Here are the 10 most intriguing QB matchups for 2016, based on game importance, schedule timing and past history:
[h=3]1. CHAD KELLY VS. COOPER BATEMAN[/h]Alabama at Ole Miss, Sept. 17: It wasn’t until last year that Ole Miss had beaten Alabama in back-to-back seasons. That was a matchup of Chad Kelly vs. Cooper Bateman, but it was the only game Bateman started all year for the Tide. Jake Coker took over after the 43-37 loss and Alabama ran the table, winning the SEC and two games in the playoffs to claim another national title. Bateman hasn’t been named the starter yet for 2016, but it’s likely he will be. Kelly is simply the best returning QB in the conference and this mid-September showdown will go a long way in shaping the SEC West race. Can Ole Miss really win three in a row against Bama?
[h=3]2. JOSHUA DOBBS VS. LUKE DEL RIO[/h]Florida at Tennessee, Sept. 24: If this is the year Tennessee finally gets over the hump and wins the SEC East, it will happen because Vols QB Joshua Dobbs plays well enough to snap the Gators’ 11-game winning streak in this heated rivalry. This is Dobbs’ third year as a starter and final chance to beat Florida. Del Rio has a lot of pressure on him to succeed early and this is the biggest game on Florida’s September slate. He has to be good early.
[h=3]3. BRANDON HARRIS VS. COOPER BATEMAN[/h]Alabama at LSU, Nov. 5: LSU hasn’t beaten Alabama the past five games, and if this year is going to be different, LSU’s Brandon Harris will have to play better than he did a year ago, when LSU was 7-0 and No. 2 in the country but then got trounced 30-16 in a game that was nowhere near that close. Harris was just 6-for-19 passing for 128 yards and that won’t cut it. The good news for Tigers fans, though, is that Harris looked good in the spring.
[h=3]4. AUSTIN ALLEN VS. CHAD KELLY[/h]Ole Miss at Arkansas, Oct. 15: One of the bests shootouts last season was between Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly and Austin Allen’s big brother, Brandon. Kelly threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns – and looked like chopped liver compared to Allen, who threw for 442 and six TDs in the Razorbacks’ 53-52 win. Little brother Austin takes over for Arkansas and he’s hoping to pick up where three-year starter Brandon left off. This could be another wild one.
[h=3]5. COOPER BATEMAN VS. JOSHUA DOBBS[/h]Alabama at Tennessee, Oct. 15: Here’s another great game on Oct. 15, and one that could be reprised in the SEC Championship Game in December. The Tide and Vols are the favorites in each division and this annual October matchup should be a classic. (And yes, well aware it should probably be rated higher). The cross-division matchup probably won’t destroy title chances for the loser, but a victory certainly would bolster Tennessee’s chances. The Vols have lost nine straight in the series.
[h=3]6. TREVOR KNIGHT VS. JOHN FRANKLIN III[/h]Texas A&M at Auburn, Sept. 17: This is the first SEC game of the year for both schools, and both are scrambling to be better at the quarterback position in 2016. This is a great barometer game in mid-September for the new quarterbacks. Knight transferred to A&M after graduating from Oklahoma and won the starting job in the spring. Franklin hasn’t won anything yet, but the feeling in Auburn is that he will be the guy in the fall. These two teams will be desperate for conference wins, so neither will want this one to slip away.
[h=3]7. BRANDON HARRIS VS. CHAD KELLY[/h]Ole Miss at LSU, Oct. 22: See Nos. 1 and 3 above, where the likely trio of SEC West heavyweights will likely duke it out for superiority in the division. This race should be all about Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU, so this game should play a huge factor in the race as well. These are the two most experienced QBs in the SEC West and this one will really matter, too. Kelly won the showdown a year ago, and Harris will be looking for paybacks.
[h=3]8. NICK FITZGERALD VS. SOME SOUTH CAROLINA QB[/h]South Carolina at Mississippi State, Sept. 10: This one makes the list because of the unknown factor – and the fear of the unknown. Nick Fitzgerald is stepping into some very big shoes, replacing Dak Prescott at Mississippi State. He’s only had a handful of snaps, so no one really knows what to expect of him and this Week 2 game – the SEC opener for the Bulldogs – is really big. There’s no way to know right now who will start for South Carolina. Two veterans were injured this spring, one left and two young freshmen have a ton of potential. Fall practice will be intense, and winning an early game with be critical.
[h=3]9. JACOB EASON VS. FELEIPE FRANKS[/h]Georgia vs. Florida in Jacksonville, Oct. 29: Ok, so here’s where the massive conjecture comes in. There is no guarantee these two true freshmen will be ready to start at the beginning of the season, though Eason clearly is closer at this point. (It’s why Del Rio gets the call for UF in the September game with Tennessee listed above). But when the annual cocktail party rolls around in Jacksonville at the end of October, it would be great to see these two top recruits begin their rivalry. Let’s hope it happens.
[h=3]10. KYLE SHURMUR VS. DREW LOCK[/h]Vanderbilt at Missouri, Nov. 12: This is a bit of a reach when it comes to high-profile games, but this matchup is included because by mid-November it will be interesting to see how these two sophomores have progressed. Both were thrown into the fire as true freshmen a year ago, and they really struggled. But at the same time, both arrived on campus with nice recruiting resumes and big things are expected of them. Ten games in, it will be interesting to see how they’ve done all season and how close they are to reaching a bowl game.
