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Can a Team Win a National Championship with a “Game Manager” at Quarterback?
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:38 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:38 am
There have been a lot of national championships won by quarterbacks that never sniffed the NFL. But that seems like a long time ago. College football has trended after the NFL where ultimately a team’s success is tied to the quarterback position.
Do you think it is still possible to win a national championship with a “game manager” QB?
ETA: and by “game manager” I mean a quarterback who can not make all the throws on the field but is so good at running the offense he is the starter. Nor does the type of offense dictate it, I would consider Graham Harrell or BJ Symons to be more game managers than I do Tom Brady or JJ McCarthy; even though those first two guys put up 3x the passing yards in the Texas Tech air raid offense versus Michigan’s 3 yards and a cloud of dust offense
Do you think it is still possible to win a national championship with a “game manager” QB?
ETA: and by “game manager” I mean a quarterback who can not make all the throws on the field but is so good at running the offense he is the starter. Nor does the type of offense dictate it, I would consider Graham Harrell or BJ Symons to be more game managers than I do Tom Brady or JJ McCarthy; even though those first two guys put up 3x the passing yards in the Texas Tech air raid offense versus Michigan’s 3 yards and a cloud of dust offense
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 3:11 pm
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Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:40 am to captdalton
The last 3 titles were won by JJ McCarthy and Stetson Bennett x2
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:41 am to captdalton
Depends on the definition of a game manager.
There have been a few guys who have won in the past decade or so who didn't sniff NFL success. Jury is out on Stetson Bennett, I guess he still might.
JT Barrett, maybe?
There have been a few guys who have won in the past decade or so who didn't sniff NFL success. Jury is out on Stetson Bennett, I guess he still might.
JT Barrett, maybe?
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:42 am to SEC Doctor
There is no one on the field more dangerous than an accurate passing QB
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 10:50 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:45 am to captdalton
Stetson Bennet is definitely the exception not the rule
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 10:46 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:46 am to WaterLink
JJ McCarthy was drafted with the 10th pick (1st round) in the NFL draft and Stetson Bennet was drafted with the 128th pick (4th round) in the NFL draft. They clearly sniffed the NFL
I believe the last time a national championship winning quarterback went undrafted was 2015.
My definition of a “game manager” is a quarterback who goes undrafted. Any player that gets drafted in the NFL draft, regardless of their ultimate success in the NFL, is a VERY good college player. There are only 32 starting NFL quarterbacks. Just because a quarterback doesn’t start in the NFL does not mean he was not in the top 5% of college quarterbacks.
I think going forward, especially in this expanded playoff format, it will be virtually impossible to win a national championship without a quarterback who at least has NFL potential. Quarterback has always been the most important position on the field, but with modern offenses it is magnified even more. Every weekend you can point to multiple games where the quarterback won or lost a game almost singlehandedly. And there are only so many of those quarterbacks who can put a team on their back and carry them.
I believe the last time a national championship winning quarterback went undrafted was 2015.
My definition of a “game manager” is a quarterback who goes undrafted. Any player that gets drafted in the NFL draft, regardless of their ultimate success in the NFL, is a VERY good college player. There are only 32 starting NFL quarterbacks. Just because a quarterback doesn’t start in the NFL does not mean he was not in the top 5% of college quarterbacks.
I think going forward, especially in this expanded playoff format, it will be virtually impossible to win a national championship without a quarterback who at least has NFL potential. Quarterback has always been the most important position on the field, but with modern offenses it is magnified even more. Every weekend you can point to multiple games where the quarterback won or lost a game almost singlehandedly. And there are only so many of those quarterbacks who can put a team on their back and carry them.
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 10:57 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:49 am to WaterLink
quote:
Stetson Bennett x2
4128 yards passing his last year.
More than any year from Manziel, Tua, or Jayden Daniels.
4333 yards total for the year. More than Cam and Tebow.
Top 10 all time SEC QB performance from him in 2022
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 10:52 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:50 am to WaterLink
quote:
The last 3 titles were won by JJ McCarthy and Stetson Bennett x2
Bennet is the outlier. JJ McCarthy was a top 10 pick and the projected opening day starter for the VIkings when he got hurt in the preseason. Every other QB going back almost a decade to Watson is starting in the NFL with the exception of Mac Jones who just lost his job recently.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:50 am to Basura Blanco
quote:
Bennet is the outlier
Wrong. See note above.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:55 am to captdalton
quote:
JJ McCarthy was drafted with the 10th pick
Ok but how was he used in Michigan's offense? He may have had the talent but they were very conservative in the passing game in their title run.
I didn't know undrafted was the criteria we were using to determine what a game manager is
I'l give you Stetson was a much bigger piece of the offense in UGA's 2nd title for sure. Their 1st title he was much more of a game manager.
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 10:58 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:55 am to WaterLink
I wouldn't say Stetson Bennett was a game manager. He wasn't your prototypical NFL QB for sure, but in addition to a good arm, great mobility, and decision making he had that "it" factor that allowed him to put the team on his back and will them to victory. I would take another like him each and every time.
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 10:58 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 10:59 am to SemperFiDawg
quote:
I wouldn't say Stetson Bennett was a game manager.
He absolutely wasn't. With the game on the line, when you have to have the perfect throw or the toughest scramble, I cannot think of another qb I would rather have. Maybe Cam or Burrow. Maybe.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:00 am to WaterLink
quote:
Ok but how was he used in Michigan's offense?
He was used very conservatively. He still won them some games they would not have won with a lesser quarterback. But more importantly he didn’t give away games with bonehead decisions or stupid turnovers.
Are you really trying to argue that the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft was a “game manager”? It seems like you are.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:02 am to captdalton
Bamas best teams were managed by AJ McCarron and Mac Jones. Tua is the one exception to a real game changing QB that Alabama won a national title.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:03 am to captdalton
I'm saying he was used as one. I think it was mostly because they had an interim coach most of the year and stayed close to the vest so not really his fault, but he wasn't the reason they won games in their title run. I do believe they way they played offense they could have plugged in a number of QBs and still won the title.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:04 am to WaterLink
quote:
I didn't know undrafted was the criteria we were using to determine what a game manager is
I think it is a very fair and unbiased criteria. Instead of saying “game manager”, lets say a potential NFL level QB.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:05 am to Aguga
quote:
Wrong. See note above.
He threw for a shite ton of yards over 15 games as a system QB, in a game managing role. He was also a 4th round pick and has never taken an NFL snap. He was a good college QB on a great team. Danny Weuerful won the Heisman doing the same thing in the Florida system.
You guys would be undefeated again this year if consensus first round projected pick Carson Beck were a game manager in the same manner. It isn't a bad thing. Embrace it.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:07 am to captdalton
quote:
I think it is a very fair and unbiased criteria. Instead of saying “game manager”, lets say a potential NFL level QB.
Then Barrett has to be the last one. Went undrafted. Cardale played the title game, he did sniff the NFL, barely.
This post was edited on 11/25/24 at 11:09 am
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:10 am to captdalton
quote:
JJ McCarthy was drafted with the 10th pick (1st round) in the NFL draft and Stetson Bennet was drafted with the 128th pick (4th round) in the NFL draft. They clearly sniffed the NFL
NFL has changed a lot in 20 years. QB is so much more important thanks to penalizing defense that any QB on a national champion team will get drafted and teams are taking qbs all the time that aren’t any good. Look at Anthony Richardson getting drafted in the 1st round and given the starting job. Dude sucked at Florida and was still assumed he’d be fine in the nfl.
Posted on 11/25/24 at 11:13 am to labamafan
quote:
Bamas best teams were managed by AJ McCarron and Mac Jones
Both were NFL level quarterbacks. Both were drafted. AJ had a four year career as a backup NFL QB, and Mac Jones is in the fourth year of his career. He made one pro bowl.
You guys definitely have higher standards for a “game manager” QB than I do.
When I think game manager I am thinking more along the lines of a Chris Leak or Jay Barker.
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