SEC Football: Power Ranking The Quarterbacks Heading Into Week Four

Are you ready for some more SEC power rankings? 

It's time to dive into SEC quarterback statistics for your weekly SEC power ranking fix. This list will feature the top 10 quarterbacks in the SEC based on the statistics so far this season. Three stat categories are taken into account in formulating this list.

The three categories are: Passing average per game, passing efficiency, and total offense. 

Here are the best of the best quarterbacks in the top conference in the land, the SEC.

Ryan Mallet, Arkansas

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BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 28: Quarterback Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansa Razorbacks throws a pass over Rahim Alem #84 of the Louisiana State University Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 28, 2009 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Ge

You can't not rank the reigning SEC offensive player of the week No. 1 on this list. The fact that he leads two of the three stat categories doesn't hurt either. 

Mallet is averaging 360 passing yards per game and has connected on 70 of 100 passes. 

Mallet improved his Heisman prospects with a last minute drive to defeat Georgia in Athens last weekend. But his biggest test will come Saturday when the Razorbacks host No. 1 Alabama and the No. 2 quarterback on this list, Greg McElroy.

Greg McElroy, Alabama

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Greg McElroy #12 of the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Greg McElroy is the very picture of consistency. The Alabama quarterback is ranked No. 1 in passing efficiency and is No. 2 in average per game. 

The senior has completed 71-percent of his passes and has already thrown six touchdowns to go along with his 235 yards per game.

McElroy's win streak as a starter is somewhere around 3,000 wins by now, as well.

Obviously that was a joke, but the Rhodes Scholar applicant hasn't lost a game he has started since Middle School. That's incredibly impressive. 

Cameron Newton, Auburn

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Cameron Newton #2 of the Auburn Tigers looks to pass against the Clemson Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Cameron Newton's passing numbers are not spectacular. But when you consider everything else the linebacker-in-quarterback-clothing brings to the table, you'll easily see a top three SEC quarterback. 

Newton ranks No. 2 in total offense in the league. That statistic is based largely on his 309 rushing yards to go along with his 525 yards through the air. The Auburn quarterback averages 278 yards of total offense per game. 

He has already thrown seven touchdowns and rushed for two. He has a golden opportunity to move up the list against South Carolina this weekend. 

Mike Hartline, Kentucky

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LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 18: Mike Hartline #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats throws a pass during the game against the Akron Zips at Commonwealth Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

For a guy that wasn't officially the starter until August, Mike Hartline is showing the ability that Kentucky sorely missed after he was injured early in the '09 season. 

The senior is completing 72-percent of his passes for an average of 226 passing yards per game. Hartline ranks No. 3, 4, and 5 in each quarterback stat-category. 

He has easily his biggest test of the year this week. The Swamp in Gainesville is not usually nice to opposing quarterbacks.

Aaron Murray, Georgia

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COLUMBIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Aaron Murray #11 of the Georgia Bulldogs calls out a play during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty

Georgia's redshirt freshman quarterback, Aaron Murray has been quite the delight for 'Dawgs fans this season. The young signal-caller has shown tremendous potential in each of his first three games, without star receiver, AJ Green. 

Murray has completed 62-percent of his passes for 201 passing yards per game. The redshirt freshman also has a QB Efficiency rating of 143 through his first three collegiate games. 

The Best Of The Rest

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NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 11: Jeremiah Masoli #8 of the Ole Miss Rebels throws a pass against the Tulane Green Wave at the Louisiana Superdome on September 11, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The rest of the conference is a jumbled mess behind center. 

Ole Miss's Jeremiah Masoli, South Carolina's Stephen Garcia, and Tennessee's Matt Simms would be 6a., 6b., and 6c. if the list were an outline. 

All three are under 600 passing yards for the season, and four yards per game are all that separates Masoli and Simms. 

Florida's John Brantley has been a victim of his team's inability to find itself on offense, but he'd still be in the top 10 on the list with 145 yards of total offense per game. 

Vanderbilt quarterback, Larry Smith also makes the list for his rushing ability--which, astonishingly makes him more of an offensive threat than Brantley by 2.5 yards per game. 

Since the Mississippi State quarterbacks split time, neither of them rank in the top 10 in any category. 

LSU quarterback, Jordan Jefferson in tenth in the league in passing efficiency, but throwing for only 344 total yards this season will not land you in the power rankings.