Respect for Robinson
Published: 11/20/2007 4:21 PM
Last Modified: 11/20/2007 4:21 PM
Zac Robinson's insertion into the Oklahoma State offensive lineup two weeks into the season was intended to spark a listless attack. Robinson did more than provide a spark.
The OSU quarterback exploded onto the scene and the Cowboys offense has taken off to scale new heights. In the process, Robinson deserves to be recognized among the top quarterbacks in the league.
I found a pair of preseason magazines, Athlon's Big 12 Preview and Lindy's Big 12 Preview, and looked at their preseason position rankings. Here's a breakdown of how each magazine ranked the quarterback position by school in the league. The projected starter at time of publication (late spring) is in parentheses:
Baylor (Blake Szymanski): 12 Athlon; 12 Lindy's
Colorado (Cody Hawkins): 11 Athlon; 11 Lindy's
Iowa State (Bret Meyer): 8 Athlon; 8 Lindy's
Kansas (Todd Reesing or Kerry Meier): 9 Athlon; 10 Lindy's
Kansas State (Josh Freeman): 7 Athlon; 6 Lindy's
Missouri (Chase Daniel): 1 Athlon; 2 Lindy's
Nebraska (Sam Keller): 3 Athlon; 4 Lindy's
Oklahoma (???): 10 Athlon; 9 Lindy's
Oklahoma State (Bobby Reid): 6 Athlon; 7 Lindy's
Texas (Colt McCoy): 2 Athlon; 1 Lindy's
Texas A&M (Stephen McGee): 5 Athlon; 3 Lindy's
Texas Tech (Graham Harrell): 4 Athlon; 5 Lindy's
Now that we are in the final week of the regular season, here are my personal rankings of the Big 12's quarterbacks.
1 tie, Chase Daniel (Missouri) and Todd Reesing (Kansas): No wonder why the Tigers and Jayhawks are in the national title chase. Both have been consistent players every week. The winner of Saturday's showdown will be the All-Big 12 QB in all likelihood.
3, Sam Bradford (OU): The nation's leader in pass efficiency has been a big surprise.
4, Colt McCoy (Texas): Sophomore season has not been as spectacular as his freshman year. McCoy, though, has developed into the Longhorns' leader.
5, Zac Robinson (OSU): Outstanding runner and improving each week as a passer.
6, Graham Harrell (Texas Tech): A product of Mike Leach's pass-happy system. But maybe the best QB Leach has had at Tech.
7, Joe Ganz (Nebraska): Keller was a big-time disappointment before getting hurt. Ganz has been outstanding in his two starts. Why wasn't Ganz starting earlier, Coach Callahan?
8, Josh Freeman (Kansas State): Sophomore slumped this year as have the Wildcats.
9, Stephen McGee (Texas A&M): Another disappointment for another disappointing team.
10, Cody Hawkins (Colorado): Gritty competitor, but has endured growing pains.
11, Bret Meyer (Iowa State): By the end of the year the Cyclones' four-year starter was sharing snaps with Austen Arnaud.
12, Blake Szymanski (Baylor): QBs are judged considerably on results. The Bears went winless in league play.
--- Matt Doyle
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
