I dare anybody to leave AJ McCarron off this list. IMO, if NCs matter the most, he's the best QB in Bama history.
Think the same would have to be true of Joe Namath and Ken Stablers fame.
Yeah, you're probably right. But I do wonder what kind of stats those two would put up if they were playing today. Tua attempts more passes in 3 games than Stabler did in an entire season.
No doubt this is true some years, but ironically, Tua proved the theory true, finally.
Stats have to be viewed in context: Namath and Stabler were great college passers for their day. According to some, Dixie Howell and Don Hutson were the first to incorporate route-running, aka, "pass-patterns", into the passing game. Harry Gilmer was nationally famous for the jump pass. All of these along with Pooley Hubert have to be considered as candidates. The game has changed so much in all big time sports: the athletes are so much better trained, work longer, harder and more intelligently, so there is little comparison to just 15 years ago. If not viewed in relation to contemporaries, few athletes just 15 years and back, in any big time sport, would compare to today's competitors. Also, the passing game was predominantly long downfield throws, far fewer attempts, QBs called their own plays, WRs were nothing like today, etc. QBing is just very different. And of course QBing and winning is so dependent on coaching, teammates and competition. It's also much more than passing.
Then you would have your obvious 3 (Joe, Kenny, and AJ) with two that people fight over. To me the two others would probably be and of Rutledge, Tua, Bart, or Brodie Croyle.
