College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Top Coach-Quarterback Tandems

Some college football teams are truly stacked.

With studs at every offensive position and all over the defense as well, you wonder how they ever taste defeat.

Well, often the difference between winning and losing comes down to the two most important spots on the field (or the sidelines): head coach and quarterback.

If you look at the teams with stellar HC-QB combos, chances are that they're winning a lot of football games.

So what schools live and die by how their QBs and head coaches fare?

Let's take a look at the top 10 QB-HC combos in all of college football. 

10. Brady Hoke and Denard Robinson (Michigan)

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COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Denard Robinson #16 of the Michigan Wolverines drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Head coach: Brady Hoke

I know, I know, Hoke has accomplished exactly nothing at Michigan.

But that's not the case at his two previous stops, Ball State and San Diego State. 

Hoke took Ball State from four wins in his first season there to 12 wins in his final season at the school, and he took San Diego State from four wins in 2009 to nine wins in 2010.

A sign of things to come, perhaps?

Quarterback: Denard Robinson

The early Heisman favorite in 2010, Robinson was one of the nation's best dual-threat quarterbacks.

He threw for 2,570 yards, ran for another 1,702 and scored 32 total touchdowns.

While his production might drop off in 2011 (due to adjusting to a new system), you never really know how Robinson might perform.

9. June Jones and Kyle Padron (SMU)

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DALLAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Quarterback Kyle Padron #2 of the SMU Mustangs celebrates a touchdown in the third quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on September 24, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Head coach: June Jones

June Jones put Hawaii football on the map, going 76-41 there (from 1999-2007), with a 4-2 bowl record and a barrier-breaking BCS appearance in the 2007 Sugar Bowl.

He then moved on to SMU, which hadn't done much of note since the 1980s and the "death penalty."

But after going 1-11 in his first season there, Jones has led the Mustangs to 15 wins over the course of the last two seasons.

I smell a turnaround.

Quarterback: Kyle Padron

Kyle Padron isn't a household name, but if he played at a bigger school, he probably would be.

As a sophomore in 2010, he threw for 3,828 yards, ran for another 244 and scored 35 total touchdowns.

I guess you can hate on Padron for accomplishing that in Conference USA. But I'm not. 

8. Kevin Sumlin and Case Keenum (Houston)

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PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Case Keenum #7 of the Houston Cougars drops back to pass against the UCLA Bruins in the second quarter at the Rose Bowl on September 18, 2010 in Pasadena, California. UCLA won 31-13. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty

Head coach: Kevin Sumlin

Though his 2010 season was a mess (and he wound up playing a third-string QB most of the year), Sumlin's continued the pass-happy tradition at Houston. 

He's 23-16 as head coach in three seasons as head coach of the Cougars, including 18 wins from 2008-09.

Is Sumlin a great coach? No, but he definitely appears to be a good one.

Quarterback: Case Keenum

After missing most of the 2010 season, Keenum was granted a sixth year of eligibility and will be back as Houston's starting quarterback in 2011.

And that's bad news for anyone who plays the Cougars.

In his last two full seasons, Keenum has racked up a ridiculous 99 total touchdowns, including 88 touchdown passes.

Yep, that's scary good. 

7. Steve Spurrier and Stephen Garcia (South Carolina)

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 25: Head coach Steve Spurrier of the South Carolina Gamecocks against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Head coach: Steve Spurrier

The Old Ball Coach has gone just 44-33 at South Carolina, but he led a dynasty at Florida.

While the head coach of the Gators, Spurrier compiled a 122-27 record, won a national championship, played in eight BCS bowl games and never won fewer than nine games in a season.

Yeah, that's outrageous.

Quarterback: Stephen Garcia

A controversial choice, given the fact that Garcia's known to be incredibly inconsistent (and may not even be the starter in 2011), but the South Carolina gunslinger really stepped up his game last season.

Garcia completed 64.4 percent of his passes, threw for 3,059 yards and scored 27 total touchdowns.

If he can stay hot (and on the field), then the SEC could be in trouble. 

6. Mike Gundy and Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State)

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STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Brandon Weeden #3 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks for an open receiver against the Oklahoma Sooners at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Image

Head coach: Mike Gundy

While Gundy's 47-29 record isn't earth-shattering and fans still remember him more for his "I'm a man! I'm 40" rant than anything else, he's done an excellent job turning around Oklahoma State's football program.

After going 4-7 in his first season as head coach of the Cowboys, Gundy's squads have been to five straight bowl games, have won 29 games over the past three seasons and went 11-2 in 2010.

Not only that, but Gundy helped Oklahoma State develop one of the nation's most potent offenses last season, as the Cowboys ranked second in the nation in passing yards and third in points scored.

Quarterback: Brandon Weeden

Call him a one-hit wonder if you must, but Weeden was a monster in 2010.

He threw for 4,277 yards and 34 touchdowns and wasn't too far away from leading Oklahoma State to a BCS bowl games.

Weeden may not have the longevity of some other college QBs, but when you look at his production, it's hard to hate on the guy.

5. Chip Kelly and Darron Thomas (Oregon)

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CORVALLIS, OR - DECEMBER 4: Head coach Chip Kelly speaks with quarterback Darron Thomas #1 of the Oregon Ducks in the second quarter of the game against the the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Corvallis, Oregon. The Ducks beat

Head coach: Chip Kelly

Sure, Chip Kelly's only been a head coach for two seasons. But so what?

Oregon's top dog has gone 22-4 in two seasons there, with two Pac-10 titles, an appearance in the Rose Bowl and an appearance in the BCS national championship.

Though Kelly is winless in bowl season, I think his six separate Coach of the Year awards for 2010 do the talking for him.

Quarterback: Darron Thomas

Remember the forgotten piece to Oregon's success last season? Yeah, that was Darron Thomas.

The sophomore quarterback was a bit under-the-radar but stellar nonetheless, racking up 2,881 passing yards, 486 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns.

Something tells me teams will keep an eye on Thomas in 2011. 

4. Mark Richt and Aaron Murray (Georgia)

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ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Aaron Murray #11 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Sanford Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Head coach: Mark Richt

Richt may be on the hot seat right now, but once upon a time, he was adored by Georgia football fans.

Why? Well, the 51-year-old head coach has gone 96-34 at the school, with two SEC titles, a 7-3 bowl record and six seasons with 10-plus wins.

I think the Bulldogs will realize that sticking with Richt is the way to go.

Quarterback: Aaron Murray

Murray hasn't been around long enough to get a lot of publicity, but the dude was a stud in 2010.

Even though he played on a 6-7 team, Murray threw for 3,049 yards and scored 28 total touchdowns while throwing just eight interceptions.

Oh yeah, did I mention that he did that as a freshman? 

3. Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State)

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Matthe

Head coach: Jim Tressel

Though embroiled in controversy right now, Tressel has had a storied coaching career at Ohio State.

Since taking over the program in 2001, he's led the Buckeyes to eight seasons of 10-plus wins, eight BCS bowl game appearances, three BCS title game appearances and one national championship victory.

Pretty impressive, huh?

Well, that doesn't even count Tressel's 135-57-2 record at Youngstown State, where he won four NCAA I-AA titles.

Quarterback: Terrelle Pryor

Some skeptics will say that Pryor has underachieved/underwhelmed/underperformed at Ohio State (and I'm not arguing against them, given all the hype he had), but he's still played better than most college QBs.

He's totaled 6,177 career passing yards, 2,165 career rushing yards and 76 total touchdowns in three seasons as a Buckeye.

And though Pryor will miss five games next season because of his suspension, he'll still go down as one of the more productive Ohio State quarterbacks in recent memory.

2. Bob Stoops and Landry Jones (Oklahoma)

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Head coach Bob Stoops looks on while taking on the Connecticut Huskies during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Head Coach: Bob Stoops

Since taking over at Oklahoma in 1999, Stoops has been nothing short of spectacular.

He's complied an astounding 129-31 record, with seven Big 12 titles, a national championship and eight BCS bowl game appearances.

Stoops has made a habit out of winning 10-plus games too, as the Sooners have won 11-plus games nine times during his tenure. 

Quarterback: Landry Jones

When Jones took over for Sam Bradford early in the 2009 season, no one knew exactly what to expect.

Well, this just in: Jones is pretty damn good.

In less than two full seasons as Oklahoma's starter, he's racked up 7,916 passing yards and 65 total touchdowns.

1. Chris Petersen and Kellen Moore (Boise State)

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Kellen Moore #11 of the Boise State Broncos looks over to his sideline in the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 4, 2010 in Glen

Head coach: Chris Petersen

It's hard to call Petersen's tenure at Boise State anything less than amazing.

He's been at the school just five seasons, but the Broncos have gone a holy-crap-that's-ridiculous 61-5 during that span, with at least 10 wins each seasons and two undefeated seasons (2006 and 2009).

Peterson has not only won football games, though. He's put Boise State football where no one thought it would ever be: in the national spotlight.

Quarterback: Kellen Moore

Can anyone make a legitimate argument against Moore's production? I mean, the dude has been unstoppable.

In three seasons as Boise State's signal caller, the perennial Heisman contender has totaled 10,867 passing yards, 103 total touchdowns and just 19 interceptions.

And in case you couldn't tell, that's pretty impressive.