There have been 10 national titles won by the SEC since the concept of a true national championship game was put into place for the 1998 season.

An amazing five SEC teams have combined to win those 10 titles, something you should remind those ridiculous fans of other conferences who ever dare try to argue that the SEC is “top heavy.”

During that span, we’ve seen some SEC quarterbacks step up in the big game, some of them took a step back as others took the spotlight and some even participated in multiple title games.

Here we rank those performances, in reverse order, while taking into account the quality of the defense being played.

Also note that the MVP award was split into offensive and defensive honors in 2005.

No. 10: ALABAMA QB GREG McELROY vs. TEXAS (2009)

The Crimson Tide defense and running backs did all the heavy lifting in the team’s 37-21 win over the Longhorns that earned the school its first national title since 1992. Greg McElroy was largely an afterthought as Mark Ingram (116 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and Trent Richardson (109 rushing yards, 2 TDs) accounted for all of the Tide offense’s trips to the end zone. Ingram became the first player since 1976 to win the Heisman and a national title in the same season.

Meanwhile, DT Marcell Dareus left his mark by knocking Texas QB Colt McCoy out of the game early and returning an interception thrown by his backup, freshman Garrett Gilbert, 28 yards for a touchdown right before halftime.

Stats: 6-for-11, 58 yards; 7 carries, -27 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: No

No. 9: LSU QB MATT MAUCK vs. OKLAHOMA (2003)

Twice Oklahoma brought offenses to a national title game against an SEC defense led by a Heisman Trophy winner, and both times the Sooners were stuffed cold. As a result, Oklahoma’s Jason White finished the game completing just as many passes as Matt Mauck (13) but threw 15 more incompletions while also tossing two picks and barely managing 100 yards (102). The Tigers defense, led by Marcus Spears, sacked White six times in the game. Like fellow defensive lineman Dareus did in the ’09 game, Spears also had a pick-six, taking one 20 yards to the house to put LSU up 21-7 in the eventual 21-14 win.

Mauck actually led the SEC in passer rating that season (148), guiding an offense that was second only to Ole Miss with 33.9 points per game, but Mauck didn’t finish with a bang. Aside from his two interceptions, he lost a fumble on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 early in the game.

Stats: 13-for-22, 124 yards, 2 INTs; 14 carries, 27 yards

MVP: No

No. 8: TENNESSEE QB TEE MARTIN vs. FLORIDA STATE (1998)

The Seminoles did a great job against the Vols passing game. Except for two plays. In one of them, Tee Martin found Peerless Price for a 76-yard gain that set up Tennessee’s first touchdown to draw first blood in the second quarter. Later, he once again connected with Price — named the game’s MVP — for the key, 79-yard touchdown that most SEC fans remember from the very first BCS National Championship Game that put the Vols up 20-9 in the 23-16 victory.

Tennessee won this game on big plays as the rushing game led by Travis Henry (28 yards) was a non-factor. The team’s other touchdown came from Dwayne Goodrich’s 54-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter. Martin finished his career going a combined 11-1 against Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida, splitting two games with the Gators. He’s now USC’s offensive coordinator and getting his Trojans ready for the 2016 season opener against Alabama on Sept. 3 in Arlington, Texas.

Stats: 11-for-18, 178 yards, 2 TDs; 10 carries, 19 yards

MVP: No

No. 7: ALABAMA QB AJ McCARRON vs. LSU (2011)

AJ McCarron made two starts in national title games in his career. He won Offensive MVP in one of the two games, but not in the one you would’ve expected him to earn it. Not that his performance against LSU’s incredible defense was bad by any means. His other one was just that good.

First of all, McCarron’s performance is notable based on the fact that he lost his favorite receiver Marquis Maze in the first quarter to injury and still put together an extremely efficient performance against an incredible defense that entered the game with 36 sacks. To everyone’s surprise, then-offensive coordinator Jim McElwain — who would leave to be the head coach at Colorado State after the game — dialed up just one more rush attempt (35) than pass attempt (34), but that’s because the team had faith in McCarron to make plays, and he made them inside and outside the pocket to lead the Tide to the 21-0 win.

Stats: 23-for-34, 234 yards; 4 carries, 11 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: Yes

No. 6: AUBURN QB CAM NEWTON vs. OREGON (2010)

It took 14 games to do it, but an Auburn player other than Cam Newton finally outshined the Heisman winner. RB Michael Dyer took the MVP award after rushing for 143 yards, 37 of those came on the key play. With the score tied 19-19 and the Tigers driving with under two minutes to play, everyone thought Dyer was down, but he wasn’t and took it all the way down to the Oregon 23-yard line. That set up Wes Byrum’s game-winning field goal as time expired in the 22-19 victory.

Newton recorded season-highs in completions (20) and pass attempts (34) to go with two touchdown throws of 30-plus yards in the second quarter. However, overall his performance wasn’t on par with his other ones that season despite playing against the Ducks defense in a game many thought would be a shootout. Still, only one player among these signal-callers finished with more yards of total offense than Newton’s 329.

Stats: 20-for-34, 265 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 22 carries, 64 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: No

No. 5: FLORIDA QB CHRIS LEAK vs. OHIO STATE (2006)

Yet another Heisman winner in Troy Smith fell victim to a terrific SEC defense on the big stage in this one. Meanwhile, the performance on the other side of the ball from Florida’s QB is severely underrated. Chris Leak was surgical as he hit open receivers all game long. He completed each of his first nine passes, never looking rattled after Tedd Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to give the Buckeyes an early boost. He hit Dallas Baker for a 14-yard touchdown to immediately square the game 7-7.

Leak, directing a two-quarterback offense with various formations, was 16-of-24 through the air for 150 yards and touchdown as the Gators took a commanding 34-14 lead into halftime on the way to a 41-14 win. That effort, which earned him Offensive MVP, came against an Ohio State defense that finished 5th in the FBS in points allowed (12.8) and 12th in total defense (280.5).

Stats: 25-for-36, 213 yards, 1 TD; 3 carries, 7 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: Yes

No. 4: LSU QB MATT FLYNN vs. OHIO STATE (2007)

The Buckeyes brought an even better defense into the following season’s national title game, but another SEC QB would carve up Ohio State the same way. Like Florida, Matt Flynn and LSU weren’t phased by an early hole against OSU, which jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Flynn just went to work, putting together his best college performance when it absolutely mattered most while earning Offensive MVP. Flynn set career-highs as a starter in completion percentage (70.4) and touchdown passes (4) while notching his second-best QB rating (166) in the 38-24 win.

Only one SEC QB on this list was even responsible for more than two touchdowns, and Flynn had four coming from 13, 10, 4 and 5 yards out. He directed the Tigers offense to 38 points against a Buckeyes defense that easily ranked first in the FBS in points allowed (12.8) and yards allowed (233) by a wide margin. OSU also led comfortably in passing yards allowed (150.2).

Stats: 19-for-27, 174 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 12 carries, 8 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: Yes

No. 3: FLORIDA QB TIM TEBOW vs. OKLAHOMA (2008)

Tim Tebow faced Sam Bradford in a matchup of college football’s most recent Heisman Trophy winners at the time. Just like the previous winners of college football’s most prestigious award when facing an SEC defense in the national title game, Bradford didn’t fare very well. Instead, it was Tebow racking up 340 yards of total offense, which is more than any other quarterback on here. Meanwhile, he threw two touchdowns, one to start the game (20-yarder to Louis Murphy) and the other to seal the 24-14 win (4-yarder to David Nelson).

Tebow completed 60 percent of his passes while averaging five yards per carry on the ground. While Tebow did throw two interceptions, he also went 7-for-10 on third downs. Two of those were key on the 11-play, 76-yard TD drive that put the game out of reach as he found Riley Cooper for a 17-yard gain on third-and-12, and Aaron Hernandez for a 9-yard gain on third-and-6. He also converted three more third downs on the ground in winning Offensive MVP.

Stats: 18-for-30, 231 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 22 carries, 109 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: Yes

No. 2: ALABAMA QB JAKE COKER vs. CLEMSON (2015)

Jake Coker threw for 335 yards while no other quarterback managed 300, and his passer rating of 203 is also the best of the bunch. Coker made so many big plays for the Crimson Tide, and with a lot of help from pass-catchers who racked up a lot of yards after the catch for their QB as he eventually averaged 13.4 yards per attempt. Coker found his tight end O.J. Howard wide open for some big plays, most notably for his two touchdown tosses that were both of 50-plus yards. Those key plays resulted in Howard being the game’s Offensive MVP.

Don’t forget Coker’s scramble and dive for the first down on third-and-3 from inside the Clemson 10-yard line that led to the TD that put the Tide up 45-33 with just over a minute left. Alabama was facing a stout defensive front that sacked Coker four times in the game, so it needed a balanced attack. Coker delivered in a big way, putting together his best game just a week after his previous best against Michigan State in the playoff semifinal.

Stats: 16-for-25, 335 yards, 2 TDs; 8 carries, -20 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: No

No. 1: ALABAMA QB AJ McCARRON vs. NOTRE DAME (2013)

Ironically, the two top performances go to quarterbacks who didn’t win Offensive MVP, and both of them were Alabama quarterbacks. While AJ McCarron proved he could handle the big stage as a freshman in the national title game win over a stout LSU defense two seasons prior, he unleashed his potential in the 42-14 win over Notre Dame.

McCarron threw two touchdowns in the first half, adding a 34-yarder and a 19-yarder to Amari Cooper in the second half. He would wind up connecting with eight different pass-catchers on the masterful night, making difficult throws from inside the pocket and on the move outside the pocket, while threading the needle and abusing Heisman finalist LB Manti Te’o and the Irish defense.

McCarron completed 20 of 28 passes, and his teammates could’ve made that stat line better by not dropping some easy ones. McCarron showed his fire from start to finish, shouting at his center Barrett Jones on a miscommunication with the team up 42-14 with about seven minutes left. His performance was somewhat overshadowed by Offensive MVP Eddie Lacy’s 140-yard effort as the Tide offense in general couldn’t be stopped.

Stats: 20-for-28, 264 yards, 4 TDs; 1 carries, 9 yards

OFFENSIVE MVP: No