First and 10: If you don't have a QB, you don't have a chance, a'ight? And several SEC teams don't
1. I don’t want to get on a soapbox, but …
Thirty years ago, a brash 40-something coach arrived at Florida and declared he didn’t know who his quarterback would be – only that he’d lead the SEC in passing.
That idea, now more than ever, fuels college football – and specifically, the SEC.
Those who have elite quarterback play win big games. Those who don’t struggle for success and hire and fire coaches while looking for the best “fit.”
Let’s make this very clear from the jump: Winning in college football has nothing to do with “fit” and how it plays out on the field. It has everything to do with the most important position on the field.
It wasn’t long after Steve Spurrier arrived at Florida in 1990 that the quarterback position at Florida became the most high-profile job in college football. Only years later, after Nick Saban changed course in the middle of the most successful coaching run in college football history and ditched his “game manager” philosophy on quarterbacks to recruiting game-changers, can we truly appreciate just how important the position has become.
Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain couldn’t develop an elite quarterback at Florida and were fired.
Les Miles won a national title with a run-first, game-manager offense early at LSU, but couldn’t develop an elite quarterback to keep pace later in his career and eventually was fired.
Gene Chizik won a national championship at Auburn with an elite quarterback and was fired 2 years later after struggling to find another difference-maker.
Jeremy Pruitt can’t find a quarterback at Tennessee. Neither can Mark Stoops at Kentucky, or Muschamp at South Carolina, or Derek Mason at Vanderbilt.
Mike Leach, in his first season at Mississippi State, thought he had a quarterback in Week 1 but has since benched him. Before Saturday’s win over Vanderbilt, his team had scored 23 offensive points in 4 straight losses.
Lane Kiffin has a quarterback in his first season at Ole Miss, and were it not for a horrific call from SEC officials in a loss to Auburn, would have 3 wins with a team that probably shouldn’t have any.
To further emphasize outside the SEC: Jim Harbaugh hasn’t had a quarterback in 6 seasons at Michigan, and he can’t consistently beat his rivals (or Ohio State at all) and is teetering on disaster despite an impressive overall record. Brian Kelly responded from an awful 4-8 season at Notre Dame in 2016 by recruiting and developing Ian Book – and Book just gave Clemson (the king of quarterback play in the last decade) its first regular-season loss in 37 games.
“It’s where we are in college football, no question,” Florida coach Dan Mullen said. “The position has always been important. But so much is placed on (the quarterback) now with pre-snap (reads), protections, understanding defensive formations, anticipating change in those formations, getting everyone lined up properly.
“Then the ball snaps, and you have to read and react in a matter of 3 seconds or less. Go through progressions, move in the pocket to buy time, escape when you have to, and throw accurately no matter where you are in that process. That’s every single snap. Now times that by 60 or 70 or 80 times, and you see how important that position becomes.”
Nowhere was that on more prominent display than last weekend’s Florida-Georgia game. Mullen has developed Kyle Trask into 1 of the 2 best quarterbacks in the SEC; Georgia coach Kirby Smart has botched the quarterback spot so badly, a championship-ready team needs a miracle (2 more Florida losses, better UGA QB play down the stretch) just to have another shot at Alabama again in the SEC Championship Game.
Mullen arrived at Florida in 2018 with a depth chart full of underwhelming quarterbacks and wide receivers. By the end of Year 1, he had 10 wins and developed quarterback Feleipe Franks from a player who was booed by his own fans to a quarterback leading a rout of Michigan in a bowl game.
A year later, after Franks sustained a season-ending injury in Week 3, he got Trask – who hadn’t started a game since his freshman season in high school – ready to play in the toughest conference in the nation. By the end of the season, the Gators had 11 wins, and 4 of those underwhelming receivers were drafted by the NFL.
Now here we are in 2020, and Trask has set an SEC record for consecutive games with at least 4 TD passes (5), and his emergence among the elite of college football is a similar trendline to that of a guy named Joe Burrow.
Trask isn’t the talent of a first pick overall in the NFL Draft like Burrow, but he’s the reason Florida is no longer stuck in mud at the most important position on the field. His emergence since last season has lifted Florida from a program on the rise to a program set up to play for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Meanwhile, the play of Stetson Bennett and D’Wan Mathis is the reason Georgia has regressed for the first time under Smart.
The play of Jarrett Guarantano (and every other Tennessee quarterback) has led to hard questions that must be asked about Pruitt (more on that later).
“High criticism or high praise,” Jimbo Fisher says about the quarterback spot. “It’s not fair, but there’s no gray area there.”
We can talk about the passing game being more than the quarterback, how the offensive line has to protect, receivers have to run correct routes and catch the ball, and play-callers have to set up throws.
Or how defensive rules changes over the years have given a distinct advantage to offenses (they have), or how quarterbacks are protected at a greater level than previous years (they are).
But all of that means nothing when it’s 3rd-and-9 and you need a play, more times than not, it’s all about the quarterback. Can he make an accurate throw, and can he avoid disaster?
It’s not that difficult to understand: The quarterback is everything.
2. The Big Orange dilemma
Jeremy Pruitt is winless vs. Tennessee’s rivals (Alabama, Georgia, Florida) and last weekend the Vols lost their 4th consecutive game.
After winning 8 in a row dating to last season, the Vols have imploded at quarterback and have scored 7 total points in the second halves of the last 4 games.
Seven points.
The latest Tennessee loss, to Arkansas, magnified this reality: In 3 years, Pruitt and his staff have yet to develop a difference-maker at quarterback.
On the other sideline, there was this: In less than a year – through a pandemic and the loss of spring practice and summer workouts – first-year Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and his staff have continued to develop a quarterback (Franks) who has been critical to the Hogs’ rise from the SEC basement.
Franks threw 2 interceptions to start the season in a loss to Georgia and has since thrown 13 TDs and 1 INT in leading the Hogs to 3 wins. That’s coaching.
If you’re Tennessee and Jarrett Guarantano isn’t working, and the quarterbacks Pruitt and his staff recruited (Harrison Bailey, Brian Mauer) aren’t working, where does that leave you with a coach who doesn’t have a single signature victory in his 3 seasons?
The hiring of Pruitt was a colossal mistake, a ridiculous reach for a proud program after a botched coaching search led to an inner-departmental coup. That coup led to the new athletic director (Phil Fulmer) hiring a career assistant coach and paying him $4 million a year – because he was a good “fit.”
Pruitt will make a change this offseason at offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, and the Vols will move forward with a coach who doesn’t have a signature victory. They’ll hope he will make the right hire to teach and develop the most important position on the field, and that a lost decade doesn’t become two.
That, or spend $12 million to buy him out and start over.
3. The most important position, The Epilogue
How important is the quarterback position, you ask?
It saved Texas A&M $54 million, give or take $7 million a year.
Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher has finally figured out Kellen Mond, and how to set him up for success. Mond has developed over 3 seasons with Fisher, and now the offense is clicking and Texas A&M is winning and they’re talking about – hold onto your 10-gallon hat – the Playoff.
Mond is nearly 25 points better than the best QB rating of his career and has career bests in completion percentage (64.3) and average per attempt (8.3). His 16 TDs project to a career-best 27 TDs. Mond is the Aggies’ all-time leader in touchdown passes (68).
More important, he has big wins on his résumé, including LSU in 2018 and Florida in 2020.
In 3 years under Pruitt’s staff, Guarantano hasn’t been nearly as effective. He has gotten progressively less instinctual and more mechanical. He’s trying to not make mistakes.
“You watch (Guarantano) on the sidelines, and he’s this big kid with a big arm and you’re thinking, I can’t wait to see this,” an NFL scout told me. “Then you watch him, and it’s just a train wreck. Sometimes I really feel for these kids who aren’t getting proper coaching. Once your confidence is shaken, it’s not easy for young guys. Then it’s more poor coaching on top of poor coaching. And these guys don’t know which end is up.”
Guarantano isn’t alone in his struggles.
— Auburn spent guaranteed money this offseason to hire Chad Morris as offensive coordinator, and quarterback Bo Nix hasn’t progressed like most 2nd-year starters. He’s incrementally better in numbers, but as far as impact on a game, there’s little doubt he has regressed. Were it not for 3 horrific officiating calls, there would be a much greater emphasis on what in the world is wrong with the Nix and Morris marriage.
— Muschamp hired good friend Mike Bobo to run his offense at South Carolina, and Bobo brought Collin Hill, his former quarterback at Colorado State, with him. Hill is statistically having the worst season of his career, but he did jump from the Mountain West to the SEC. This, of course, makes you wonder why Ryan Hilinski, who played well at times in 2019 and is more physically gifted than Hill, hasn’t been able to win the job.
“There’s a lot more that goes on behind the scenes that you don’t get to see,” an SEC coach told me. “Does your quarterback understand what we’re doing? Does he know where the ball should go? It’s not just, boy, he has a good arm. But at the end of the day, it’s our job to teach him to know where the ball should go, and how to protect it.”
Coaches who can do just that win big games. Coaches who can’t – for whatever reason – will eventually be weeded out.
4. Et tu, Georgia?
Smart rolled back the curtain somewhat on what has become the biggest story in the SEC this season (for some reason, it’s not the looming Heisman Trophy race between Mac Jones and Kyle Trask).
JT Daniels has been running scout team quarterback for Georgia. He’s not wearing a knee brace and he’s not limited in what he can do in practice or games, Smart said, when asked specifically about Daniels after a blowout loss to Florida.
That leaves Georgia with Stetson Bennett, who clearly isn’t the answer, and D’Wan Mathis, who clearly isn’t, either.
“I think (Daniels) is still growing and getting better in the offense,” Smart said. “But obviously right now, with where we are, we feel (Bennett and Mathis) give us the best shot.”
So let’s recap: The quarterback running scout team has better arm talent than either quarterback used this season. The quarterback running the scout team – who started as a freshman at USC before injuring his knee in the first game of 2019 (he left after Kedon Slovis’ big freshman season made it clear where USC was headed) – isn’t ready to play for the Bulldogs.
I don’t know how else to say this other than: You’ve got to be kidding me.
Unless Daniels goes out and throws multiple interceptions, he’s not going to make things worse. He can miss wide-open receivers, too. He can miss progressions and eliminate big plays, too.
Hell, he can throw it into the back of his offensive line, too.
Georgia has a quarterback problem, a situation that has taken a championship-level team and turned it into a group of talented players languishing in the kiddie pool because there’s no quarterback who can jump in the deep end and survive.
At this point, what exactly does it hurt to put Daniels in the game with 1 or 2 specific reads every play? The odds of him hitting those throws can’t be much worse than Bennett and Mathis.
You’ve seen what Bennett and Mathis can do. You haven’t seen Daniels.
5. The Weekly Five
Five picks against the spread.
- Alabama (-22.5) at LSU
- Arkansas (+17) at Florida
- Auburn (-13.5) at Mississippi State
- Texas A&M (-12) at Tennessee
- Georgia at Missouri (+12)
Last week: 4-1
Season: 20-14.
6. Your tape is your résumé
An NFL scout breaks down a draft-eligible SEC player. This week: LSU WR Terrace Marshall.
“He doesn’t have the top-end speed of (Ja’Marr) Chase, and doesn’t have the explosiveness of (Justin) Jefferson, but man, is he smooth. Now he can run, and he’s one of those guys that finds another gear on game day.
“He’s long and he can go get it, and that’s a big deal in our game now. But a lot of times with those long guys, they’re clunky. He’s smooth, so smooth.
“The best thing that happened to him was Chase opting out. Not only did he become the focus of that passing game, he’s the guy out there playing right now. Whatever you want to say about these guys opting out – and I have no problem with it – the players that are on the field are the players who are generating fresh game tape. I love (South Carolina CB) Jaycee Horn. He might be the first corner taken. And Marshall got the best of him in that matchup when they played (this season).”
7. Powered Up
This week’s Power Poll – and one big thing.
1. Alabama: There’s a whole lot of rat poison left on the schedule, and think about this: Nick Saban’s Alabama teams have had 1 unbeaten season (since 2007).
2. Florida: The Missouri defense under Barry Odom had success against Dan Mullen in 2018-19 (40 points in 2 games), and didn’t have better talent than Odom has at Arkansas. A dangerous spot for the Gators after an emotional win over Georgia.
3. Texas A&M: Aggies are talking about the CFP. Two things: This team isn’t good enough to look ahead, and they’re going to need Florida to lose at least 1 more time (in the regular season, or the SEC Championship Game).
4. Georgia: In the last 3 key SEC games for Georgia, the defense has given up 37 points (LSU, 2019), 41 (Alabama) and 44 (Florida).
5. Auburn: Unless there’s something crazy good and unexpected for Auburn, the Tigers are staring at a 6-4. That would be easier to handle if there were something dynamic to build around.
6. Arkansas: Franks will be geeked to play his former team in the former stadium whose fans once booed him. The Gators will have a natural letdown. Can Franks and OC/play-caller Kendal Briles take advantage of it?
7. Kentucky: Terry Wilson or Joey Gatewood: Which QB can be more efficient in the passing game? This is an optimal moment (vs. Vanderbilt) to find out – before back-to-back road games against Alabama and Florida.
8. Tennessee: Can this be Tennessee’s moment to take a stand? The Vols did it in 2018 against Auburn. A win this week against Texas A&M prevents what could be the ultimate collapse of losing out.
9. Missouri: A critical spot for Mizzou coming off a bye week. If the Tigers can exploit Georgia’s banged up defense, they can win a shootout. Win here, and MU isn’t far from a really nice season under first-year coach Eli Drinkwitz.
10. Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin has been eerily quiet during the bye week. He knows what’s going down in the second half of the season and how important it can be (more on that later).
11. LSU: The odds of QB Myles Brennan being ready to play vs. Alabama are slim. That leaves LSU in a big(ger) hole against the Tide, which might hang the largest number in the history of the series on the Tigers. Especially after the – ahem — colorful audio from last year’s winning locker room.
12. South Carolina: I’m not sure I’ve seen a Will Muschamp coached team look so woefully unprepared as the Gamecocks were against Texas A&M. Get back to what you do best: run with TB Kevin Harris and slow tempo against Ole Miss.
13. Mississippi State: Bo Nix is a different player on the road (see: not good), and the Mississippi State defense is the one steady thing on the roster. If QB Will Rogers can protect the ball and the defense gets multiple turnovers, an upset is possible.
14. Vanderbilt: Last week was the chance to win a game this season, and the Commodores had 5 turnovers against Mississippi State. You want positive: Vandy may have found something in TB Keyon Henry-Brooks.
8. Ask and you shall receive
Matt: I’m a little discouraged by the Lane Train. From what I can tell, he’s one of those coaches who comes in with a lot of bluster, wins a game or two he shouldn’t win, and then never really elevates a program. Tell me where I’m wrong, and tell me this season and his time at Ole Miss won’t be any different. Even if his two “wins” were close losses to Alabama and Florida.
Monty Miller
Birmingham.
Monty: If you’re an Ole Miss fan, you’ve got to hang on to the reality that Kiffin has made a legit SEC quarterback out of Matt Corral – who had talent, but clearly wasn’t focused under the previous staff. The problem: The previous staff didn’t exactly recruit well on the defensive side of the ball.
I would expect Kiffin to hit the transfer portal heavily at the end of the season, especially with the NCAA in the process of granting every player one free transfer without losing a year of eligibility (this has nothing to do with the free season of eligibility for every player this season). That means Kiffin can upgrade defensively immediately, signing guys who can play in 2021 and change the unit. How does he do that? Finish strong this season.
Keep scoring points, keep making it look fun, keep pressing to the edge to make players want to be part of what he’s building. That begins this week against South Carolina, a winnable game Ole Miss can’t lose. They’re not beating Texas A&M the following week, but they absolutely can beat Mississippi State and LSU to finish the season.
If Kiffin somehow gets to 5-5, he’s going to have a great opportunity to land some difference-makers on defense from all 3 recruiting areas: the portal, junior college and high school. Then we’ll see if he can truly make it unique in Oxford like Hugh Freeze did not so long ago.
9. Numbers: 221.79
To finish our Week Of The Quarterback, we give you Alabama’s Mac Jones. In games against 3 (Texas A&M, Georgia, Mississippi State) of the SEC’s top 4 defenses, Jones has a passer rating of 221.79. That number is higher than Jones’ season passer rating of 210.32 (2nd in the nation for players with more than 1 game) and is backed by an impressive stat line: 12 TDs, 2 INTs, 1,143 yards and a completion percentage of 75.5.
10. Quote to note
Florida coach Dan Mullen, on jumping into the stands to celebrate with fans: “You’ve got to have some fun and enjoy this. It’s been a tough, difficult year for everybody.”
It’s really surprising to me how the qb position And offensive philosophy in college has changed so fast. I agree with the writer that if you want to win many games you don’t just need a good QB, you need a really good if not great one along with an OC that can develop him and develop a big time passing game. Unfortunately UT and several others didn’t get the memo.
How is UT the 8th ranked power in the sec? I say 12th or 13th. Take ATM and give the points this saturday. Bet the farm and retire early. Guaranteed money.
Pruitt won’t get fired this year. Too much loss already. He will be firmly on the hot seat next season.
As I posted previously, everybody gets a mulligan this season. At this point, simplify and play Bailey. Dunno if Chaney gets canned, who is our next David Cutcliffe (qb whisperer?)
^^^ DITTO THAT ^^^ … Vols 8th “strongest” … Ole Miss would beat them in their current state. Blueprint is out on Georgia; they’re toast playing anyone with an average offense from this point forward.
Nice article. It really is a shame how G can’t seem to have a complete game. He throws a beautiful long pass for a touchdown and then does a boneheaded interception. I agree with the writer, it is coaching. Chaney under Dooley had one of the best offenses at UT, but also had a great line and good QB. I am not sure he is the problem. It could be he loves his system too much and has not adjusted for the personnel he has. The O line has been a disappointment after the buildup. Don’t know if that is too much PR or coaching.
Coach Pruitt won’t be fired. This is basically a free season. He seems to put emphasis on recruiting (necessary), but you also have to have good coaching. Hopefully he figures it out, has a great recruiting class, and gets UT on the right track.
dvhill100, note the beginning of the article where research shows the quarterback position has become a more “intellectual” decision-making position…errrrr…. hence the problem for Guarantano as well as Nix at Auburn. Good strong arm but no brain = disaster in the tough games. That bonehead play by Nix in the Arkansas game (spiking backwards) is something middle school quarterbacks even know not to do. I hate to say it but Guarantano is just not top-tier in the brain category. Raw talent? Sure! I just think the SEC game is too fast for him. He’s very predictable.
Why would an elite quarterback prospect go to Georgia, given Kirby Smart’s track record of evaluating and managing quarterback talent? It’s like Mark Richt left the Faton Bauta playbook in the office, and Kirby thought it was the most brilliant thing he’d ever read.
I was waiting for the announcers to bring up Bauta at the end of the game Saturday. Guess that is too subtle for Daniels.
And yet, Brock Vanderfriff is on the way, and should have an excellent shot at playing right away in Monken’s offense.
I’m sure it’s mystery to you ‘turds, but it’s not to everyone else. Enjoy your nut, blind squirrel. We’re coming to take it back in 556 days.
Brock is all locked and loaded according to you but even if he does stay committed, the fact he has an “excellent” shot at playing right away should give you pause instead of bragging. But then again no one ever confused you with having intelligence or common sense
Corch, let’s drop the machismo and insults for a second and get real talk from you, as a UGA fan, not a Gator Hater. Are you happy with the way the QB situation has played out this year? If so, what are the highlights that make you happy? What do you feel the coaches are doing right? What are the bright spots for Dawgs to hang their hat on? If not, where do you think the blame lies? Why do you think the coaches are making the calls they are? What do you feel should be the path going forward?
Well some has hit this moron’s nerve. Nice display of sportsmanship.
A UGA fan claiming their savior is on the way? That’s a first…. LMAO
“It’s just a flesh wound.”
–The Black Knight, Monty Python & The Holy Grail
We are the Knights of Ni!! Ni … ni … ni … ni!!
Very, very scary stuff.
If you think Brock is going to be Georgia’s savior, get ready for heartache. He still has to be developed. Something your coaching staff has proven ineffective at doing. He then has to have receivers. And, once again, your coaching staff has done a terrible job at developing WR talent. There’s not one WR on your team that scares anyone. The talent is there. We all know that because Georgia fans love bragging about a recruiting title. But it means nothing with development. And I haven’t seen many, if any, offensive skill players beyond RB that have been developed. Florida’s win wasn’t a fluke or as you say “a blind squirrel finding a nut.” They simply have coaches that develop the talent they have and put them in a position to succeed. Your coaching staff has been incapable of doing this. Kirby’s best season happened with players recruited and developed by Richt. Since then, Georgia has regressed. A team with 247’s #1 roster in terms of talent should rarely be blown out. It’s happened three times in Georgia’s past eight games. That’s regression. And if you can’t see that, then who is actually blind?
Long wait,,, all your mouth and now you gotta eat up!!!! Dawgs,, 3 straight recruiting championships,,,,, where’s the results on the field,,, or should I say Fields!!!!! Maybe next year
I thought Vol fans would have abandoned this site given the state of your program. Fifteen years of irrelevance. You might want to consider becoming a Vandy fan. At least they graduate students there with a legitimate education.
It’s Vandagriff Corch. 556 days? You’re not playing the Gators in 2021?
They will still get the local kids that want to stay home as they have no competition in their State
They got fields to commit to and look how that worked for UGA. Seems to me like Ohio state has its next stud QB picked out
^^^ DITTO THAT ^^^ … zero competition. GA should be GREAT EVERY YEAR!! No excuses.
Elite QBs going to UGA is like elite Qbs going to Muschamp. It makes no sense yet they will still go there. Both coaches are very similar in that their offenses are run oriented and both very mediocre QB play. Both only win with superior talent.
or elite wr going to auburn
Ya that one really surprises me
^^^ DING ^^^ … a true head-scratcher for realz.
I keep hearing the UGA “can’t develop QB’s” mantra. It’s hard to develop QB’s when they transfer if they’re not the starter. How much did LSU “develop” Joe Burrow? How much did tOSU “develop” Fields? How much did OU “develop” Jalen Hurts?
Burrow was a starter at LSU for a full year before his breakout year, so he was definitely developed over that season and the year following. Fields was already good but he never showed anything near what he has accomplished at under Ryan Day at Ohio State. Jalen makes the most sense here.
I don’t think Kirby and company are particularly good at developing QB’s, but I do believe a lot of it has to do with the offense they have been running the previous years.
Fromm was pretty good before last season and then he just fizzled out; not sure if that is him or the staff’s development of him. This year is a little different and I don’t think they expected Fromm to leave last year. JT has got to be given a chance though, it’s mind blowing he hasn’t gotten a chance. Hell, give Carson Beck a chance if nothing else.
Why is everyone praising Mullen? So he finally beat Kirby Smart. On his 4th try. Let’s not forget that in 2017 in Kirby’s second year as HC at UGA, Mullen came in ranked 17th with Miss State (in his 7th or 8th year there) and was only a 3 point underdog playing at UGA ranked 11th. So basically a pick-em game as Vegas saw it. I went to that game and it a complete a$$ whipping. Mullen’s offensive genius resulted in 3 points that night. 31 to 3. This illusion that Mullen is some offensive genius and coaches all his players up is complete BS. He didn’t coach up Franks at all. In fact Franks has played better since he moved to Arkansas. Can’t wait to see the beat down against Bama if UF makes it to the SECCG.
No one wins big games at Ms St. Hate on Mullen all you want but no one will do much of anything there, Kirby wouldn’t be able to either.
Saying Mullen didn’t coach up Franks at all is absolute lunacy. He threw for 1,000 more yards, 15 more touchdowns and two less interceptions after one off season with Mullen. But sure, Mullen didn’t coach him up at all, he just magically got better by watching YouTube videos…
I think those salty tears and hater shades are blurring your vision, dawg.
“Mullen came in ranked 17th…” You’re actually making that as an argument that Mullen should have beaten Smart?
Georgia fans are all about recruiting, yes? Well in 2017, Georgia’s Blue Chip Ratio was 64%. Mississippi State’s was 19%. As for Vegas, I’ll remind you that Georgia was a three point favorite over Florida this past Saturday.
You want to know an interesting fact about Mullen’s meetings with Smart, with both as head coaches? Mullen is 1-0 when they each have a roster with a Blue Chip Ratio greater than 50%.
As for Franks, his CMP ratio was 70% in his last seven games at Florida. He’s at 67% through six games this season.
I realize you’re upset. But if you’re going to argue, at least make defensible arguments.
Noooo, he wasn’t reaaaady!!!!
Nash, take it easy with those stats and facts. You can only kill someone so dead.
Nevermind the most obvious fact of all. Mullen came into what a 4 win team? All he did was win 10 games and a NY’s 6 bowl over a top 10 team with what was mostly the same roster, and definitely the same quarterback that led the team the year before. Nah, he didn’t develop the team at all…
I can’t believe I am writing this, but the Arkansas game is probably the toughest game remaining on Florida’s schedule.
The two games I’ve always had circled on my calendar were ARK and A&M. I’ve felt they were trap games since the schedules were announced. ARK coming right after UGA screams lack of focus, and that team has enough talent (and a QB that knows the players) to make a lax team pay. I trust Mullen to keep the players on task, though. This is the first time in their careers that they are in the driver seat for the SEC East, and UF’s first playoff chance.
plus the Gators’ staff knows Franks both his pros and cons.
Well, based on what we know from 6 games and what I see on your schedule for the regular season….sure..Arkansas no matter what anyone thinks of their chances, is clearly going to be the best game. Does it mean its close? Not saying, just saying what I just said. Assuming Florida goes to the championship game, its clearly Bama.
I’m lost at what you mean. It’s clearly Bama that’s the hardest game on the schedule? There’s no doubt about that. I was talking trap games. Big competition gets your undivided focus. Smaller competition tends to get overlooked (see Saban’s constant “rat poison” comments).
I have to bring up that if Kelly Bryant had transferred to Auburn last year, and he almost did, we probably would’ve been in a lot more games. Gus Malzahn + dual threat transfer QBs = success. Why does this matter, it doesn’t lol.
Transfer is the keyword there. He has success with transfers because they were developed somewhere else. He can’t do it himself. Or he hired OCs from his coaching branch which can’t either.
You’re right. He can’t develop QBs which is why I want him gone. He’s a good coach. A much better one than people think, but an offense revolves around a quarterback. And if you can’t develop that, you won’t be consistent.
I heard Gus was gunning to get D’Eriq King. Transfer from Houston to Miami. Gus has to leave transfer QB’s alone and start developing his own. Looks embarrassing don’t you think?
It is. Look what he could’ve made out of Jeremy Johnson. He’d have been a star. But he couldn’t develop him. Sean White was good too. Nix is a good QB, but needs better development. It is embarrassing.
I am glad Kelly Bryant went to Missouri even though he flopped there and got the HC fired. Missouri got a huge upgrade at the HC position and the HC is running the offense and doing a very good job so far.
Dang what a burn of the Tennessee program and coaches.
And then the now famous Kirby sound bite about Bennet and Mathis giving them the best shot at victory. Yo Kirby no one is buying that line. Reminds me of the muschump days stubbornly sticking with a QB that wasn’t working.
Sometimes all these highly paid and expert coaches can’t see the truth so evident to the average fan
^^^ THAT ^^^ … a true flame-thrower at the UT program … yet, still ranks them the 8th best out of 14 … hmmmm.
Vandy had Kyle Shurmur.. Last year they didn’t have a QB and this year they are starting a true freshman who doesn’t have much talent around him. I don’t know how this article relates to them.
5. Auburn: Unless there’s something crazy good and unexpected for Auburn, the Tigers are staring at a 6-4. That would be easier to handle if there were something dynamic to build around.
…. Lets not count the chickens before they hatch. 7-3 is just as likely. Why not wait and see if the same guys that played LSU shows for a few more games first?
Other HCs will know how to stop your team offense and LSU was able to do that to Vandy at that was it.
Are you speaking English?
Well stated about Georgia and their QB issues. It only hurts JT right now — then people start wondering if there is an NCAA violation or drugs, etc. No excuse for not playing JT unless he’s not what Kirby says he is. I tend to think this will hurt Kirby more down the road.
There has to be something more with Daniels. Like the article said, it can’t hurt to play him. He has the most experience, and most ability outside of running to Mathis. And no way does it make sense that he has not seen the field unless there’s some issue we don’t know about
Weird situation. Smart says he can’t play him, even though he says he is healthy, because he has not gotten enough reps with the ones. However Kirby, at least until today, has refused to give him these reps, while giving them to two players who everyone who has followed Georgia knows have no chance in the world of beating elite competition. To not have given Daniels a chance to play last Saturday…in a game they absolutely had to win, makes zero sense to anyone.
Now, it’s been said that Kirby might not play JT the rest of the year out of fear that he will play well and make him look like a complete fool for not playing him sooner.
Are these power rankings a joke? Tennessee and Kentucky are both downright awful. Ole Miss would run over Tennessee and already beat Kentucky.
I’d have Ole Miss higher as well.
My Power Poll:
1. Alabama(6-0) – Going to get UGLY vs LSU this week. Should finish 10-0
2. Texas A&M(5-1) – Win vs Florida kicked this squad into high gear, believing that they can win every game. They have a GREAT O-Line, Really Good QB, a MONSTER at TE, and their running game is deep and dynamic. I don’t see them losing a game the rest of the regular season. Should finish 9-1
3. Florida(4-1) – They are the 1b to Bama’s 1a in the discussion as the best offense in the SEC. Going to be hard for the Hogs to stay close this week. Most likely to finish 9-1
4. Georgia(4-2) – If they can’t fix the QB situation there will be issues the rest of the season. Not out of the realm of possibility to finish 8-2
5. Auburn(4**-2) – Looks to finish 2-2 (W’s vs Miss State and Tennessee, L’s vs A&M and Bama) Team that DID lose to South Carolina and Georgia, that SHOULD have lost vs Ole Miss and Arkansas.
6. Arkansas(3-3*) – Call me a homer, but the Hogs are looking good! They will probably lose this week at the Swamp. Then finish the season vs LSU, @Mizzou, then vs Bama. Before the season started, all three of these were lock losses, now, except for Bama, anything is possible. Could very well finish this impossible schedule 5-5
7. Ole Miss(2-4*) – Been quiet in North Mississippi. Could very easily finish the season 5-5 (Only loss vs A&M)
8. Kentucky(2-4) – I can’t figure out this team. They lost big to Auburn, lost to Ole Miss and Mizzou. With Vandy this week followed by two beatings at Bama and at Florida, the season ender vs South Carolina will be important. Looking at a 4-6 or 3-7.
9. Tennessee(2-4) – The sirens are blaring on Rock Top (did you see the Arkansas Social Media team’s take this week :) ) Could very easily finish the last four 1-3, with the only W vs Vandy. Realistic finish is 3-7
10. Missouri(2-3) – Another team I can’t figure out. Can beat anyone or lose to anyone (not in the top tier). Arkansas is the most difficult game left on their schedule. 5-5 is realistic here.
11. LSU(2-3) – Still hungover? Has a crazy schedule to finish the season. After Bama, they play at Arkansas, at A&M, vs Ole Miss, and Florida. OUCH! 3-7 would be the best I see them finishing.
12. South Carolina(2-4) – Getting ugly in Columbia. They could win any of their remaining games (except Georgia) or they could lose all four.
13. Mississippi State(2-4) – Bad year. Finish with Georgia, Ole Miss, Missouri and Auburn. Will most likely lose all four to finish 2-8
14. Vanderbilt(0-6) – Someone has to be 14th 0-10
^^^ I SECOND THIS POWER RANKING ANALYSIS ^^^ …
I agree with eveything besides USC not being able to beat Georgia. They definitely can.
“Lane Kiffin has a quarterback in his first season at Ole Miss, and were it not for a horrific call from SEC officials in a loss to Auburn, would have 3 wins with a team that probably shouldn’t have any.”
Horrible way to frame the game, especially given there’s no way to substantiate the claim.
“Unless there’s something crazy good and unexpected for Auburn, the Tigers are staring at a 6-4. That would be easier to handle if there were something dynamic to build around.”
I think Tank Bigsby is “dynamic.”
C’mon man. Give it up. Auburn should’ve lost two more games and would’ve if it weren’t for blown calls by the official. You want it substantiated, go read the SEC’s official comments on those calls.
And yes, Tank is a good one. Unfortunately, he has to depend on that OL. And don’t let the LSU game fool you, that OL will not hold up against Bama and A&M. You can build around him but not this season with OL you guys have. However, next season, if you guys can find some good OL somewhere, you could be dangerous. Not so much this season.
^^^ DITTO, LOL ^^^ … defending Auburn’s “wins” is like defending the vote count in Philadelphia.
The SEC’s official comments said Ole Miss would have won if the call hadn’t been blown? Or they just admitted to blowing the call? There’s a difference there.
That’s kind of what’s implied by “build around,” I’d imagine…
There’s no point in trying to convince them anymore, although I applaud your attempt. Apparently I’ve figured out that it is really hard to convince Auburn fans of the obvious because it might hurt their pride. At this point, the Hogs just need to put that one behind them and focus on the upcoming games, especially next week against Florida (which might be a possible upset if we can get Pittman to pull a Saban after his positive COVID test.)
Very few Auburn fans think the Arkansas game should have been an Auburn win. The Ole Miss game isn’t comparable, so yes, there’s no sense in trying to convince someone it is.
So the Refs call the entire game in favor of Ole Miss (including a phantom holding penalty negating a touchdown) and then CORRECTLY blow the play dead on the touchback and somehow Auburn should have loss. You guys are morons. The SEC office never said they missed the call. Only it should have been reviewed. It still wouldn’t have been the difference in the game. Sorry Ole Miss, you lost.
The starting QB in college football today is about as important as the #1 starting pitcher in the World Series, when every football game is Game 7. The backup QB is like the #2 starter in Game 6 when your team is down 3-2 in the series.
The schools that do not have the ability to recruit 4-star and 5-star QBs really should consider going to the triple option like the service academies, where they might be able to find the best high school option QBs that don’t want to play another position in college. Once they commit to this, they have to stay that way for the long haul, because it takes 3-5 years to transition back to standard football.
Vanderbilt has no chance to get a 4-star QB. Their current savior is not the player to turn the corner for them. He has accuracy, but he throws soft passes and does not have a fast release. He doesn’t read defenses all that well either. They should go 100% to a triple option running game, maybe even go with a full-house wishbone with tight ends. They might be able to recruit the best FB in high school, because he will get to carry the ball. They might get the best wishbone-style QB when only the academies are looking for that type. They can be like Princeton basketball used to be. Run the ball 60 times a game and pass it 5 times a game, all long play-action passes. Keep the ball inside the field of play and don’t go out of bounds, and then run the play clock to under 5 seconds on every snap to lessen games to a minimum of plays. That would give Vandy a chance to win one or two games a year in the SEC. If they schedule UMass, UConn, UTEP, and UTSA, they could go 6-6.
Another UGA bashing article from one of the many former UF grads that write for this site. I mostly speed read through this trash if at all.
If Newman (Hello Newman) does not opt out, Georgia loses a closer game to Alabama and the Florida game is at least competitive. I’m just not going to fault Smart for this QB situation.
Did this clown mention the Tenn-Auburn game from 2018? Well, if A&M has to call multiple coaches/player and player/player meetings, players enter the transfer portal and then they go out and commit 10 turnovers, you know like Auburn did that year, well yeah, UT can make a stand. Dumba$$.
In my opinion there has been undue obsession – for reasons I won’t get into – with “dual threat” quarterbacks, at both the college and professional level. I’ll take a good passing quarterback any day.
FOLLOW UP: At UF, recently we have had celebrations over our incoming dual threat quarterbacks, but none had performed like the passing quarterback who was sitting on the bench. In fact, in our history, our best quarterbacks have been passing quarterbacks – Spurrier, Wuerffel, Grossman, Trask – with Tebow being the exception. But Tebow was surrounded by NFL players, more so than any of the others.
Hayes is just another butt hurt idiot that must have lost money betting against Auburn. Or maybe Nix banged his wife. What a tool.