Well, well, well – here we are again. Another college football season is in the books….another year of the Heisman Watch here on SoBros Network…a brand new season of the College Football Roundup Podcast….time flies when you’re having fun. But, it does mean it’s time for one of the longest-running time-honored traditions here at SoBros Network, and that is naming the SEC’s most valuable player for the year. What goes into it? Well, I’m glad you asked. It is a completely arbitrary award that I simply decide upon by watching the SEC season unfold and look at candidates that both had stellar seasons from a statistical standpoint -and- meant the most to their team. #Journalism. This year, I think I have to go with Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Matt Corral, who I absolutely do believe was snubbed by the Heisman Trust in selecting who at least gets to go to New York.
Anyway, so why Corral? Well, on the surface, you can point to this special season that Ole Miss had. It’s the first time that they’ve won 10 games in the regular season. The result of that was a berth in the Sugar Bowl against the Baylor Bears in what should be a fantastic match-up of strength vs. strength in that Ole Miss offense against that Baylor defense. And, Corral was at the helm for it all.
You can also point to his stats – he was 3rd in the SEC in passing yards with 3,339 yards, despite throwing the ball a whopping 250 times less than the conference leader, Will Rogers, and 82 times less than Heisman favorite Bryce Young. He threw 20 touchdowns to just four interceptions. His 81.2 QBR was 9th in the entire FBS. His 597 rushing yards was second only to Emory Jones among SEC quarterbacks, and his 11 rushing touchdowns were good for 5th in the conference, and 1st among quarterbacks. He topped 300 yards passing on four different occasions this season, didn’t go a single game without throwing or rushing a touchdown, and had three games scoring at least four touchdowns (with a whopping seven-touchdown game against Tulane).
His style of play was gutsy at times this season, as he played shaken up to narrowly produce wins. But, for me, it really came down to ‘value’ in this imaginary fake made-up award that I literally just decide upon myself as a writer at the end of every SEC season. Ole Miss’ season was defined by the right combination of prolific and experienced quarterback play thanks to Corral, and expert game planning and offensive coaching from Lane Kiffin. But, if you take Corral out of the equation, I don’t think there’s any way Ole Miss has the season they had. That is what this award is all about.
Now, he’s poised to enter the NFL Draft and be among the first quarterbacks off the board. It sure sounds like he or Kenny Pickett could end up being the first signal-caller drafted next spring. I think whoever gets him is going to get a potential franchise caliber quarterback. The criticisms are his deep ball, a couple of mechanical issues, and inconsistent decision-making. I don’t think any of those can’t be cleaned up, and none of them outweigh his intangibles, his production, his experience, or his physical traits and threat as a runner. He’s going to be a starter in the NFL.
Honorable Mentions: It would’ve been easy to pick a number of Alabama guys, namely quarterback Bryce Young. But, the reality is that that team is so deeply loaded with talent that I don’t know how far it falls off without any single member of the team, Young included. That’s not to take away from Young, whose 43 passing touchdowns are absure, but it’s to say that I don’t know, from an impact standpoint, how far ‘Bama falls without him. Same for Will Anderson, who was an outright pass rush fiend, and Jameson Williams, who turned it on a few games into the season and became one of the most explosive players in the conference. Will Rogers led the conference in passing yardage, and really had Mississippi State more competitive than anyone outside of Starkville thought they’d be. And, of course, running back Tyler Badie had a special season for Mizzou, leading the SEC in rushing yards (1,604) and touchdowns (14 – tied with Brian Robinson, Jr.).
PAST HONORS
2013: Tre Mason, Jordan Matthews
2014: Amari Cooper
2015: Derrick Henry
2016: Reuben Foster
2017: Drew Lock
2018: Tua Tagovailoa
2019: Joe Burrow
2020: DeVonta Smith
Catch y’all next season.
If you haven’t already, be sure to go subscribe to the College Football Roundup Podcast, on which Steven McCash and myself break down all the action from the college football world and look ahead to the week to come.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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