WHO IS THE MAN AT THE QB POSITION IS WEEKEND?

does either team really have an edge...
McCarron thrives in big games
Murray has the bigger arm

       Some people like Chevys and others like Fords. Sometimes picking what or who is best is just a matter of preference.  I think the Aaron Murray vs. A.J. McCarron match-up falls that way for the big SEC Championship game. You ask Georgia fans who the top Dawg is and they'll say Murray. Ask Crimson fans who is the 5,000 lb. Elephant in the Geogia Dome and you'll always hear McCarron. I don't know if it is even possible for an Alabama fan such as myself can honestly make a comparison. With that caveat being stated upfront I'll give it a shot.  First, both are great quarterbacks. Physical ability might fall slightly to Murray. Making the best decisions falls to McCarron.

 

      Murray is a make or break sort of guy. In his biggest 10 games of his career he has won only twice. In McCarron's biggest 10 games of his career he has lost only twice. Of course, we can't put all the winning or losing just on the quarterback. Support cast gets a significant part of what happens. That is where I'm a little confused about Georgia. They continue to have these killer recruiting classes. So does Alabama, but it seems to me that the Tide develops players to a higher level. McCarron is less likely to take big risks or make overt mistakes. He's not perfect, but he is perfect for his offense. Both have big arms. Murray's arm is so strong he will occasionally throw into some places he shouldn't McCarron tends to overthrow some long balls. 

 

        Neither is going to be confused with being a dual threat quarterback. Running on the part of each is never designed (it seems) and is out of necessity. McCarron will rarely hang on to the ball too long, and will throw one in row 20 if need be. Murray is more high risk high reward in his approach. A.J. is more like a surgeon in his approach. He picks his moments and rarely uses bad judgment. I'm not saying that Murray has bad judgement but he does have a high opinion of his ability to make the hard throws. McCarron can also make the hard throws when he has to do so. He rarely has to do so. In the LSU game he pulled himself together and made three great throws to Kevin Norwood. The screen pass to Yeldon killed the Tigers, but the three proceeding throws set the stage. I watched a re-run of the Georgia-Florida game. Murray was horrid in the first half, but he pulled himself together and had a great second half. So both quarterbacks are capable of bringing a team back.

 

        In all honesty, I don't see much that separates the pair. The real question is what happens if both teams find out they can't

run the ball. I think Bama will be able to run effectively but for the sake of argument let's say neither will be able to do so. How can pass the ball the ball to win?  Both can. Which one will tend to make stand up under pressure? I think that's McCarron. I think Murray is a slightly better overall quarterback. So the real question is not who is the best quarterback from a physical standpoint, but rather who is the man who will bring home the win. In my book that is McCarron by a small margin. Call them even, but the supporting cast for McCarron might be better. Murray can seal himself off from the media, but I have to wonder that if you can't stand the pressure of the big stage, can anyone get a standing ovation when the show is over? We'll see on Saturday. I've already made my pick.