Two big lessons from yesterday.

The SEC has a lot of great things going for it right now, but quarterbacking ain’t one of ’em.  Here’s the lists of the current statistical leaders:

PASSING AVG/GAME		Cl	G	Comp-Att-Int	Pct.	Yards	TD	Long	Avg/G
1.	Casey Dick-AR	SR	3	67 – 114 – 4	58.8	831	5	76	277.0
2.	M. Stafford-UG	JR	4	62 – 102 – 0	60.8	919	5	61	229.8
3.	Jevan Snead-UM	SO	4	55 – 102 – 7	53.9	844	6	64	211.0
4.	Chris Smelley-SC	SO	4	74 – 116 – 5	63.8	800	6	34	200.0
5.	J. Crompton-UT	JR	3	56 – 100 – 4	56.0	591	2	48	197.0
6.	Chris Todd-AU	JR	4	61 – 107 – 3	57.0	722	2	58	180.5
7.	Tebow, T.-UF	JR	3	38 – 64 – 0	59.4	489	5	48	163.0
8.	Mike Hartline-UK	SO	3	53 – 93 – 0	57.0	461	2	37	153.7
9.	J. Wilson-UA	SR	4	56 – 94 – 1	59.6	542	5	36	135.5
10.	Wesley Carroll-MS	SO	4	51 – 95 – 6	53.7	528	3	50	132.0

PASS EFFICIENCY		Cl	G	Comp-Att-Int	Pct.	Yards	TD	Long	Effic.
1.	M. Stafford-UG	JR	4	62 – 102 – 0	60.8	919	5	61	152.6
2.	Tebow, T.-UF	JR	3	38 – 64 – 0	59.4	489	5	48	149.3
3.	Jarrett Lee-LS	FR	3	27 – 50 – 2	54.0	382	4	39	136.6
4.	Chris Smelley-SC	SO	4	74 – 116 – 5	63.8	800	6	34	130.2
5.	Jevan Snead-UM	SO	4	55 – 102 – 7	53.9	844	6	64	129.1
6.	Casey Dick-AR	SR	3	67 – 114 – 4	58.8	831	5	76	127.5
7.	Chris Nickson-VU	SR	4	30 – 52 – 0	57.7	292	3	49	123.9
8.	J. Wilson-UA	SR	4	56 – 94 – 1	59.6	542	5	36	123.4
9.	Tyson Lee-MS	JR	3	30 – 45 – 0	66.7	291	0	25	121.0
10.	Chris Todd-AU	JR	4	61 – 107 – 3	57.0	722	2	58	114.3

Let’s put it this way:  right now, statistically speaking, Chris Smelley (yes, that Chris Smelley) is the fourth best quarterback in the SEC.  Or put it this way:  right now, Florida and Georgia have a huge advantage at quarterback over every other school in the conference.

Speaking of Georgia, I went to bed last night thinking exactly about what Matt Hinton posts about here, regarding what the emergence of A. J. Green means for the Georgia offense.

… if Green really is what he looks like from here on: Georgia’s offense is impressively, horrifyingly complete, moreso now than any other point in the Mark Richt administration. Stafford’s never had a true No. 1 receiver, as D.J. Shockley and David Greene before him never had a runner approximating Knowshon Moreno. Saturday night was a full cabinet on full display, and an open invitation to anyone who ever said “just stack the box.”

Admittedly, I’m not horrified by it.  But ask yourself as we hit the 3-4 game mark on the season, which of the conference contenders have the most upside right now on the offensive side of the ball.  I’d argue that the list would consist of three:  Florida is sorting out its personnel at running back, LSU may have found its quarterback and Georgia may have found its balance to Moreno.