From top to bottom, how do the quarterbacks of the SEC rank?  Do these rankings parlay into BCS success for their teams?  In most cases, the answer is obviously yes while in other cases, it doesn’t really matter.  This is an unbiased top-down analysis of each starting quarterback from the best league in the nation.

Upper Tier:

1.  This is a no brainer.  Unless you have been living underneath a rock for the past four years, then you know what Tim Tebow has done for the Florida Gators.  We believe that no explanation is needed.  Tebow simply accounted for 3500 total yards and 42 TD’s last season.  That’s all.  Even in an offense that lessened his physical hits, the man rushed for 792 yards + 12 TD’s….and then passed for 2,746 yards and 30 TD’s while only throwing 4 picks.  He has already won two BCS Titles, met Chuck Norris, witnessed to Death Row inmates, and cured cancer….twice.  Seriously, there are some major flaws that will limit Tebow’s success at the next level rather than this one.  He must improve his foot work in the pocket, make more concise pre-snap reads and work on his short to medium route throwing motion.  Other than that, win another BCS Title, feed the needy, and cure the Swine Flu.

2.  Jevan Snead:  Snead threw 29 more passes than Tebow, but only amassed 16 more yards passing.  He must improve his TD/INT ration (2-1) in order to lead Ole Miss over the hump into the fertile ground of the BCS Bowl system.  Snead has a fluid throwing motion, makes smart decisions (for the most part) and is a solid fit for Houston Nutt’s system.

3.  Jordan Jefferson:  Yes, we are either high on this kid or just simply high.  LSU had to burn his red shirt season due to injuries and Jefferson moved the team on up.  The kid reminds us of Ryan Perrilloux….minus the mouth and the police.  While only hitting on 49.3% of his passes, Jefferson had a 4-1 TD ratio.  Very smart player who should be able to push LSU past the pick six doldrums that were witnessed last season.

4.  Joe Cox:  Might not have Matt Stafford’s strong arm or smoking hot girlfriend, but Cox has the intangibles that coaches seek:  accuracy and leadership.  This was a risk putting him this high on the list due to only having 432 career passing yards…..BUT, Cox is not a newcomer and as long as he keeps his head screwed on straight without going Varsity Blues on the team, will have a successful coming out party.

5.  Greg McElroy: Another reach at this spot, but looking at the rest of the list, not THAT much of a reach.  McElroy made some good reads in the Spring Game vs a vanilla defense.  It will be interesting to see how he reacts to a chocolate chip defense with real live mean a$$ed SEC defensive linemen trying to extricate his head from his shoulders.  Did seem to get rattled from mistakes in the Spring.

6.  Ryan Mallet:  Was not THAT impressive at Michigan, but looking back at what he had to work with, maybe he did a better job than most think.  HUGE physical specimen, welcome to the SEC.  Will he be a product of  in a system the same way that Brian Brohm at Louisville?  Yes, but expect a TON of yards from that system.

7.  Stephen Garcia:  Otherwise known as Steve Spurrier’s heart attack in waiting.  Garcia has some untapped talent hiding beneath the surface.  If he simply settles down and plays within the system and learns to look before throwing the ball away, he will be ok.  Tends to force the ball too much and must also improve his ratio (6-8).

8.  Tyson Lee:  Can he handle Dan Mullen’s system?  In the past played well enough to keep the team from getting beat.  In the new system, MUST be able to make fast decisions and stick with the decision made.  How much of the actual system has been implemented?  When Croom took the job over, only 30% of his offense was installed prior to opening day…..on the day he was fired, apparently that number had fallen to less than 5%.

9.  Jonathan Crompton:  Has never reached his potential.  Former OC David Cutcliffe privately stated that Crompton would not have been his starter (if he had not taken the Duke job).  Must have an iron will and a strong backbone to withstand the beatings from SEC defennses and home town fans.

10.  Mike Hartline:  Lacks mobility.  Must improve his ratio (9-8) or he will be watching from the bench again.  Has the talent, has the QB coach, he just needs to settle down and take what is being given to him.

11.  Kodi Burns:  Did not have fantastic numbers last year, but then again had to learn a new offense in mid-season.  Will get better with experience.  Must anticipate where the safety is at and can not suffer through another 2-7 ratio year.  A simplified offense will make this player look like a stud.

12.  Larry Smith:  He has the generic name, plays for the team that doesn’t have an athletic department……the only reason we put Smith in this spot is simple:  he has only played in two games.  He slides to the 12 spot simply due to having less experience than the others.  Some will argue that several others have the same amount of experience, but it is really apples to oranges.  Smith has a bright future, but only time will tell.

• FSU takes a huge stance < Deadspin
• ACC vs SEC Turf Wars < Dr. Saturday
• The Fulmer Cupdate < EDSBS
• Is anyone surprised Lane Kiffen made this list? < Zoner Sports
• Congress Seeks Bowls Truth < Rivals

• Urban Meyer + Darth Vader < FanBlogs
• Notre Dame gives Charlie an Extreme Makeover < The Trojan Empire
• 11 Worst College Coaching Performances of the 21st Century < Bleacher Report
• The Best College Football games over the past 10 years < College Football Saturday
• You didn’t miss anything bud < Lawvol

Here is a hint at one of them.
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Those orange blurs streaking to the exits are fed-up fans finding themselves confused and embarrassed by the outcome of the game.

Confused because they cannot, for the life of themselves, understand why a middling program like Wyoming could roll into Knoxville and beat Tennessee.

Embarrassed because they spent time and money watching a program that had decayed to the point where there was no offensive innovation, very little internal enthusiasm, and zero player discipline.
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The second one is a more personal one for Wyoming fans. For Tennessee fans, the clip should appear to be some horrifying rendition of the Blair Witch Project.

Some teams win National Championships based on outrageous skill. Others win them purely because of luck. Tennessee’s dumb luck with Stoerner’s fumble didn’t indicate anything particularly special about the team, but the fact that they were in the position to take advantage of the fumble suggests something. Isn’t luck the residue of skill?

Regardless, this clip represents the beginning of the program’s ascension to national prominence. Things were good. Phil Fulmer was building recruiting pipelines all over the nation, and the team was winning at a prodigious rate. Very little seemed out of reach for the program.

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This is how it happened.

The rest of his tweets are just like Urban Meyer’s. They are just updates on his day to day happenings, but the Tweets above are crazy. Who yells into cyberspace “Please. Come here“? Could that be a recruiting violation? Follow the Zookster here.

For example, he quotes Meyer’s Tweet which says “Heading to a quick staff meeting.”

then makes the comment “Gee! Thanks coach! In the future, you can keep those updates to yourself.”

I can understand why he might think that this is useless, but you can be quite sure that there are those who follow Meyer on Twitter who are closer to him who see that and think ‘ok, I’ll just have to wait to call him later.’  Given, the vast majority of those following him are most likely just Gators fans, but to some his updates could be very helpful.  On top of that, he does not just Tweet his status, but articles and messages to the other UF sports teams.  I could be a bit biased, because I also Tweet, but I do not share The Bull Gator’s sentiments. Tell us what you think. Do you find the following helpful?

(Editor’s Note: I agree with the Bull Gator , but I see Ryan Morgan’s point. )

You can catch Coach Meyers’ Tweets here at: twitter.com/CoachUrbanMeyer

The decision will more than likely be received as an admission of defeat given UGA’s record of 3-16 in Jacksonville since 1990. But with jobs, conference titles, and national titles at stake, Georgia can’t afford to willingly place themselves in a disadvantaged situation any longer.

But what of the site’s neutrality you ask? Right. Jacksonville is about as neutral as James Carville on speed at an Ann Coulter Roast. The Gators are tough enough on their own. Why participate in the charade that Jacksonville, as a venue, gives each school complete competitive equality?

As the race for conference superiority gets more heated and expensive, programs have to mull over every aspect of their football operations in an effort to give themselves the biggest boost. While it would be admirable and noble for Georgia to extend their contract with Florida in Jacksonville, logic would suggest that they will opt for a more equitable commitment.

What if the site rotated between the “neutral” venues of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and Jacksonville? This way both programs could share in the wink wink, nudge nudge concept of neutrality every other year.

Will the derisive jeering from Florida fans at Georgia’s withdrawal from Jacksonville sting a little? Sure. But better to take it now then after yet another late season drubbing at the hands of Urban Meyer’s “visiting” squad. The stakes are simply too high.