SEC Football's Beast of the East? How Do the QBs Rank With Each Other?

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

This year the SEC East is down as a whole. Let's face it, there are four teams in the SEC West who could win the East. But that doesn't mean that there won't be plenty of things to watch and be entertained by.

The SEC East has some emerging quarterbacks that are going to be really fun to watch as this is the year that some of them could really develop into some special quarterbacks.

Here's the list that ranks from bottom to top, the anticipated season long performances we should expect to see from each teams apparent quarterback.

6. Vanderbilt has some good news and some bad news. The good news is they have a senior quarterback leading the team this season, the bad news is it's the same quarterback that was a junior last year and was nothing to write home about.

Larry Smith has many good qualities, being a good SEC caliber quarterback however, is not one of them.

Last year he was just 117 of 247 passes (47.7 percent) for 1,262 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions and he doesn't appear to have the talent to improve on that much.

Behind him is a walking wounded sub, Jordan Rogers, who may still sit out the early games with a bad shoulder and redshirt sophomore Charlie Goro, who did not play at all last year.

Bet the under line in most of Vandy's games this year.

5. Kentucky football, where just good enough is just fine with the fans. Win six or seven and make a bowl, give the hardcore a trip for the holidays and that's just great.

Morgan Newton is just the man to give them that kind of season.

He has certainly proved he can win some games that maybe the team shouldn't, but he also has shown he can lose some games that maybe they shouldn't. A good all round match for what Kentucky usually does on the gridiron.

There's really not much behind Newton, so Kentucky will sink or swim with this junior quarterback.

They are however bringing in a new quarterback coordinator Tee Martin and if Martin is a good teacher, he does have some material to work with. Kentucky may just barely make another bowl this year and keep everyone happy.

4. Stephen Garcia coming drunk and starting a ruckus in a life skills class is about as smart as showing up for your DUI trial drunk on your butt and informing the judge that he looks like the last SOB that put him in jail.

Hence, I expect the starter to be Connor Shaw and I expect him to be another in the now long line of hair pulling quarterbacks that Spurrier has had to deal with in South Carolina.

Shaw is a good quarterback, but that's like giving Gordon Ramsey an average hamburger. Spurrier needs something better than just good to run his offense consistently and consistency has been the biggest problem at South Carolina.

Connor can do some impressive things, then he can throw a silly pick. Behind Shaw the pickings are pretty slim.

3. Tyler Bray did some growing up last year and along the way found himself being looked upon as a leader. Tennessee wasn't supposed to make a bowl last year, but they did. Tyler was supposed to be a train wreck last year, but he wasn't.

He was passed over as a starter last season until October when they made a late season change. Though they had a rocky October, Bray showed what he was made of in the last game of October, down 24-10 to the SEC East Champion, South Carolina.

He told his team not to hang their heads and pulled them back into the game after zinging TD passes and staging a wild comeback that just fell short.

They lost but it changed the team and created a leader. They won the next four in a row, made a bowl and oh so narrowly lost a two overtime game to North Carolina.

With this experience behind him now, look for Bray to be a real SEC top flight quarterback.

2. If you saw Florida's spring game and John Brantley one hop passes to receivers, you may ask why I have him at number two. One bad game, or scrimmage does not make or kill a quarterback.

Charlie Weis is a quarterback maker and he'll knock the rough edges of Brantley and by mid season, he should be running like a well oiled Corvette.

Weis' system is pure pro style, drop back in the pocket passing and this is what Brantley was born to do. He should thrive under Weis and become one of the SEC's best quarterbacks.

They'll be some bumps in the road in getting there, but don't bet against him making it.

1. Aaron Murray has a lot on his shoulders this season including keeping his coach employed. This is the year when another 8-4 season just won't do it for the fans and more importantly the administration at Georgia.

The good news is, that Murray is capable of pulling it off for two reasons. Never before has the SEC East been so weak, so it's almost now or never for Georgia to try and reclaim the East's throne and Murray is a superbly talented quarterback who is capable of putting the entire offense on his shoulders if he has to.

And he may just have to.

He has a low interception to TD ratio and makes good decisions when he has time. And therein lies the problem. The offensive line is questionable and if the move of Cordy Glenn to offensive tackle works out as hoped, then Murray may just have enough time to get the ball off.

And that's if for the "Beasts of the East," if you missed the ratings of the SEC West's QB's, just click here.