.