Ranking the QBs of the SEC Part 1

I don't know why I'm doing this. Frankly, I think I'm a glutton for punishment, among other things. 5 out of 12 teams are breaking in a brand new starter under center, or in the shotgun if you're John Brantley at Florida. That leaves this list way too open and uncertain. Let the fun begin.

12. Matt Simms/Tyler Bray - Tennessee Volunteers - This is an enigma. Do you start the 4 star true freshman with a promising future in Bray? Or do you start the son of former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms who has bounced around from Louisville then JUCO? Does it matter? Either way you're screwed if you're a Volunteer fan.

11. Larry Smith - Vanderbilt Commodores - Remember when Vanderbilt recieved only their 2nd bowl invite in their school's history and won the Musci City Bowl in their own backyard 16-14 over Boston College? Seems like forever ago, huh? For Larry Smith it was. It was Smith's 2nd ever collegiate start and he actually played well going 10-17 for 121 yards with 0 TDs or INTs. So coming off their first winning season in 53 years, Commodore fans were stoked about Smith and the 2009 squad...that went 2-10 overall and 0-8 in SEC play. Was it all Smith's fault? Of course not. However, his abysmal stat line didn't help (46.7% completion 4 TDs to 7 INTs). Expect more of the 2009 Larry Smith over the 2008 version.

10. Chris Relf - Mississippi St. Bulldogs - I'm going to assume that there isn't a QB controversy in Starkville with Chris Relf and Tyson Lee because I like to believe that Dan Mullen is actually a pretty good coach and not a ra-tard. Why should Chris Relf be the starter? Well for starters he threw more TD passes than Lee, 5 to 4, in 180 less attempts, 221 to 41. And Lee threw 14 INTs to Relf's 3. Ah yes, and Relf led the Bulldogs' attack when they absolutely clobbered Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. So why is relf ranked so far down on this list? Frankly? Because he's black and I'm a racist. Oh, and just because he offers Mississippi St. they're best option at QB doesn't mean he's actually worth squat.

9. Mike Hartline/Morgan Newton - Kentucky Wildcats - Two years ago Mike Hartline looked like the heir apparent to Andre Woodson's throne in Lexington. Then halfway through last season when a knee sprain allowed freshman Morgan Newton to step in and assert himself as the Wildcats' QB of the future. Maybe. First year head coach Joker Phillips has one hell of a decision on his hands choosing between these two, and I don't quite understand why. They both have one job: Get the ball to Derrick Locke or Randall Cobb. It's that simple. I could even do it. This is like Houston Nutt trying to decide if Casey Dick or Mitch Mustain was better suited to hand the ball off to Darren McFadden or Felix Jones.

8. Aaron Murray - Georgia Bulldogs - UGA is going to need a big time year from RS Freshman Aaron Murray if they plan on contending in the Eastern Division in 2010. Big expectations from a freshman, right? Well maybe not. Murray graduated early from high school early in 2009 as a 4 star recruit so he could report to Athens for spring workouts, and was redshirted as Joe Cox took the snaps last fall. Murray will be counted on to lead a potent Bulldog offense that returns every offensive starter except at QB.

7. Jeremiah Masoli - Ole Miss Rebels - Last year Masoli led the Oregon Ducks to a Pac-10 title and the Rose Bowl. This year Masoli was supposed to be a Heisman contender and carving up Pac-10 defenses once again. Instead, Masoli is a thug, among other non-flattering ways I could describe him, and got himself kicked off the team, and thanks to an NCAA loophole, finds himself in Oxford using his last year of eligibility to try to keep Houston Nutt and his Rebels out of the SEC West cellar. Probably not gonna happen.

To be continued...