Matt's Top Five Quarterbacks Going into the 2013 Season

Out of the last 12 Heisman Trophy winners, 11 have been quarterbacks. I don't see that changing this season. There are a lot of quarterbacks this season that are going to start the year out with a lot of hype.

This will be just like Josh's Top 5 Quarterbacks list that he recently posted, but with a few things different. The biggest difference is our Top 5. You'll see a few same names, but you'll see some differences as well. And I'm glad it worked out like that.

First of all, I'd like to start out with a couple of names that you may or may not have heard of, but that definitely deserve some recognition, and although we probably won't see them on any Heisman hype lists, they are very good at what they do.

Kain Colter, Northwestern, Junior

Last year Kain led the Wildcats to an overall record of 9-3, including a close loss to Michigan at Michigan Stadium. Colter three for only 872 yards, tossed eight touchdowns and four interceptions. But Kain's strengths seem to lie more in his legs. On the ground he rushed for nearly 900 yards, and punched it into the end zone 12 times. Colter is the electric kind of QB that Northwestern needs, and will look to lead the Wildcats to bigger and better things this season.

Rakeem Cato, Marshall,Sophomore 

Rakeem Cato produced very impressive numbers last season. He completed 406 passes out of 584 attempts. That's an average of 69.5%. He threw for 4,201 yards, which lands him into the top five of all college quarterbacks last season for passing yards. Cato also tossed 37 touchdowns, only giving up 11 interceptions. Very impressive numbers for the Marshall quarterback. Unfortunately Marshall only went 5-7 overall last season. If he can lead them to more wins, and produce the same kinds of numbers, he should see himself a lot more on SportsCenter.

Next on my list, are my honorable mentions. I feel that is fairly difficult coming up with a simple list of five quarterbacks that you see doing well for the season. Here are my honorable mentions.

Tajh Boyd, Clemson

Connor Shaw, South Carolina

Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois

Aaron Murray, Georgia

AJ McCarron, Alabama

I know you're probably thinking, did he really just put Aaron Murray and AJ McCarron in his honorable mentions category? Yes, I did. With their schedules, I honestly don't see them having any kind of outstanding Heisman Trophy winning seasons. I see them having good seasons, but nothing that makes them stand out among this year's many impressive quarterbacks.

Now, lets get to the main concept of this article. Lets get to my top five quarterbacks going into this next college football season!

5. Marcus Mariota, Oregon, Sophomore

Mariota completed 230 passes of 336 attempts. The 230 competitions added up to a total of 2,677 yards. Marcus, who was a true freshman last season, threw for 32 touchdowns, and only threw six interceptions. Marcus led the Ducks to an 11-1 overall record. But with Chip Kelly leaving Oregon for the NFL, many wonder how much different the Oregon Ducks' offense will be. But either way, Marcus Mariota is an electric QB who should have an impressive season.

4. Devin Gardner, Michigan, Junior

Now the stats won't look as impressive for Devin Gardner as many others on this list. Gardner was the back up for college football superstar Denard Robinson. Gardner didn't see significant playing time until November 3rd when the Wolverines played the Minnesota Golden Gophers. In that game, Gardner led the Wolverines to a victory. Gardner finally won himself the starting quarterback job at Michigan, where he only lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes (not counting Michigan's close loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl).

Gardner only completed 59.5% of his passes. Not a great percentage, but also a little higher than his bitter rival Braxton Miller. Gardner threw 11 touchdown passes last season and tossed five interceptions. Devin is a dual threat quarterback, but only rushed for seven touchdowns last season.

Michigan's offense is going to look a lot different without Denard Robinson in the lineup, but Devin Gardner has been ready to become the centerpiece of the Wolverines' offense, and should have quite an impressive season this year.

3. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, Sophomore

Yes, I have the defending Heisman Trophy winner listed at number three. Hey, Josh had him at five!

Manziel had quite an impressive run last season. And I won't deny, I'm sure he'll eventually have another. Could he win the Heisman for a second time, a feat only Archie Griffin from Ohio State has done? I believe he could. But not after the season he had last season.

We all know, Manziel electrified crowds last season. Throwing for a little over 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 1,409 yards and 21 touchdowns, Manziel really earned his nickname, "Johnny Football". I just can't see Johnny Football being able to keep this pace up for a second straight year, especially continuing to play in the SEC.

Manziel will wow crowds once again this upcoming season, but I see him coming up a little short compared to last season.

2. Braxton Miller, Ohio State, Junior

Braxton Miller is the perfect fit for head coach Urban Meyer. I believe they proved that when the Buckeyes went 12-0 last season. Surely they would have either played Notre Dame or Alabama in the National Championship Game if it wasn't for NCAA sanctions that Ohio State had from the big controversy with Jim Tressel over tattoos, awards, and some other things.

However the Buckeyes are ready to forget about all that, and concentrate on another undefeated season, with Braxton Miller at the driver's seat. Miller completed 148 passes of 254 attempts. He threw for a little over 2,000 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,271 yards and hit pay dirt 13 times.

Miller will look to try to recreate the magic he created last season, and Urban Meyer will be looking for the same thing. You know what they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

1. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville, Junior

Just like my colleague Josh, I have to put Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater as my number one quarterback. Bridgewater impressed us all last season with his 287 passes totally for 3,718 yards. His completion average was 68.5%. But even more impressive, Teddy threw 27 touchdown passes and only tossed up eight interceptions. 

Not only do I feel that Teddy Bridgewater will have a break out year this year because of his abilities, but I think the Louisville schedule also benefits Teddy. I believe that we will see him shred a few of these secondaries up, while also showing his versatility by getting his feet involved in this offense.

The Cardinals have been an impressive team as of late, going 10-2 last season and defeating the #3 Florida Gators in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Teddy Bridgewater will look to lead the Cardinals to another high profile bowl game this season, but he very well may be bringing the Heisman Trophy right along with him. We'll see.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

Josh's Top Five Quarterbacks Going into the 2013 Season

There's an old adage in football, if you don't have a quarterback you cant win at the highest level. This definitely resonates into major college football this season. If you look at many of the top teams going into the 2013 season, they all have an experienced starting quarterback in place going into the summer workout and training camp period of their season. Each of the 5 quarterbacks on this list are likely going to be talked up all summer as leaders of their offenses and as potential Heisman hopefuls in 2013. Now, let's cut this chit chat and just get into my top 5 quarterbacks going into the 2013 season....

5) Braxton Miller (junior) Ohio State

The Buckeyes' electrifying signal caller showed the country just what he is capable of last season accounting for over 3300 yards of total offense in Urban Meyer's wide open offense and is the best dual threat quarterback in the country going into this season. Despite him being 4 inches and about 30 pounds smaller, he reminds me of Cam Newton in many ways, namely in the way he moves around in the pocket and the way he looks as a runner, and quite honestly, a Newton-esque breakout in 2013 would not shock me one bit. Miller might not be the most accurate passer on this list, completing less than 59% of his passes in 2012, but he seems to have the knack for the big play, with 13 of his touchdowns coming on plays of 40 yards or more. However, in order to ascend to that Newton level I mentioned before, he will need to get his completion percentage up a bit and be more of a threat through the air, which would make his running that much more deadly. Despite only having one year of starting under his belt, I have no issues about ranking him over a more experienced quarterback like Clemson's Tahj Boyd (who my colleague Jackson McNamara is extremely high on)  mainly because I believe that Miller's best has yet to be seen. However, at this point it's all potential and if Urban Meyer can tap into that potential like he did former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, the sky is the limit for Miller and the Buckeyes this year.

4) AJ McCarron (senior) Alabama

The Alabama signal caller is easily the most successful quarterback on this list, with two national championships under his belt and two losses as a starter, his win/loss stats are second to none. However, the biggest knock on him is that ever so controversial "game manager" title that the dominant Alabama defense and run game would give to anybody under center. McCarron definitely can manage the game very well though, he has only thrown 8 interceptions in two seasons as a full time starter (as well as a little bit of playing time in garbage time as a freshmen). He routinely has a completion percentage in the high 60s and is very efficient with his decisions. However, the biggest question I have about him is how well could he play if an opposing defense is able to contain that highly touted running game that seems to produce Heisman caliber runners every season. McCarron has been lucky to get to play with tailbacks like Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon in his career, which would make any quarterback's job easier. He is at his best when that running game is rolling and is able to take advantage of his underrated athleticism on bootlegs and play action fakes to allow the receivers to get a little separation and simply hit the open man. He rarely forces a ball into coverage and understands his progressions better than most at this level, but at times he lacks a big time arm to zip the ball down the field if needed.

3) Johnny Manziel (sophomore) Texas A&M

Now, I know what you are thinking; how can this dude really have the reigning Heisman trophy winner at 3rd?! But hear me out, Johnny Football had a phenomenal season, no doubt. He completed 68% of his passes for 3706 yards and 26 touchdowns, and also added over 1400 yards on the ground, including over 200 against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Those numbers are even more impressive if you take into consideration that the Aggies played their first season in the SEC.  But this list, more than anything is attempting to project going forward, and I truly believe that Manziel will take a step backward in his second season. I think that many pundits are underestimating the losses of Luke Joeckell, Christian Michael and Ryan Swope to the NFL, who were three of the major components of the Aggies offense along with Manziel. Now with more of the focus on him exclusively, as well as losing one of the finest offensive tackles in the country, and with teams in the SEC who will undoubtedly spend most of the off season watching and scheming against, I have a hard time buying into the Manziel Heisman repeat talk. Can he have another great season? Sure. But I don't see him single handedly taking over games in 2013 like he did in 2012. I feel that teams will do a much better job containing Manziel's backyard football-esque style of play forcing him to be more of a pure pocket passer that isn't where he is at his best. He is at his best when the play breaks down and he's forced to improvise.

2) Aaron Murray (senior) Georgia

Aaron Murray is among the most decorated quarterbacks in Georgia Bulldogs history, he has passed for over 3,000 yards and 24 or more touchdowns each season he has been in Athens. His performance during his junior season definitely gives Bulldogs fans something to be optimistic about going into his senior season. In 2012 he completed 64.5% of his passes for 3893 yards and 36 touchdown passes (to only 10 interceptions) and was among the finest quarterbacks in the country, and in this analysts opinion, he should have been among the Heisman finalists last season. Unfortunately, what is holding Murray back from being higher on the lists is questions about his arm strength. Now, I don't feel that you need to have a cannon arm to be a successful quarterback, but too many times Murray looked too inaccurate on deep passes down the field and  lacked the touch to drop passes into tight windows (very much like the aforementioned McCarron of Alabama). This was very evident in the Bulldogs' two biggest games of the year; the home showdown with Florida where he was brutal (as was the rest of the UGA offense) and threw 3 interceptions and in the SEC championship against Alabama where he just looked off target most of the day. I do think that Murray is a fine quarterback, and many teams would be happy to have him as their starter. I do think he is poised for another strong season, it is hard to think of many quarterbacks with more of a pedigree and track record than Murray in college football today.

1) Teddy Bridgewater (junior) Louisville

The Cardinals' signal caller is a relative unknown to the casual college football fan, but many analysts feel he is poised to have a breakout 2013 season, myself included. The Louiville quarterback quietly threw for 3718 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2012 with little fanfare in the Big East, highlighted by many with his Willis Reed like performance off the bench (with a sprained wrist/ankle) against Rutgers, leading the Cardinals to a comeback 20-17 win to earn Louisville a Sugar Bowl berth where he lead his team to a 33-23 victory over the highly favored Florida Gators and completed 62.5% of his passes for 266 yards against one of the better defensive units in the country, and easily the best team they played in 2012. One of the most over-used and hardest to explain qualities in a quarterback is leadership ability, and Bridgewater displays that in every aspect. It also helps that this kid can flat out sling it. As a sophomore he improved drastically on his decision making, and this showed on the field. After throwing a little over 2100 yards as a freshmen, in 2012, his first full year as a starter, he threw for close to 3800 yards. I truly feel that he can be a true breakout player in 2013 and is a very likely candidate for Heisman frontrunner in 2013, despite the conference he plays in not being among the highest quality in many peoples eyes, myself included.

- Josh Gamez

@itsjoshgamez

josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

Everett Golson out at Notre Dame

Everett Golson, who was going into only his sophomore year at Notre Dame, is no longer enrolled in the school. Last year Golson led the Fighting Irish to the National Championship, and an undefeated regular season. This year, he will not play for Brian Kelly's team.

Notre Dame has confirmed that Golson is no longer enrolled there, citing an academic violation.

Notre Dame senior Tommy Rees will take the snaps for the Fighting Irish this upcoming season. Rees isn't a stranger to the starting QB job. He has led Notre Dame to many victories in the past few years, passing for over 4,400 yards and 34 touchdowns.

However, Golson brought a dual-threat aspect to the field that will be missed when Rees takes the reigns as starting quarterback. It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame does with Rees as starter. It will also be interesting to see where Everett Golson finds himself playing next.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

Former Arkansas QB Brandon Mitchell Considering 5 Schools

Former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Mitchell has added another school to the list of schools he may possibly be transferring to. The Michigan Wolverines.

Mitchell, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 239 pounds, has appeared in 21 college football games with only three starts under his belt. He has thrown for a little over 300 yards with two touchdowns. He has rushed for 75 yards and also two touchdowns. He has also caught 17 passes for a total of 272 yards.

This dual-threat athlete could be used many different ways at Michigan, although Devin Gardner seems to have the starting QB role all to himself. Brandon is also considering UAB, where he has a close relationship with coach Garrick McGee. He is also contemplating transferring to NC State, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State.

I believe every school he is considering could definitely benefit from having Mitchell's presence on their team. It's only a matter of time before we find out where he'll be going.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

Can Brady Hoke Lead the Wolverines to the Big Ten Title in 2013?

After three abismal years as Rich Rodriguez as their head coach, the Michigan Wolverines were delighted to announce Brady Hoke as their new head coach back in 2011. In said year, Hoke lead the Wolverines to a 11-2 record and a Sugar Bowl victory against Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech Hokies. In Hoke's first year as Michigan head coach, he not only accomplished these things, but also led Michigan to it's first victory over Ohio State since 2003.

Can Brady Hoke lead the Wolverines to a B1G Title?

After a very successful first year, Hoke led Michigan to an 8-5 record in 2012, and a close Outback Bowl loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Unfortunately for Michigan fans, Michigan yet again lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes, and also the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But Hoke's record in the Big House is still perfect.

In 2013 Michigan will be looking for Brady Hoke to lead the Wolverines to their first Big Ten Title since 2004 when they split the title with the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, Michigan not only lost one of their most electric players in Michigan history, Denard Robinson, but lost quite a few key players as well. Wide receiver Roy Roundtree, defensive end Craig Roh, center Elliott Mealer, defensive tackle Will Campbell, linebacker Kenny Demens, and strong safety Jordan Kovacs are just a few of the key players Michigan will be without in 2013.

There is quiet a few positives to look at however for the Michigan Wolverines. Devin Gardner has seemed to prove that he not only can scramble with the best of them, but also has an arm that any quarterback would be lucky to have. Although Denard Robinson was a huge playmaker, Gardner seems to have the arm to be able to put the ball exactly where the receiver needs it, unlike Denard. And to assist Gardner will be senior Jeremy Gallon, Jerald Robinson and sophomore tight end Devin Funchess, who came down with some great catches last season.

Fitzgerald Toussaint will look to come back this year after breaking his leg in a game against Iowa last season. He will lead the stable of running backs that Michigan is equipt with, such as Thomas Rawls, Dennis Norfleet and Justice Hayes.

Monster linebacker Jake Ryan tore his ACL in sprint practice.

On defense Michigan has seemed to play quite well, being led by Greg Mattison, who many believe is a defensive genius. Demond Morgan, Courtney Avery and Thomas Gordon will be a few of the names that you'll see wreak a little havoc on the other side of the ball for the Wolverines. Michigan will look for Joe Bolden and Cam Gordon to step up in the linebacker roles since Jake Ryan tore his ACL during spring practice.

Michigan's schedule does have a few speed bumps in it. On September 7th Michigan will host Notre Dame, and look to defeat their rival who beat them last season in South Bend. On October 12th Michigan will travel to Happy Valley to face Penn State (lead by 2012 Project CFB Coach of the Year Bill O'Brien). Michigan also plays rival Michigan State in East Lansing, immediately followed by hosting the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big House. Michigan will go on the road to take on Northwestern and Iowa following that, then wrap the regular season up on November 30th to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big House, for what everyone knows as "The Game".

Michigan's chances of an undefeated season are very small. However, having a few key players really step up in these big games, could make all the difference between a 6-6 season, and a 8-4 or 9-3 season! Could Brady Hoke lead the Wolverines to a Big Ten Title in his third year as head coach in Ann Arbor? He very well could. But he needs to have his boys play the best they play against the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan State, Nebraska and of course their bitter rival Ohio State Buckeyes.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

Can Virginia Tech Win the ACC Championship in 2013?

Coming off a disappointing 2012 campaign, head coach Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech Hokies look to have a bounce back season in 2013 and make a run at the ACC Coastal Division crown and an ACC Championship in 2013. The Hokies, who prior to 2012 had a streak of 14 seasons of 8 or more wins, had a 7-6 2012 campaign, which culminated in a 13-10 overtime victory over Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Going into 2013 the Hokies are led by extremely talented, yet extremely eratic quarterback, Logan Thomas. Thomas had a very up and down 2012 season, throwing for close to 3,000 yards and 18 touchdown passes, to go along with 524 rushing yards, and 9 rushing touchdowns, including a 73 yarder against Miami. But he also threw 16 interceptions and completed only 51.3% of his passes. The Hokies rushing attack is slated to be lead by sophomore tailback J.C Coleman who rushed for close to 500 yards and scored 2 touchdowns as a freshmen. Senior Tony Gregory will also be looking to contribute on the ground as well. Unfortunately, Thomas lost his top 2 receiving options in Corey Fuller and Marcus Davis, the top leading option in the passing game returning is sophomore Demitri Knowles who hauled in 19 passes for 240 yards. including a 42 yard touchdown. The Hokies also bring back tight end Ryan Malleck who hauled in 17 passes for a mere 128 yards. Virginia Tech will be mainly relying on young players at the wide receiver position to step up and fill the void on the outside.

On the defensive side of the ball, leading tackler Jack Tyler looks to lead the Hokies defensive unit along with fellow linebacker Kyshoen Jarrett who was 2nd on the team in tackles.The defensive backfield is expected to be led by cornerbacks Detrick Bonner and Kyle Fuller. The defense, historically has been a strong point of Beamer's teams has an up and down season in 2012 but by the end of the season the unit was among the better units in major college football.

From a schedule standpoint, the Hokies could not start the season with a bigger test. They open the season with two time defending national champion Alabama in a nationally televised night game. After facing the Tide, the Hokies take on Western Carolina in the home opener on September 7th and then face East Carolina on September 14th and Marshall on the 14th of September before opening ACC play with a road trip to Bobby Dodd Stadium to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on September 26th. After facing the Yellow Jackets, the Hokies wont leave Lane Stadium for he entire month of October as they host North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Duke before hitting the road to take on Boston College on November 2nd. After facing the Eagles, the Hokies will head down south to take on the Miami Hurricanes before hosting Maryland in the home finale. The Hokies finish the season with cross state rival Virginia on November 30th.

If the Hokies have any hopes of making a run at an ACC championship Thomas needs to have a season similar to his sophomore season where he completed close to 60% of his passes and threw 6 less interceptions than 2012. If Gregory and Coleman can produce on the ground, it should make things a little easier on Thomas in the passing game who in 2011 had 2011 ACC offensive player of the year in the backfield with him in running back David Wilson  who single handedly out produced the entire Hokies backfield in 2012 on his own in 2011. Logan Thomas has all the physical tools to be a dominant player in the ACC this season and potentially be in consideration for the Heisman Trophy in 2013. This might sound a little crazy especially considering his inconstancy as a passer over the last 2 seasons, but when he is on his game, he is as good as any quarterback in the country, if he can string together a few strong performances through the air and on the ground, he can bring the Hokies back into the forefront of the ACC. However, if he will remains to be seen. Especially with their two biggest tests in the ACC in my eyes coming on the road in Georgia Tech and Miami respectively. If Thomas and the young talent around him play up to their potential, I could at the very least see Beamer back into the discussion as the best team in the ACC in 2013.

- Josh Gamez

@itsjoshgamez

josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

A Brief History of the Auburn Toomer Oak Trees

Traditions are one of the biggest parts of what many of us love about college football. Among the more historic and more well known, especially in SEC country, involves the Toomer Oak Trees at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in Auburn, Alabama and has always been a major part of the Auburn football lore. Hanging over the corner of Magnolia and College Street are two massive oak trees that after many major causes for celebration, the War Eagle faithful decorate the two large trees with toilet paper which has came to be known as rolling Toomer's or rolling the corner. This tradition was started when Toomer's Drug Store, located on the same corner as the two massive oak trees, that had the only telegraph in the entire city would alert the townspeople of a road win by tossing the ticker tape from the telegraph over the nearby power lines  This has been a tradition among the Auburn fans since the early 1980s.

Originally the rolling Toomer tradition was solely reserved for football celebrations, but recently the

celebration has expanded to anything positive regarding Auburn, be it athletic or otherwise. Toomer's corner has become a popular pre-game rally position for both home and away contests.

In January of 2011, a local radio show was alerted by a caller that he personally poisoned the two trees with Spike 80DF, which is a very potent herbicide, some were worried about not only the trees themselves but the potential effects the herbicide had on the Auburn water supply as well. This tree poisoning garnered national attention when it was featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Roll Tide/War Eagle" diving deep into the heated Alabama/Auburn football rivalry. The caller to the Paul Finebaum Radio Network identified himself as "Al from Dadeville."

After investigation, the Auburn police took Harvey Updyke Jr, a resident of Dadeville, Alabama (and controversially a life long Alabama Crimson Tide fan) into custody and was charged with class C criminal mischief  which classifies as a felony in the state of Alabama. He could face up to 5 years in prison for the poisoning of the trees, on top of the two he has already served.

Despite efforts to save the trees, it came out that the trees could not be saved and had to be cut down. After being cut down on April 23rd, the Oaks have been made into several different mementos available for purchase commemorating the history of the trees, with all proceeds going towards a a specialized scholarship fund.

- Josh Gamez

@itsjoshgamez

josh.projectcfb@gmail.com