What if? Would any Oklahoma quarterback have been an all-time SEC great?

Regarding the Big 12's all-time greats, most player selections arguably would have been Sooner players. Greats like Adrian Peterson, Kyler Murray, Brian Bosworth, etc... would have filled the all-time greatest Big 12 players list. But now the Big 12 is a thing of the past, and the SEC is who we are now. So, hypothetically speaking, how do the Sooners stack up historically with the SEC?

For anyone who did not already know, the SEC is good at just about everything. The conference holds the most national titles, first-round draft picks, and most college football playoff appearances and has some of the game's greatest all-time players. It is difficult to rank the SEC's greatest all-time quarterbacks, but if I had to give it a shot, i would rank them as follows:

1. Tim Tebow - Florida Gators

Tebow was a three-time All-SEC selection, a 2008 national champion, and the 2007 Heisman trophy winner. Tebow is still the highest-rated passer in SEC history and is considered among many to be one of the greatest college quarterbacks ever.

2. Peyton Manning - Tennessee Volunteers

Manning holds every Tennessee passing record and has the 4th most passing touchdowns in SEC history. He finished inside the top of the Heisman voting three times (8th as a Sophomore, 3rd as a Junior, and 2nd as a Senior). Manning went on to be selected as the first-overall pick in the 98' NFL draft, where he went on to have a first-ballot Hall of Fame pro career.

3. Cam Newton - Auburn Tigers

Although Cam only played one full season in the SEC, his greatness is unquestioned. During his 2010 campaign, he set the SEC's all-time single-season passer rating record (182.0), won the Heisman, and beat Oregon for Auburn's first national championship. Cam was the epitome of an unstoppable force at the quarterback position.

4. Danny Wuerffel - Florida Gators

Wuerffel led the nation in total touchdowns in 1995 and 1996. He also won the SEC title four years in a row, the 1996 national title, two Davey O'Brien awards, a Maxwell award, and the 1996 Heisman trophy.

5. Joe Burrow - LSU Tigers

Joey B is the only quarterback in SEC history to throw for 40 touchdowns and 4,000 yards. In fact, he threw for 50 and 5,000... Like Newton, Burrow only had one dominant season in the SEC, but it ended with a national championship, a Maxwell, and the Heisman in 2019. His 2019 LSU Tigers are considered to arguably be the best college football team of all-time.

6. Tua Tagovailoa - Alabama Crimson Tide

Tua won the Maxwell, the SEC Player of the Year award, and the 2017 CFP National Championship. He led Alabama's dynasty for three seasons, nearly breaking every Alabama passing record. He only played in 32 games, but he had 87 passing touchdowns and a conference-record passer rating of 199.4 - a conference record.

7. Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M Aggies

Manziel was a giant killer. In 2012, he became the first freshman to win the Heisman trophy. He had two consecutive great seasons at A&M, where he was responsible for 47 and 46 touchdowns, which rank in the top-5 of the SEC's all-time records.

8. Steve Spurrier - Florida Gators

Spurrier won the 1966 Heisman trophy after leading his Gators for three dominant years. During his career at Florida, he had 4848 passing yards, 36 passing touchdowns, and a passer rating of 123.7. He eventually went on to be inducted into the college football hall of fame, and, in 2016, the University of Florida renamed their stadium 'Steve Spurrier - Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium' after the legendary player & coach.

9. Bryce Young - Alabama Crimson Tide

Young's 2021 season with the Crimson Tide was one of the best seasons in SEC history. Following the 2021 season, Young received the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award, the Davey O'Brien, Maxwell, and Heisman trophies. All this after he was a part of Alabama's 2020 national championship squad.

10. Aaron Murray - Georgia Bulldogs

Murray is the SEC's all-time leader in completions, attempts, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. During all four years in Athens, Murray passed for over 3,000 yards. He's only #10 because his Georgia teams were 36-18 overall and 1-3 in bowls.

Do any Sooner QBs qualify?

Yes. How many is the real question. Here are the 5 Oklahoma quarterbacks that we will discuss and you tell me how many qualify.

1. Baker Mayfield

808 completions (69.8%) for 12,292 passing yards and 119 passing touchdowns. Career passer rating of 189.4. Also ran for 893 yards and 18 touchdowns. 2017 Heisman, Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O'Brien, AP Player of the Year, and Manning award winner. 2-time Big 12 Player of the Year and 3-time first-team All-Big 12. 2nd in school history for passing yards and passing touchdowns. First overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

2nd in school history for passing yards and passing touchdowns.

2. Kyler Murray

278 completions (69.8%) for 4,720 yards and 45 passing touchdowns. Passer rating of 203.3. Also had 1,143 rushing yards and 12 scores. Won the 2018 Heisman, AP Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien, and Manning Award. 2018 First-team All-American and All-Big 12. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, where he won the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year and 2 Pro Bowl selections so far.

3. Sam Bradford

604 completions (67.6%) for 8,403 passing yards and 88 passing touchdowns. Career passer rating of 175.6. Won the 2008 Heisman, Davey O'Brien, Sammy Bough, and AP Player of the Year award. 2008 consensus first-team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, where he went on to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Bradford finished his pro career with 19,449 passing yards, 103 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 84.5.

4. Landry Jones

Oklahoma's all-time passing leader in touchdowns (123), yards (16,646), and attempts (2,183). He also won the 2010 Sammy Bough Award.

5. Jason White

627 completions (63.3%) for 7,922 yards and 81 passing touchdowns. Career passer rating of 152.7. 2003 Heisman, Davey O'Brien, and AP Player of the Year award. 2004 Maxwell, Davey O'Brien, Johnny Unitas award winner. 2000 National Champion. 2-time Big 12 Player of the Year and 2003 consensus All-American.

So, do any of them qualify? The stats, awards, and wins are there; the only thing missing is the number of national titles. However, Murray, Manziel, and Manning never won one either. Landry Jones ranks 3rd all-time in NCAA history for passing yards, and Baker ranks 10th. These marks are better than every quarterback on the SEC top-10 list. Baker and Landry also outrank everyone on that list for career passing touchdowns. Baker ranks 3rd in total touchdowns responsible for in NCAA history with 153. The closest name on that list is Tebow, who had 145 and ranked 12th.

Let us know what you think. Is the top 10 way off? Should another Sooner be considered? Maybe Heupel or Gabriel? Do any of the Sooners qualify? Do they all qualify? Who replaces who? Let us know as we continue down the past of looking at former Sooner greats in comparison to their SEC positional counterparts.