The first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff is over, and boy, howdy, were those games underwhelming. They were so bad -- HOW BAD WERE THEY? -- they were so bad that it led to every talking head in the college football universe complaining and arguing about the format with some even saying wins aren't that important.
It angered me a lot. It sounds like a lot of people want to pick a playoff format and field based on nothing but vibes, and that's encroaching on my territory. Vibes are for the QB Power Rankings only.
All you yammering yokels leave them to me. Stick to hypothetical results!
Anyway, as we say farewell to wonderful campus atmospheres and hello to sterile NFL stadiums, let's see how our latest QB Power Rankings stack up ahead of the quarterfinals.
| 1 | 
Dillon Gabriel
Oregon Ducks QB
|
| Gabriel and the Ducks were able to chill at home and watch the action unfold, but there's no time to relax this week. It's a rematch against Ohio State, and the Buckeyes will look to limit Gabriel after he threw for 341 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns in the first meeting. (Last Week: 1) | |
| 2 | 
Will Howard
Ohio State Buckeyes QB
|
| It was easy to say Ohio State should've thrown the ball more in the loss to Michigan -- I know because I said it, too -- but there are two sides to the story. You can't just call more pass plays; you need your quarterback to execute. Howard did that in a frigid Ohio Stadium on Saturday night. He dropped some absolute dimes en route to 311 yards passing while completing 24 of his 29 attempts. This week, he'll get a chance at redemption following his late-game gaffe in Eugene earlier this season. (7) | |
| 3 | 
Drew Allar
Penn State Nittany Lions QB
|
| I'm willing to bet Drew Allar will enjoy the indoor, temperature-controlled environment of the Fiesta Bowl more than he did in the weather conditions at home against SMU. It's important to remember northern teams don't play home games in late December, either! Allar never looked very comfortable in the win over SMU and completed only 14 of his 25 passes for 136 yards and no touchdowns. (3) | |
| 4 | 
Riley Leonard
Notre Dame Fighting Irish QB
|
| Leonard wasn't spectacular in the 27-17 win over Indiana, but he was efficient. He completed 23 of his 32 passes but averaged only 6.3 yards per attempt and rushed for only 30 yards on 11 carries. Some of that is skewed by the Irish closing up shop for much of the second half when the game was clearly in hand. (4) | |
| 5 | 
Quinn Ewers
Texas Longhorns QB
|
| You know what quarterbacks love? An effective run game, and Ewers had the pleasure of having one against Clemson. The Longhorns tore the Tigers apart on the ground, allowing Ewers to pick his spots. He finished with only 202 yards but averaged 8.4 yards per attempt. (9) | |
| 6 | 
Sam Leavitt
Arizona State Sun Devils QB
|
| Leavitt was fantastic for the Sun Devils over the back half of the season, but while he had plenty of outstanding games, the Sun Devils might need an even better one this week. Texas has a stout run defense that will make life tough on Cam Skattebo, so it's hard to imagine Arizona State wins this game without Leavitt making plays in the passing game. (5) | |
| 7 | 
Maddux Madsen
Boise State Broncos QB
|
| Madsen is in a similar situation as Arizona State's Sam Leavitt. Both got to this point thanks primarily to outstanding running backs leading their offense, but now that we're in the playoff, both will have to step up and deliver if their teams want to pull off upsets and move onto the semifinals. (10) | |
| 8 | 
Gunner Stockton
Georgia Bulldogs QB
|
| There's nothing positive about Georgia losing Carson Beck in the SEC Championship Game, but the silver lining of earning the bye is it gave the Dawgs more time to work Stockton in as the starter in practice. His first career start will not be an easy one; the Notre Dame defense he'll be going against is one of the best in the country. (12) | |
Banished to the offseason abyss: Kurtis Rourke, Indiana; Kevin Jennings, SMU; Cade Klubnik, Clemson; Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
