re: 4 QBs (2 current, 2 from the last 8 years) Passing Stats vs Top 25 Opponents

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I think Fitz would close the gap on these guys if he was on their teams

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Perhaps, but I don't think those numbers (talent %) will change this year, and I'm not sure he's going to get that much better.

So, while you might be right, the expectation level for him for 2018 with Mississippi State seems to be much better and higher than the stats noted and even much better than the other guys stats noted. I'm not sure I see it.

And he didn't even add in the running these other guys did.

He was the definition of average, which to be fair was as good or better than some previous LSU QBs.

All but Nick Marshall are sub-par. However, all of those guys were/are dual threat QBs, so including their rushing yards and TDs would probably paint a better picture of their production

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He wasn't really much different against good teams than bad ones.

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not over the course of his career, but he certainly was in 2011. He had a good game against Arkansas, but his games against UGA and Alabama (part 2) were pathetic.

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So do you think you should throw out one of his hardest challenges in the averages against tough competition?

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No, never said that. He's still probably the best passer of the four. And while yes, you could make an argument he was a good passer at times, I think his stats are a bit skewed by him playing lights out in one game in particular.

I mean look at these 11 games vs. ranked opponents:

2013 LSU: 17-33 (51.5%); 224 yards; 0 TD; 2 INT
2013 A&M: 11-23 (47.8%); 236 yards; 2 TD; 0 INT
2013 ALA: 11-16 (68.8%); 97 yards; 2 TD; 0 INT
2013 MIZ: 9-11 (81.8%); 132 yards; 1 TD; 0 INT
2013 FSU: 14-27 (51.9%); 217 yards; 2 TD; 1 INT
2014 KSU: 17-31 (54.8%); 231 yards; 2 TD; 1 INT
2014 MSU: 17-35 (48.6%): 209 yards; 2 TD; 2 INT
2014 OM: 15-22 (68.2%); 254 yards; 2 TD; 1 INT
2014 UGA: 11-23 (47.8%); 112 yards; 0 TD; 1 INT
2014 ALA: 27-43 (62.8%); 456 yards; 3 TD; 1 INT
2014 WIS: 15-22 (68.2%); 217 yards; 2 TD; 0 INT

He had 456 yards in the 2014 Iron Bowl.... that's over 200 yards more than he had any other single game. It's also his only game with more than 2 TD passes. Obviously it's an outlier that skews his overall stats upwards.

Not saying it shouldn't count. But there's a reason why in the moment Nick Marshall didn't get the respect he might now when you look at everything in hindsight.

In these 11 games vs. ranked opponents, 8 times he either had a completion percentage of under 55% or he had fewer than 135 total passing yards.

Only 3 times in these 11 games did he throw for over 55% in the game and manage at least 150 yards passing:

2014 Ole Miss
2014 Alabama
2014 Wisconsin

These were also 3 of this last 4 games against ranked opponents.

In his first 7 games against ranked opponents, He averaged 192 yards/game and completed just 54.5% of his passes. Decent stats, but nothing spectacular.

Marshall improved over the course of two seasons, and his final 2 games were likely his very best... by the time he had earned legit respect, his time was done.

It would have been very interesting to see how good he could have been in 2015 had he had one more year of eligibility. Kid had just gotten really good. His 2015 season could have been off the charts.