Don’t be mad at Jarrett Stidham being ranked No. 83, be mad SI put these SEC QBs ahead of him

Some publications expect Auburn to be a Top 10 team when the preseason rankings arrive.

Why?

Jarrett Stidham is a big reason (so is that salty Kevin Steele front seven).

So why would Sports Illustrated rank Stidham as the 83rd-best player in its list of Top 100 players for the 2018 season?

Let’s first make something clear: Being considered the No. 83 player in college football is not a bad thing. When you look at the numbers in the SEC alone, you realize how big a task it is to whittle down this list to just 100. If you take 85 scholarship players for each of the 14 SEC teams, you get 1,190 players. Take the 22 starters for all 14 teams and that’s 308 players. And that’s just the SEC.

But where Auburn fans should take offense is where Stidham ranks among college quarterbacks:

83. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
80. Shea Patterson, Michigan
76. Jordan Ta’amu, Ole Miss
65. Jake Fromm, Georgia
61. Justin Herbert, Oregon
41. Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
33. Drew Lock, Missouri
22. Will Grier, West Virginia
15. Trace McSorley, Penn State
13. McKenzie Milton, UCF
4. Khalil Tate, Arizona

That places Stidham fifth among SEC quarterbacks.

Let that sink in — fifth in the SEC.

And really sixth because Patterson’s ranking is based on what he did at Ole Miss. If Patterson stayed at Ole Miss, there was no guarantee he would have prevented Ta’amu from keeping the starting job. So that’s essentially two Ole Miss QBs ahead of Stidham. The Rebels were 6-6 last season.

It also should be noted that Alabama sophomore Tua Tagovailoa is right behind Stidham at No. 84 and Jalen Hurts — remember he passed for 2,081 yards, 17 TDs, one pick and ran for another 855 yards — did not make the list.

But let’s look at each SEC QB in front of Stidham:

* Patterson (80): Patterson transferred to Michigan where he might have great success. He arrived in Oxford with incredible hype. At times, he looked the part. Sure, he threw for 346 yards against Auburn last season — the Tigers won 44-23. But Auburn led 35-3 at halftime and went through the motions in the second half while Patterson boosted his numbers with a late barrage of pass plays. He was 14 for 29 with 2 interceptions in a 66-3 loss to Alabama the following week. Ranking verdict: Should be behind Stidham.

Ta’amu (76): He’s no doubt talented. He threw for 1,682 yards (66.5 completion percentage) with 11 TDs and 4 interceptions in 2017. He lost his first start 38-37 to a bad Arkansas team. He threw for 382 yards and 4 TDs — including the game-winner with 7 seconds left at Kentucky. He also beat Louisiana (not LSU) at home, lost to Texas A&M on the road and beat Mississippi State after the Bulldogs lost QB Nick Fitzgerald early in the game to a leg injury. Bottom line: Ta’amu rolled up impressive numbers, but hasn’t faced a ranked team yet. Ranking verdict: Should be behind Stidham.

Fromm (65): Georgia fans could argue Fromm should be ranked higher, too. The freshman was sensational taking over for Jacob Eason in Week 1. He played game manager until the Bulldogs needed him and then he made plays. Stidham outplayed him in the Tigers’ 40-17 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium and then Fromm got the best of Stidham in the SEC Championship Game rematch. Ranking verdict: Should be about even with Stidham.

Fitzgerald (41): This is a tough one. Fitzgerald is a dynamic talent. Aside from Jalen Hurts and Tagovailoa at Alabama, he’s the best dual-threat QB in the SEC. But a horrific leg injury vs. Ole Miss ended his season a year ago. He played lights out in wins against LSU, BYU and Texas A&M, but the three best teams he faced — Auburn, Georgia, Alabama — contained him. I’d feel better ranking Fitzgerald this high if he wasn’t coming off an injury and had a better win under his belt (although the LSU rout was impressive). Ranking verdict: Should be about even with Stidham.

Lock (33): The Missouri slinger is talented. He threw for 3,964 yards last season with 44 TD passes and 13 interceptions. But in games against the four best teams Mizzou played (all losses vs. South Carolina, Auburn, Georgia, Texas), he completed 53.8 of his passes with 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Lock did garner first-team All-SEC honors last season, so it’s understandable why he gets top billing among SEC QBs. But is he the 33rd-best player? Is he better than Stidham? Ranking verdict: Should be slightly higher than Stidham.

As for Stidham’s credentials: He’s the second quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards at Auburn and the first to return (Dameyune Craig threw for 3,277 as a senior in 1997). Stidham had 3,158 passing yards last season, completed 66.5 percent of his throws with 18 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. His resume includes wins against two No. 1 teams (Georgia and Alabama) in which he completed 72.5 percent of his throws with 3 TDs and no interceptions. He also picked up second-team All-SEC honors last season.

With a healthy non-throwing shoulder, a year under his belt with offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and an array of talented pass-catchers, expectations point to bigger and better things in 2018 for Stidham. But if a Top 100 list in June has you bent out of shape, that’s OK. But don’t let it bother you too much.

But four quarterbacks in the SEC better than him … ?

Like he did in 2017, Stidham will get his chance to show the fault in this ranking.