The SEC field at quarterback is strong enough at the top, but after that, things get messy. This week, two teams started a new QB behind center. One was starting only his second game, and still another was starting only his fifth game after taking over for his team in September.
In such a week, only a crazy person would bother trying to construct a top-10 of SEC quarterbacks. Here is this week’s SEC quarterbacking top 10.
10. SEAN WHITE, AUBURN
Well, who else would you put here? White is actually 10th in the league in QBR — and yes, I know it’s a flawed stat, but bear with me — and has been something less than a catastrophe since Gus Malzahn inserted him into the lineup (as opposed to the guy he replaced, who might be the year’s most catastrophic story that doesn’t involve a gruesome injury). He actually seems better since the dismissal of Duke Williams; without the pressure of forcing the football to No. 1, the offense flows better. He has yet to actually quarterback Auburn to a win of any significance, so we’ll keep him here.
Last week: 12-28, 258 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Season: 74-125, 1,063 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
9. PATRICK TOWLES, KENTUCKY
The good news: Enough quarterbacks have tanked the past two weeks that Towles doesn’t look so bad by comparison.
Last week: 16-33, 184 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Season: 162-275, 1,914 yards, 9 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
8. TREON HARRIS, FLORIDA
At one point during the Georgia game, Harris had missed on nine straight throws and Florida only led because Georgia committed one of the more puzzling errors on a punt return in football history. Then he found Antonio Callaway down the sidelines for 66 yards and a score and that was that.
Last week: 8-19, 155 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions
Season: 44-78, 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 33 carries, 122 yards
7. KYLER MURRAY, TEXAS A&M
This story takes stranger and stranger turns. A week after Kevin Sumlin apparently ignored Murray on the sidelines in the second half of a blowout loss to Ole Miss — choosing Jake Hubenak for mop-up duty instead — the freshman accounted for an absurd 379 yards of total offense in a 35-28 win over South Carolina. Yes, everyone lights up South Carolina — remember when Greyson Lambert looked like a Heisman contender? — but it’s a decent start.
Last week: 20-28, 223 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions; 20 carries, 156 yards, 1 touchdown
Season: 37-59, 390 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions; 38 carries, 248 yards, 1 touchdown
6. BRANDON HARRIS, LSU
He can become a legend in Baton Rouge this month. Let’s wait and see.
Last week: Idle
Season: 75-128, 1,098 yards, 9 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
5. JOSH DOBBS, TENNESSEE
In an uncertain college football universe, nothing is more certain than Tennessee blistering Kentucky, South Carolina, Missouri and Vanderbilt — and blowing the doors off its bowl game opponent — to get everybody excited for the Vols as a “dark horse” title contender for next season. Remember I said this, please, when August rolls around.
Last week: 16-26, 233 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception; 7 carries, 51 yards, 2 touchdowns
Season: 127-217, 1,505 yards, 11 touchdowns, 3 interceptions; 96 carries, 438 yards, 7 touchdowns
4. JAKE COKER, ALABAMA
Gary Danielson said during Alabama’s come-from-behind win over Tennessee two weeks ago that eventually the Crimson Tide would need Jake Coker to win them a game. He didn’t do anything spectacular — two jump balls to superior receivers — but Alabama’s offense hasn’t yet required him to do so. But Alabama will not beat LSU with its defense and Derrick Henry alone. Will not.
Last week: Idle
Season: 143-224, 1,623 yards, 11 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
3. BRANDON ALLEN, ARKANSAS
If the Hogs have any chance in the next two weeks at Ole Miss and LSU — it’s a big “if,” but bear with me — and salvage its season, it will be because of Allen’s experience and playmaking abilities. Alabama simply spit on Arkansas’ run game, and Allen wasn’t good enough to beat them.
Last week: 14-19, 265 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
Season: 141-223, 2,034 yards, 15 touchdowns, 5 interceptions
2. CHAD KELLY, OLE MISS
Don’t undersell Saturday’s performance at Jordan-Hare Stadium. SEC road wins don’t come cheap in this division, not even against a rapidly disintegrating opponent like the Tigers. Throw in the early start time and Ole Miss’ history on The Plains — Eli Manning was the last Rebel quarterback to win there — and that was an underrated performance.
Last week: 33-51, 381 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Season: 213-327, 2,856 yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions
1. DAK PRESCOTT, MISSISSIPPI STATE
There is a real chance — and it’s remote, but it’s possible — that Prescott could still steer the Bulldogs to Atlanta. He has a Thursday night showcase game at Missouri this week, and let’s just say LSU falls in Tuscaloosa. Mississippi State would still need the Tigers to lose again in November — LSU still has to play at Ole Miss and has A&M at home — but if they get some help, State has both Alabama and Ole Miss coming to Starkville this month. It’s out there (maybe) for Dak Prescott to write one more chapter in his legend.
Last week: Idle
Season: 173-260, 2,048 yards, 14 touchdowns, 1 interception; 72 carries, 371 yards, 7 touchdowns
Will Heath is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football.
