The Good, The Bad, And The Big 12 College Football Quarterbacks

With the Big 12 Conference armed to the spurs with sharp-shooting quarterbacks, you can expect some fierce gun-slinging out west in 2008. Quarterback play is sheriff in college football, so let’s give the Big 12 the badge.

Here's a gander at how a few of the quarterbacks will fare this season...

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech

Technically, this Texan from Brownwood is set to blow everyone right off the saddle! Passing for 5,705 yards in 2007? Heck, railroads don’t even stretch that far. Last season entailed close losses to Colorado and Oklahoma State, while also falling to highly-ranked Missouri and Texas. Stand fast, Texan, it will come—and in droves.

Chase Daniel, Missouri

Billy the Kid here is raw, poised, and very intimating to his foes. Daniel threw for 4,306 yards in the '07 season while posting a staggering 33:11 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The potential is evident and documented from last fall, so it’s wise to be on his side when tempers flare in the saloon.

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Kid is only a national championship away from solidifying his spot next to the legendary “Sooner” Jim Kincaid. This towering stud proved that he can control the range with an impressive 176.5 passer rating in 2007.

With a prominent mentor and stellar surrounding cast, Bradford should easily match his 36 touchdowns from the past season. After a grueling and arduous ride on the range, don’t shoot yourself in the foot at the end of the season!

Colt McCoy, Texas

Don’t attempt to knock John Wayne off the saddle. Although he dropped three points in his completion percentage from 2006 to 2007, the total yards passed increased by over 700. The ultimate goal is to zero in on the bulls-eye with a few less stray bullets. He has fought through many skirmishes to this point and has a no non-sense approach with a name that fits the bill.

Cody Hawkins, Colorado

This Boise native has meandered through the range enough to learn a few things. Expect increased productivity on the field with an increase in touchdowns from 22 and a drop in the interceptions with 17 in 2007. Hawkins will not let Colorado lose seven games in 2008. With papa as the sheriff; Cody will no doubt be a reliable deputy.

Todd Reesing, Kansas

Reesing did a fabulous job of establishing law and order in 2007. Furthermore, knocking off Bud Foster’s consistently elusive Hokie defense in the FedEx Orange Bowl is a duel worth bragging about. With a staggering 33-touchdown season with only one loss, this Austin gunslinger solidified himself as one of the elite.

However, things could have a chance of getting a bit dicey in 2008. There’s an abundance of competition to deal with away from his homestead. Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Florida—all on the road.

Joe Ganz, Nebraska

Joe Ganz was leading the charge in the spring, but has only a few games from 2007 to show for it. As the pack leaders opt to shift power on more than one level of hierarchy at Nebraska, expect the momentum to shift toward Ganz leading the charge with a supportive posse.

He will have a much better winning percentage than last season, as he was tossed into the oncoming stampede. Bo Pellini’s defense will get him the ball—so there’s no choice but to do something with it.

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