Ranking the 10 Best Quarterbacks in College Football

How do you like your college football quarterback? Do you like a QB that is rough and rugged, one with a quick release, or a guy with a gun for an arm? Does your leader need to be able to scramble out of the pocket to buy time for his wide receivers to keep the play alive?

How about a player that lines up under center with gaudy offensive numbers or a dual threat speed demon that can eat up chunks of yards with his feet as well as his arm?

Whatever your preference is in a quarterback, this year’s college football class has the talent to make any fan happy.

The following article breaks down each individual quarterback giving the highlights and lowlights of the 10 best college football quarterbacks in the nation with the reasons why they are better than all the rest.

10) Tajh Boyd, Clemson University, Sophomore, 6’1”, 230 lbs

Clemson was slated to be a .500 team by most college football pundits entering 2011 play. Once the season began college football took notice of the upstart Tigers behind the heady play of Tajh Boyd… and he’s only a sophomore.

Boyd led Clemson to eight straight wins to start the season on the way to a 9-3 regular season record. The Tigers play Virginia Tech in the ACC Conference Championship Game for the right to represent the ACC in a BCS Bowl game on Saturday.

The Highlights:

11 straight games with 200 yards or more passing, 28 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with a QB Rating of 143.1 for the season. 17th in the nation in passing yards per game with 278. Boyd leads the ACC in total passing yards with 3,338.

Clemson had quality wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.

The Lowlights:

Boyd had a horrible game against South Carolina, 11-29, 83 yards passing, 5 sacks, 1 passing touchdown, 1 interception. The Gamecocks rolled over the Tigers 34-13 to end the regular season for both teams.

Boyd was sacked 27 times during the season.

9) Russell Wilson, University of Wisconsin, Senior, 5’11”, 201 lbs

Wilson, a senior transfer from North Carolina State, has made an immediate impact for the Badgers. His noticeably seamless ease into the role of the new starting quarterback for Wisconsin has paid dividends as Wisconsin is two Hail Mary plays away from being undefeated and playing for a BCS National Championship.

Wilson’s numbers may not overwhelm but his results do. Sporting a 10-2 record entering the inaugural Big Ten Conference Championship Game, the Badgers have an opportunity to defend a last second loss to Michigan State, this time the game is on a neutral field. Can Wilson lead Wisconsin back to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row?

The Highlights:

Wilson has two 300-yard passing games on the year, has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this season with five rushing touchdowns. His passing yards per game ranks him 46th in the nation with 224 per game.

Other than Wilson’s ridiculous 192.9 quarterback rating, his most impressive stat may be the three interceptions he’s thrown in 260 pass attempts against a defense first conference.

The Lowlights:

Wilson put up more passing yards at North Carolina State during his junior and sophomore campaigns, 3,563 in 2010 and 3,027 in 2009. The trade off for passing yards has been fewer interceptions thrown, a better team record, and the ability to rely on running back Montee Ball.

Ball is second total rushing yards in college football with 1,622 yards and two games left to play.

Wilson’s statistics will not get him an invite to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony but his leadership and play for Wisconsin has been tremendous. He leads FBS in quarterback rating, is fifth in completion percentage, and is second in yards per completions with an average of 10.4 yards per.

If more was asked of Wilson one can only imagine how gaudy his numbers would be.

8) Nick Foles, University of Arizona, Senior, 6’5”, 240 lbs

Foles has NFL ability and gaudy passing statistics to prove it despite having very little overall talent around him. The Wildcats are 4-8 on the season with tough losses at USC and at Oregon State. Without him Arizona might be winless.

Foles is second in the nation in total passing yards with 4,334. Because the Wildcats have played their last game of the season, Foles may drop to fifth or sixth by the end of the postseason.

The Highlights:

2-1 touchdown to interception ratio (28-14), 10 games with over 300-yards passing (two of those games he went over 400-yards), and averaged 32.25 completions per game.

Foles has a completion percentage of 69.1. He is second in college football in total passing attempts and completions with 560 and 387 respectively.

He can play against the “big boys”: In 2011 Foles threw for 398 yards against Oklahoma State, 398 against Oregon, 425 against USC, and 388 against Washington.

The last three years Foles has progressively gotten better. His numbers are amazing especially considering all opposing defensive coordinators know they have to try and stop Foles somehow but never do.

The Lowlights:

Foles takes a lot of sacks – 23 in 2011 and 23 in 2010. How much of this is his fault and how much is the play of the offensive line can be debated. Considering the entire offense rests on his ability to throw the ball, all in all he has played really well.

7) Matt Barkley, University of Southern California, Junior, 6’2”, 220 lbs

Matt Barkley is a college quarterback candidate who may leave college early for NFL riches. The shame for USC fans is if Barkley returns for the 2012 season the Trojans will more than likely be a Top 10 preseason team.

The Trojans will also have something to play for in 2012 as 2011 is their last season under NCAA post season sanctions stemming from Reggie Bush’s NCAA violations.

Even without much motivation or overall team goals to shoot for, Barkley has led the Trojans to a 10-2 season and what would have been a PAC-12 South Division Title.

The Highlights:

Barkley has a 39-7 TD-INT ratio, six games of 300-yards or more passing, and has only been sacked 8 times. He has a passing touchdown in every game this season with two games of six passing touchdowns against Colorado and UCLA.

The Lowlights:

Barkley puts up great numbers but has games when he underachieves against better competition. Against Arizona State he finished 21-33 for 227 yards passing, against California he went 19-35 for 195 yards, and 24-35 against Notre Dame for 224 yards.

Truth be told, Barkley could use one more year of seasoning in college football.

6) Case Keenum, University of Houston, Senior, 6’2”, 210 lbs

Keenum may be a product of the offensive system he is in, regardless, he delivers.

The Cougars are 12-0 entering Conference USA’s Conference Title Game against No. 24 Southern Mississippi. If Houston beats Southern Mississippi on Saturday, Houston will play in their first BCS Bowl.

The Highlights:

Keenum leads college football in just about every major passing category including total passing yards (4,726), passing touchdowns (43), completion percentage with a minimum of 300 attempts (73.2), and has only thrown 3 picks this season (14-1 TD-INT ratio).

His 393.83 passing yards per game leads FBS despite having fewer total passing attempts than 6 of the Top 10 quarterbacks in college football. Put in other terms, he’s more efficient than his counterparts.

Every Houston game during the 2011 season has finished with Keenum throwing for more than 300 yards; six of those games Keenum threw for more than 400 yards with one of those games going for 534.

If he throws one touchdown pass against Southern Miss he will tie his previous single season highs of 44 set in 2009 and 2008.

The Lowlights:

Keenum threw for more yards in 2009 (5,671) and 2008 (5,020).

Conference USA does not get the respect of the other power conferences; one could debate the level of play between the Big East and Conference USA. College football fans will always wonder how well Keenum would have performed playing against power conference teams every week.

UCLA was the lone BCS program Keenum faced in 2011; his first game back from a season ending knee injury in 2010 that occurred against UCLA. He finished the game 30-40 for 310 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

If Keenum puts up video game passing numbers in Houston’s bowl game his spot on the Top Quarterback list would jump dramatically. He will finally have an opportunity to prove himself against top tier competition.

5) Landry Jones, University of Oklahoma, Junior, 6’4”, 229 lbs

Will he stay or will he go? Entering the 2011 season Jones and company were preseason No. 1. The Sooners 9-2 team record may not have turned out the way he wanted but few could argue the success that Jones has had under center. The big question for Jones is will he stay on campus for one more year or pass up his senior year for NFL riches?

The Highlights:

Jones has eight games with 300 or more yards passing, ranks third in FBS in passing yards per game with 368, and averages 28 completions per game.

The Lowlights:

One can question the toughness of Big 12 defenses and the offensive numbers put up within conference play. Five of the top 20 passing quarterbacks in college football sling it around the Big 12; Seth Doege (Texas Tech), Brandon Weeden (OSU), Jones, Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M), and Robert Griffin III (Baylor).

Are Big 12 quarterbacks that good or is pass defense an afterthought in that conference?

Texas is the only Big 12 team ranked in the Top 25 in total team defense.

In OU’s biggest non-conference game against Florida State, Jones finished 18-27 passing for 199 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.

4) Tyler Wilson, University of Arkansas, Junior, 6’3”, 220 lbs

Tyler Wilson is a first year starter playing behind an average offensive line. All stats can be skewed but college football fans have to wonder how much better Wilson’s numbers could be if his offensive line gave him time to throw. He has been sacked 23 times in 2011. Who knows how many times he’s been knocked to the turf?

The Highlights:

Wilson leads the SEC in total passing yards, completion percentage among QBs with 300 or more attempts (63.1), and yards per game (285.17). His overall numbers place him among college football’s elite especially considering he has faced three of the four top total defenses in the nation (Alabama, LSU, and South Carolina) and six of the top 25 pass defense teams in the nation (No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 6 LSU, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 23 Ole Miss, and No. 25 Mississippi State).

Wilson is 11th in FBS in total passing yards with 3,422 with an opportunity to move back in the top 10 during post season play.

In Arkansas’ biggest non-conference game of the year, Wilson threw for a school record 510 yards against Texas A&M. Against South Carolina Wilson threw for 299 yards with two passing touchdowns.

The Lowlights:

Wilson’s two worst games came against Alabama and LSU when he finished with 185 and 207 yards passing respectively. He threw two touchdowns against Bama and one against LSU. He also threw one pick in both games as well.

3) Geno Smith, West Virginia University, Junior, 6’3”, 214 lbs

The 8-3 Mountaineers have been riding the electric arm of Smith’s all season long. Even in WVU’s three losses to LSU, Syracuse, and Louisville Smith has played well. He finished the game against LSU with 463 yards passing, 338 against Syracuse, and 410 against Louisville.

Smith has one more regular season game against South Florida remaining to add to his passing totals before their bowl game. Because the Big East only has eight conference members and not the twelve mandated for a conference title game, Smith will not get that extra game to pad his 2011 stats.

The Highlights:

Smith’s 5-1 touchdown to interception ratio (25-5) has been tremendous. He’s ninth in FBS in total offense per game with 332.91 yards per game, has seven games of 300 or more passing yards, and is fifth in the nation with 340 passing yards per game.

3,741 total passing yards has Smith ranked sixth in the nation.

The Lowlights:

Smith takes too many sacks (25) and his 65 percent completion rate ranks him 28th best in the nation.

Smith already puts up great numbers. One could argue that he should put up even better numbers in a weak Big East conference, but that is splitting hairs.

2) Robert Griffin III, Baylor University

An advertisement for Baylor football should read, “Baylor football is… Robert Griffin.” RG3 is the ultimate all around college football quarterback and arguably one of the best players in college football.

In Baylor’s three losses to Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State RG3 put up 346 passing yards against KSU, 430 against A&M, and 425 on OSU. The big statistic against those three teams is each team held Griffin to his three lowest rushing totals of the season, 6, 15, and 27 rushing yards respectively.

The Highlights:

Griffin has thrown for 300 or more yards in eight games this season, over 400 yards in four of those games. His 34-5 TD-INT ratio, 72.6 completion percentage, 334.46 passing yards per game proves he is a complete quarterback.

College football passer rankings: 6th in passing yards per game (334), 2nd in total offense per game (390), and 2nd in quarterback rating (191.1).

The Lowlights:

It’s hard to poke too many holes in Griffin’s game but his 22 sacks on the season is a start.

He had season low totals last weekend against Texas Tech after being knocked out of the game with a concussion. He still finished the game with a passing touchdown, as he has every game this year.

1) Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State University, Senior, 6’4”, 218 lbs

The only knock on Weeden as a college football quarterback is his age; he’s 28. No wait, that will be the knock on him going into the NFL. As college quarterbacks go, Weeden is great.

Weeden has led the Cowboys to a 10-1 record with a chance for a BCS Bowl berth. Even in Oklahoma State’s lone loss to Iowa State Weeden was great when he threw for 476 yards. His three interceptions against the Cyclones… were not so great.

The Highlights:

Eight games of 300 or more yards passing, three of those games he was over 400, one of those was over 500.

College football passer rankings: 2nd in passing yards per game (374), third in total passing yards (4,111) but should move into second barring injury after this weekend’s game against Oklahoma, fifth in touchdown passes thrown with 34, and eighth in quarterback rating (162.2).

The Lowlights:

Not too many holes to poke here. His 12 interceptions and 11 sacks could be improved upon. He has improved on his completion percentage from 2010, 67 to 73 percent.

Weeden was held to 218 passing yards against the Longhorns in Austin, the only defensive minded team he has faced all season.

Weeden may not be the best all around quarterback in the Big 12 with Robert Griffin lurking behind him. But should he have a great game against OU will Heisman voters realize how much better Weeden is than Andrew Luck?

Honorable Mentions

Ryan Alpine, Arkansas State

11^th in total offense in FBS, averages 262 passing yards per game

Dan Persa, Northwestern

After returning from an injury, he leads FBS in completion percentage

Andrew Luck, Stanford

Luck is a media darling but statistically the fifth best QB in the PAC-12

Kellen Moore, Boise State

Average numbers in a non-BCS power conference, 290 passing yards per game

Zac Dysert, Miami of Ohio

Averages a FBS 11th best 293 passing yards per game

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

Averages 303 passing yards per game, TD-INT ratio is poor (2-1)

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Heisman Watch List: Week 10

After three straight weeks of upsets in the top 25 the Heisman watch list gets a shakeup as well.

Wisconsin loses two Heisman contenders; Russell Wilson and Montee Ball. Two straight defeats on the road is not very Heisman-ish.

Collin Klein is a do-all player for Kansas State but losing by 41 points to Oklahoma wipes out an invite.

RG3, Robert Griffin III, may not be Heisman worthy but he is one of the best players in college football. No defense, no help, no Heisman.

Checkout the rest of the contenders in no particular order.

Case Keenum vs. Rice

24-37 534 yards passing, 9 touchdowns, 1 interception

Kellen Moore

Boise State was on a bye. BSU travels to UNLV Saturday November 5.

Brandon Weeden vs. Baylor

24-36 274 yards passing, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks

Robert Griffin III vs. Oklahoma State

33-50 425 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, sacked twice

16 rushes for 27 yards with one score

Lost to Oklahoma State.

Justin Blackmon vs. Baylor

13 catches, 172 yards receiving, 2 touchdowns

Landry Jones vs. Kansas State

35-47 505 yards passing, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 0 sacks

Andrew Luck vs. USC

29-40 330 yards passing, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, sacked twice

9 rushes, 36 yards, 1 touchdown

Tajh Boyd vs. Georgia Tech

23-40 295 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, sacked twice

Lost to Georgia Tech.

Trent Richardson

Alabama was on a bye. Bama plays LSU at home Saturday November 5. 

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2011 College Football: Heisman Watch Week 9

Case Keenum vs. Marshall

24-28 for 376 yards, 6 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

269.2 quarterback rating

Zero sacks

Kellen Moore vs. Air Force

23-29 281 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception

Brandon Weeden vs. Missouri

33-49 338 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, sacked once

2 rushes -17 yards

Tahj Boyd vs. North Carolina

27-46 367 yards, 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, sacked 3 times

11 rushes for 8 yards, 1 touchdown

Trent Richardson vs. Tennessee

77 yards on 17 attempts, 2 touchdowns, 4.5 yards per carry average

No fumbles

Russell Wilson vs. Michigan State

14-21 223 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, sacked three times

8 rushes for 30 yards with one score

Wisconsin lost

Montee Ball vs. Michigan State

115 yards on 18 attempts, 1 touchdown

No fumbles

Wisconsin lost

Landry Jones vs. Texas Tech

30-55 412 yards, 5 touchdowns, 1 interception, 0 sacks

2 rushes for 11 yards

Oklahoma lost

Collin Klein vs. Kansas

12-19 195 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks

92 yards on 13 rushes, 4 touchdowns

Andrew Luck vs. Washington

16-21 169 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks

23 rushing yards on 3 attempts

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HogManInLA’s Heisman Watch: Top Performers of Week 8

Trent Richardson vs. Ole Miss

17 rushes for 183 yards with four touchdowns

2 catches for 30 yards

Kellen Moore vs. Colorado State

26 of 30 for 338 passing yards with 4 passing touchdowns and no interceptions

Tajh Boyd vs. Maryland

26 of 38 for 270 passing yards with 4 passing touchdowns and one interception

11 rushes for 37 yards

Andrew Luck vs. Washington State

23 of 36 for 336 passing yards with 4 passing touchdowns and one interception

Landry Jones vs. Kansas

29 of 48 for 363 passing yards with 3 passing touchdowns and one interception

2 rushes for 9 yards

Brandon Weeden vs. Texas

23 of 41 for 218 passing yards with one passing touchdown and one interception

Russell Wilson vs. Indiana

12 of 17 for 166 passing yards with one passing touchdown and no intercetions

2 rushes for 42 yards

Montee Ball vs. Indiana

14 rushes for 142 yards and three touchdowns

1 catch for 46 yards

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College Football: How Week 5 upsets will affect the rest of the Season

The ACC, Big 12, and SEC races became a little more defined this weekend. More importantly the national championship and bowl picture is starting to take shape.

Clemson, Arkansas, and Kansas State made loud statements that they are contenders in their respective conferences and on the national stage. Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, and South Carolina have major strides to make to regain their national prominence.

What happens to the pretenders and how long will these contenders stay?

Clemson

Clemson has answered the call three times this year against Top 25 teams and has come out the other side victorious; No. 21 Auburn 38-24, No. 11 Florida State 35-30, and at No. 11 Virginia Tech 23-3 in consecutive weeks.

All three wins hold significance in different ways on the national scene. Auburn was riding a 17-game winning streak and the defending BCS National Champions. Florida State was a unanimous preseason top 10 team, touted as a possible BCS National Championship contending team, and picked to win the ACC. Virginia Tech was the Tigers first road test against a Top 25 team and undefeated going into their matchup.  

Key Player

If you have not seen Tigers quarterback Tajh Boyd play yet, do yourself a favor and set the DVR for Clemson’s next game. Going into the Virginia Tech game Boyd was ranked 12th in the NCAA in total offense with 327.50 yards per game. Boyd’s 313.75 passing yards per game with 14 touchdown passes and only two interceptions will start to merit serious Heisman talk as the season progresses.

2011 Outcome

Head coach Dabo Swinney has his Tigers believing and playing at a high level. This team, dare we say it, could go undefeated.

The toughest games left on the schedule are against North Carolina at home, No. 13 Georgia Tech on the road, and they finish the season against in-state rival No. 18 South Carolina.

During Clemson’s 6-7 2010 season they played tough with UNC (21-16), beat Georgia Tech (27-13), and lost the Battle of the Palmetto State (29-17).

Should the Tigers win the Atlantic Division their ACC Title Game could have them in a rematch game against Coastal Division winner Georgia Tech or No. 21 Virginia Tech.

An undefeated regular season is within the Tigers reach making them a legitimate contender in 2011.

Worst case scenario is an Orange Bowl bid come January 4.

Arkansas

If one only follows the Razorback’s by their headlines then your perception could be tainted towards their 2011 team. “Escaping Troy”, “Bad loss to Alabama”, and “Comeback victory over Texas A&M” does not tell their full story. The Razorbacks have battled through injuries to three of their top running backs and lost four starters on defense at different points during the season and for multiple games.

Through all of the injuries somehow the Razorbacks have managed a 5-1 record with a No. 10 national ranking and a promising season ahead.

Key Player

Junior quarterback Tyler Wilson is the easy choice for the Razorbacks. Wilson is a first year starter for the Hogs and has taken to the role quickly. His 305.60 total yards of offense per game and quarterback rating of 154.32 ranks him second in the SEC behind Tennessee’s Tyler Bray.

Wilson has missed a game’s worth of snaps due to early Razorback leads and concussion like symptoms versus the University of New Mexico, still, he leads the SEC in passing yards (7th in the nation) with 1,517 yards, second in the SEC with 10 passing touchdowns with only three interceptions in 172 attempts.

2011 Outcome

Arkansas plays No. 15 Auburn this weekend in Reynolds Razorback Stadium; their third straight Top 25 team. After the Auburn game, the Hogs will only face two more teams that are currently ranked in the AP Top 25; South Carolina at home and LSU in Baton Rouge. The Razorbacks won both matchups last season beating USC 41-20 and LSU 31-23.

The Razorbacks have a legitimate shot at running the table until the LSU game which should place them in the top five by seasons end.

Can Arkansas beat LSU?

Yes. Since 2005 Arkansas and LSU have split their series 3-3. 21 total points separates the winning team from the losing team with Arkansas having the largest winning margin, winning by 8 points in 2010 in Little Rock, Arkansas. That’s a 3.5 average margin of victory between the two schools.

Only problem is their loss to Alabama. Bama’s schedule is easy the rest of the season. Their only tough game left is a November 5, visit from LSU.

This places Arkansas best case scenario in another BCS game but not playing for the national championship making them an outside shot to be a contender in 2011. Worst case scenario is the Outback Bowl on January 2.

Kansas State

For the second year in a row Bill Snyder has Kansas State starting their season 4-0. Last year the Wildcats went 3-6 over their last nine games including a 36-34 Pinstripe Bowl loss to Syracuse in Yankee Stadium.

Now KSU is ranked 20th in the nation after a 28-24 victory at Miami and a 36-35 home win over No. 16 Baylor. Will the Wildcats be able to reverse their fortunes from a year ago?

Key Player

Collin Klein, a junior, is the heart and soul of the Wildcats team. He may not be the prototypical quarterback but he’s been getting the job done.

Klein is last in the Big 12 in passing yards (481), touchdowns thrown (6), and completion percentage. He leads all Big 12 quarterbacks in times sacked with 10 and his 121.40 quarterback rating is second worst in the conference to Iowa State’s Steele Jantz (111.50).

On the upside his 423 total rushing yards is fourth best in the conference and his 226 total yards of offense per game ranks him 58th in FBS. All pedestrian numbers but at the end of the day Kansas State is 4-0.

Outcome

The Wildcat defense ranks 16th in the nation, second in the Big 12 to Texas, in total defense only allowing 292 yards per game. Their stingy defense only gives up an average of 16.50 points per game, 17th best in FBS.

If the Wildcats can continue to run the ball as effectively have they have, 212.25 yards per game, and their defense continues to limit the opposition’s scoring opportunities Bill Snyder and company can have an eight or nine win season.

KSU has a four game stretch that will determine their season. Their biggest test starts with Oklahoma on October 29 at home followed by a visit to Stillwater, home against A&M, and finishing with a visit to Austin.

Look for KSU to be a pretender in 2011. A Holiday Bowl or Alamo Bowl could be in their future.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech’s season is almost half way over and they have only played one team to date. That game netted them a 23-3 home loss to Clemson.

Winning warm-up games against Appalachian State 66-13, East Carolina 17-10, Arkansas State 26-7, and Marshall 30-10 has puffed up the Hokies record but has done little to help them gain national respect or to prepare their team for ACC play.

By virtue of their schedule the Hokies only play one more team that is currently ranked, No. 13 Georgia Tech. Games at Wake Forest and at home against North Carolina could upend their season.

Key Player

Since Virginia Tech has only played one team to date, the player that stood out against Clemson is their key player. Running back David Wilson rushed 20 times for 123 yards and caught two passes for 21-yards. Wilson is averaging 127.80 rushing yards per game, 7th best in FBS. Wilson has only found the end zone five times in 107 rushing attempts.

Outcome

Virginia Tech always excels on defense and special teams. The Hokies defense kept Tajh Boyd well under his 313-yards passing per game holding him to 204-yards.

Their schedule seems easy but since they’ve only played one game this year who knows how good they could end up being?

The old saying that teams improve the most between their first and second game should hold up here. Even if the Hokies first game of the season was actually their fifth game.

The Hokies will lose two more games making them a pretender in 2011. Look for the Hokies to be in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta December 31.

Texas A&M

Two halves make a whole but Texas A&M has only played in the first half of their last two games. A&M has upended their own season by not finishing what they’ve started in back-to-back games against Top 25 teams. In losses to Oklahoma State and Arkansas, the Aggies have been outscored 52-12 in the second half and 31-0 in the third quarter.

OSU was down 20-3 at halftime in College Station. 27 unanswered points later and the Cowboys were up 30-20 half way through the fourth quarter. The final score was 30-29.

Against the Razorbacks, A&M was up 35-17 at half in Arlington, Texas. 25 second half points later the Hogs sealed a 42-38 comeback win.

Can the Aggies play complete games against upcoming Big 12 competition? Will their secondary be able to limit the oppositions passing attack?

Key Players

Running backs Christine Michael and Cyrus Grey are one of the best running back tandems in college football. Michael averages 102-yards per game while Grey averages 90.75. The Aggies rushing attack is ranked 15th in the nation at 223.75 yards per game.

Outcome

The upside is the Aggies have a senior laden team. They should be able to fix their second half woes with a change in attitude.

Four games remain against teams currently ranked in the Top 25; versus No. 25 Baylor, at No. 3 Oklahoma, at No. 20 Kansas State, versus No. 11 Texas. With only one loss in conference, all hope is not lost on their 2011 season should A&M win out.

The downside is no Big 12 Title game. The loss of Colorado and Nebraska puts the Big 12 below the NCAA required 12 teams needed for a conference title game. Regardless if A&M were to win the rest of their games and OSU loses two conference games the Aggies will not have the ability to add another possible Top 25 win to their resume in a title game.

A&M should finish with two conference losses which makes them a pretender. A&M is looking at the Meineke Bowl in Houston, Texas come December 31.

South Carolina

The importance of a serviceable quarterback in college football can never be taken for granted. The Gamecock rushing attack, led by sophomore Marcus Lattimore, is averaging 197 yards per game. Their passing offense is ranked 102nd in the nation. The discrepancy on offense makes USC one dimensional and an easy game plan for SEC defensive coordinators.

Key Players

Everyone knows how great Lattimore is but USC needs wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, quarterback Stephen Garcia, and/or quarterback Connor Shaw to start playing well.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has benched Garcia after his 9 for 23, 160-passing yards, with one touchdown and two interception performance against Auburn in favor of Shaw. Garcia was sacked three times and led an offense that only converted 20 percent of their third down conversion attempts.

Outcome

South Carolina’s defense only allows an average of 24 points per game. That’s a respectable average but also misleading as they have not played a ranked team at the time of their game this season.

In a wide open SEC East, two conference losses can still land a team in the SEC Title Game. If South Carolina plays the way they did against Auburn all of their games will be tough for the rest of the season.

If they right the ship, their toughest game the rest of the season will be November 12, against Arkansas. The following week Florida comes to town, which looked like the SEC East game of the season until John Brantley was hurt against Alabama.

USC will lose two more games. At best the Gamecocks are looking at the Gator or Capitol One Bowl on January 2. 

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