College Football 2011: The 10 Most Overhyped Quarterbacks
As several big-name quarterbacks get set for the 2011 NFL Draft, it's time to look at some of the quarterbacks with a chance to make it the NFL draft next year, but are currently overhyped in the passionate world of college football.
Is it too early to be looking toward next season?
Nah, it's never too early to look toward a brand new season of smash-mouth, coach-screaming, player-jumping, fan-bellowing and mud-sloshing college football.
It's also not too early for these 10 overhyped quarterbacks to get their offseason groove on...and I don't mean go to their favorite club and dance with the ladies.
Here are the 10 quarterbacks in need of some serious work to meet expectations next football season.
10. Zach Collaros, Cincinnati
1 of 10
Zach Collaros was on several publications' cheat sheets before the 2010 season regarding who would become the next breakout star.
And if you look at his overall number for the 2010, it doesn't appear he was all that bad: 2,900 yards, 24 touchdowns, 16 interceptions.
But you look closer and you realize the only decent teams he played all season were West Virginia and maybe Connecticut.
Against West Virginia?
25-for-45, two interceptions.
Against Connecticut?
26-for-50, one touchdown, four interceptions.
I rest my case.
9. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2 of 10
I'm not going to go too hard on this kid, considering he came out of nowhere and was a freshman.
But after his early play actually had people thinking he had a chance for the Heisman, it was obvious by the end of it all that he simply wasn't a top-notch quarterback.
He had a huge game against OK State, but, beyond that, he just wasn't that good.
Against Texas?
4-for-12, 63 yards passing.
Against Texas A&M?
11-for-17, 107 yards, one interception.
Against Oklahoma?
12-for-24, 143 yards, one interception.
In the Holiday Bowl against Washington?
One touchdown, one interception, and a 19-7 loss.
Yeah...
8. Geno Smith, West Virginia
3 of 10
Geno Smith was expected to be the next big thing for West Virginia coming into his sophomore campaign.
And if you look at his numbers, he looked mighty impressive: 24 touchdowns, 7 interceptions.
But then you look at who he played against (ghosts of teams) and you realize he was way overhyped for not performing highly against top competition.
The only top team he faced in 2010 was LSU.
He went 14-for-29 for 119 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Sure, he had two touchdowns, but that doesn't excuse him from the fact that he completed under 50 percent of his passes and his team lost, 20-14.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Stephen Garcia, South Carolina
4 of 10
Stephen Garcia, headed into the 2010 season on a lot of people's overrated/overhyped lists, was a much better QB overall in 2010.
He threw 20 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and excelled against some of the top teams in the nation, including Auburn (twice) and Alabama.
But in the biggest game of the season for the Gamecocks, the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Garcia choked on the big stage, throwing three interceptions against Florida State, with the Gamecocks losing, 26-17.
You can't be considered a top quarterback if you can't win on the big stage.
6. Dayne Crist, Notre Dame
5 of 10
Coach Brian Kelly's leader of choice to begin the 2010 season for the fabled Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Crist was looked to as an answer to make Notre Dame a ranked program once again.
But he ultimately wasn't the answer, not being able to lead the team over top competition and amid an injury, Tommy Rees took over.
Rees led the Fighting Irish to four wins in their last four game to end the year, including against Miami (FL) in the Sun Bowl.
Crist very well could have already lost his starting job.
5. John Brantley, Florida
6 of 10
Based on production, I could put "the second coming of Tim Tebow" higher on this list.
But Brantley didn't have the greatest offensive line or receiving core and for that, he gets a bit of a break.
But he was so built up that you expected him to come out firing and find a way to win by all means necessary.
But he didn't, with the Gators largely disappointing and Brantley tossing nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions.
4. Jordan Jefferson, LSU
7 of 10
As hyped as Jordan Jefferson has been ever since coming to LSU, he's highly been disappointing, on multiple levels.
He failed to lead LSU to an SEC crown in 2009, despite everyone expecting him to become a breakout star.
In 2010, he was actually worse, throwing seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions.
He had an OK game against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, tossing three TDs, but that doesn't excuse him from being largely disappointing throughout the season.
3. Garrett Gilbert, Texas
8 of 10
Garrett Gilbert wasn't as hyped as Jordan Jefferson, but he disappointed on a monumental level for a team in Texas that was supposed to be fearsome in 2010.
Texas went a dismal 5-7 and Gilbert threw 10 touchdowns to 17 interceptions.
He played some tough teams, but, I'm sorry, no amount of excuses can save you from that record and that amount of interceptions.
2. Matt Barkley, USC
9 of 10
Matt Barkley has been riding the overhyped USC train ever since stepping foot on the field, and it's time to call it like it is: he's not the star to lead the Trojans to a storied ending.
Sure, Barkley greatly improved on his 2009 campaign, throwing 26 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
But with the incredible buzz that surrounds every USC quarterback, he ultimately flopped at the end of the year, progressively getting worse throughout the season.
In his final five games, he threw eight interceptions, to six touchdowns.
The Trojans finished a mediocre 8-5, particularly by their standards.
1. Jacory Harris, Miami (FL)
10 of 10
A native of Miami, Jacory Harris has been being buzzed about ever since taking the field for the storied Hurricanes in 2008.
Harris has always had the talent to be a solid player, but bouts of inconsistency, combined with poor decision-making, didn't even make him a good quarterback in 2010.
Throwing for 14 touchdowns to 15 interceptions, Harris not only was exposed against Ohio State (one TD, four INTs), every thing came to a head in the final game of the season, the biggest game, the Sun Bowl against Notre Dame.
Facing a team that had inserted its backup QB midway into the season, Harris was awful against the Fighting Irish, going 4-for-7 for 37 yard and three interceptions before ultimately getting pulled for Stephen Morris.
The Hurricanes lost, 33-17, in a blowout.
There's a chance Harris won't even be the starter next season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
