College Football 2010: Doors Open as McCoy, Bradford, and Tebow Move On

Let's face it, chicks dig the long ball, and they also dig quarterbacks. Just ask Brett Favre.

This season, college football begins a new era, as superstar quarterbacks Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, and poster child Tim Tebow all begin professional careers in the NFL.

With those three big names out of the picture, let's look at the landscape to see who will emerge as the face of college football in 2010 at the quarterback position.

Jake Locker - Washington Huskies

Before a snap has been taken in either college football or the NFL, Jake Locker is already the presumptive overall No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft.

Locker will be entering his senior season after a junior year that had him throwing for 2,800 yards with 21 TDs. He completed 58 percent of his pass attempts, and only gave up 11 interceptions. He finished the year with a quarterback rating of 129.75.

His most impressive game came on December 5 against Cal when he competed 19 passes on 23 attempts for 248 yards. Three of those completions resulted in touchdowns. He added two more scores on the ground, rushing for 77 yards on 14 attempts. The Huskies thrashed Cal 42-10.

Ryan Mallett - Arkansas Razorbacks

Ryan Mallett is another Texas bred quarterback who began his college football career at the University of Michigan. Mallett will be entering the season as a junior after deciding to finish it at Arkansas under current head coach Bobby Petrino,

In his first season back, after a year off for transferring, Mallett threw for 3,627 yards with 30 touchdowns. His completion percentage was 55.8 percent and he only threw seven interceptions. He finished the year with a quarterback rating of 152.52.

His most impressive game came on October 31st against Eastern Michigan. Mallett completed 14 of his 16 attempts for 248 yards. Three of those 14 were touchdowns. He also rushed five times for a season high 42 yards. Razorbacks get the win, 63-27.

Terrelle Pryor - Ohio State Buckeyes

Probably the most hyped quarterback in the group, Terrelle Pryor will be entering his third season with the Buckeyes and Coach Jim Tressel.

Pryor was touted as the No. 1 high school player in 2008 and got his first start as a true freshman.

In his first two years, Pryor has been known for his potential, but criticized for his inconsistency. But after a stellar Rose Bowl performance against the Pac-10 champion, Oregon Ducks, many have their eyes on the young phenom once again.

In his sophomore year, Pryor threw for 2,094 yards, with a completion percentage of 56.6 percent. He had 18 touchdowns in the air and added seven more on the ground. His rushing yards totaled for 779 yards.

Although most people will remember his Rose Bowl performance, his most impressive game came on November 14th against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Vying for the Rose Bowl bid, Pryor took the reins to lead his team to a 27-24 win in the Horseshoe. He completed 14 of 17 passes with zero interceptions.

Christian Ponder - Florida State Seminoles

Christian Ponder will be finishing his college football career under a new head coach at Florida State. With new leadership in the coaching department, Ponder will rely on his experience to lead his team to the top of the ACC.

Ponder missed the last 4 games of the 2009 season due to injury, but his stats were nothing short of impressive. In nine games he accumulated 2,717 passing yards, completing 69 percent of his attempts. Fourteen of his completions went for touchdowns. His QB rating for the year ended at 147.70.

Ponder's most impressive game came on October 22nd against North Carolina. He completed 33 of 40 pass attempts for an incredible 395 yards. Three completions were scores, one of which measured 98 yards. He had zero interceptions and also rushed 12 times for 14 yards as the Seminoles beat the Tar Heels 30-27.

Andrew Luck - Stanford Cardinal

Andrew Luck is the youngest of this group, but don't exclude him from the talk.

In his freshman year, on a run-first offense, Luck threw for 2,575 yards. His completion percentage ended at 56.3 percent, and his quarterback rating was 143.47. He accumulated 13 touchdowns, but probably more astounding is the 288 attempts with only 4 interceptions.

With star running back, Toby Gerhart, off to the NFL, Luck will be the main offensive weapon on the Cardinal offense. You can expect bigger and better numbers from this sophomore under center.

His most impressive game in 2009 came on Novermber 7th against an Oregon Duck team that would eventually become the Pac-10 champions. Luck completed 60 percent of his passes that day for 251 yards. He ended the day with two touchdowns and a QB rating of 198.42. The Cardinal beat the Ducks 51-42.

Missing Anyone?

The five guys mentioned are the leaders at the quarterback position entering the 2010 season.

With the big names gone, there is plenty of face time to be battled for. If I missed anyone, feel free to add your favorite in the comment thread below.

Should be a very exciting season, and it can't get here soon enough. Wake me up when September's here.