Who was the best college football quarterback of all time?

Fri Sep 4, 2009 5:23 PM EDT

Live Poll

NBCSports.com chose the top 5 college quarterbacks of all time. If you think we got it wrong, then tell us! You can send in your own top 5 and tell us who should have made the list!

Results with 18 short comments
Total of 915 votes - click on the "Display Comments" bar below to sort comments

4.8%

Sammy Baugh - TCU

44 votes

27.3%

Tommie Frazier - Nebraska

250 votes

6.6%

Matt Leinart - USC

60 votes

26%

Tim Tebow - Florida

238 votes

2.5%

Danny Wuerffel - Florida

23 votes

32.8%

Other (Tell us who!)

300 votes

Display Comments:

Other (Tell us who!)

Ken Dorsey, Miami. A coach on the field. 1 Nat'l Champ and 1 stolen. Perhaps the smartest QB ever.

1 vote

- mvgfla

- 2:56 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Tim Tebow - Florida

Peyton Manning and his happy feet was 0 and 4 against the gators in his four years at Rocky Crap. That hillbilly doesn't belong in the tal

- dsmith44444

- 7:00 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Doug Flutie

- 7:07 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Remember a guy named Staubach?

- cetatogirl

- 7:27 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Joe Theismann - Notre Dame & Archie Manning - Ole Miss ..... Both in 1969

1 vote

- David-961039

- 8:29 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Chris Wenke at FSU. Wire-to-wire National Champs, winners over Va Tech and Michael Vick, and a Heisman.

- George-755688

- 8:53 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Peyton Manning just because he was a class act off the field too.

- dancer59

- 8:56 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Doug Flutie

1 vote

- Buster88

- 9:25 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Doug Flutie, Troy Aikman, Jim Plunkett, Steve Spurrier, Bob Greise, the only one on your list that should be their is Sammy Baugh.

1 vote

- Mark-676544

- 9:56 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Joe Namath!
29-4 record at Alabama
Come on, if it's best of all time, it shouldn't focus on the last couple of decades.

1 vote

#10

- Shot a man in Reno...

- 10:16 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Jim McMahon led the nation in passing and total offense in 1980 and '81. His 47 scoring throws in '80 were a NCAA record for 10 years.

#11

- trosen0

- 10:34 pm EDT on Tue Sep 8, 2009

Tommie Frazier - Nebraska

Tim Tebow only quarterback'd one title team. Leak quarterback'd the previous Florida championship. Tebow saw action as his back up.

#12

- Michael -1024323

- 12:04 am EDT on Wed Sep 9, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Jim Plunkett... but it's hard to forget Doug Flutie in that Thanksgiving Friday game so many years ago... one game greatness!

#13

- Texas Giant Fan

- 1:14 am EDT on Wed Sep 9, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

For all time, you need to look at their ENTIRE career. Elway, Marino and Montana need to part of that conversation any day of the week.

1 vote

#14

- NJLatinoFan

- 10:39 am EDT on Wed Sep 9, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Anybody remember a guy named Brees?

#15

- MA-895057

- 12:30 pm EDT on Wed Sep 9, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

Heismans need to be measured according to the talent on their team and the schedule they play to balance out their stats.

#16

- Cygnus_X-1

- 2:51 pm EDT on Wed Sep 9, 2009

Tommie Frazier - Nebraska

No doubt the 3 time national championship MVP, Frazier was the greatest leader at his position.

#17

- Damon-970247

- 4:37 pm EDT on Wed Sep 9, 2009

Other (Tell us who!)

I like Sammy and Tommie, but other than that, I'd have to go with Archie Manning, Jim Plunkett and Joe Namath. They were game changers.

#18

- Eternal Optimist

- 1:55 pm EDT on Thu Sep 10, 2009

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chip-1316577

wow!!!!! who put this wrong list together? they must have only started watching college football in the past decade..... how r u not gonna have any miami hurricanes on the list? when we were called qb u.........

#1 - Mon Sep 7, 2009 3:15 PM EDT

ralph j

Jim Plunkett's senior year at Stanford was the best one year performance I have ever seen. First game of the year, he had Number 1 Oklahoma down 28 to 0 at end of first quarter at Oklahoma. Last game of the year, he dominated Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. In between, an amazing performance. Probably too long ago for any one to take notice today.

#2 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 2:38 AM EDT

Evan Gilchrest

Vince Young single-handidly won two BCS bowl games. In the latter game, he won a National Championship against a much better overall team. Vince Young has done something of which no other quarterback in the history of college football is capable. To me, he is by far the greatest college quarterback ever.

Tebow will probably have the most accoldades and best numbers when it is all said and done. However, Vince Young is simply the more gifted athlete and is/was a better college quarterback than Tebow.

#2.1 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 1:53 PM EDT

Yata-Hey

Now, if Vince (Mr. Young - the second) could only play pro ball...

#2.2 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 9:03 PM EDT

Cygnus_X-1

Don't forget that Vince beat "The Greatest Team of All-Time". It wasn't that USC played bad, or that UT played above itself. Vince single handedly took things into his own hands, and made it happen. Statistically no where near the best ever, or even at UT, but as far being the scariest QB you'd hate to play against, it's VY.

1 vote

#2.3 - Wed Sep 9, 2009 2:46 PM EDT

Green Bay fan

Vince was sooo good in the BCS championship game, he was able to throw a td pass after his knee was down!! What an accomplishment for the greatest head-case ever!!??!!

#2.4 - Sun Sep 27, 2009 6:24 PM EDT

ralph j

#3 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 2:39 AM EDT

Greg-368977

Charlie Ward, FSU

#4 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 10:55 AM EDT

JB21

Greg -- you can't be serious. Only you and Bobby Bowden think that. He was a fine basketball player, but that team he led could've won with any number of quarterbacks. That's like saying David Woodley is an all-time great because he led the loaded Dolphins team to a super bowl.

#5 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 12:38 PM EDT

Bull Gator

How about Steve Spurrier. Heisman Trophy winner (1966), first team All-American (1965 & 1966-unanimous), and MVP of the 1967 Sugar Bowl. He led the Gators to two major bowls, and kicked a game-winning 40-yard field goal against Auburn.

How about Dan Marino, who led Pitt to three 11-1 seasons while passing for 7,905 yards and 74 touchdowns.

How about Stanford's John Elway, finished second in the Heisman voting to Hershel Walker. He passed for 9,349 yards and 77 TDs with the Cardinal including 24 TDs in the 1982 season.

1 vote

#6 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 1:37 PM EDT

dsmith44444

Wuerful should share with Spurrier, Tebow is by far an easy #1 on this list, if you don't believe me, wait 6 months. don't talk about Manning, He never even beat Florida when he was at Tennessee. He got bitch slapped each time he played the gators, so no use in even trying to defend the idea that he belongs, maybe in the top 100 or so, but not five.

#7 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 7:03 PM EDT

dsmith44444

Somebody said Ken Dorsey, HAHAHA.

#8 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 7:05 PM EDT

Ryan267

Having watched Tommie Frazier live during his years at Nebraska I'm happy to see him get the nod at #1. He was incredible to watch and the team in 1995 was completely dominant, so much so that it is often mentioned in discussions of greatest teams ever in any sport. I've never seen a team manhandle a season the way Tommie and the Huskers did in 95, culminating in the 62-24 beat-down of the Gators in the Fiesta bowl. Go Huskers!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 vote

#9 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 7:06 PM EDT

cetatogirl

Remember a guy named Staubach? Wasn't there something about a Heisman and the Hall of Fame?

#10 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 7:30 PM EDT

Aligater

All Steve Spurrier did was win the Heisman trophy, First String All American....he did the punting, kicked the field goals, and extra points........then when eveybody left, he swept out the stadium and started getting ready for the next game..........all this was with no running game and a terrible offensive line...........

Then there was Archie Manning......one of the best quarterbacks ever. Because of his offensive lines both at Old Miss and the Saints, he became one of the best passers ever with defensive linemen hanging all over him........

Babe Parelli.....Johnny Lujack.........Sid Luckman.........Fran Tarkington.....Harry Gilmer.....Joe Montana......Joe Namith.....Bob Griese......Roger Stauback.....Charlie Trippi......Bobby Layne....get lost with your modern ballplayers......maybe you think Evander Holifield could knock out Jack Dempsey or Joe Louis...............maybe you think Andy Pettit could strike out Honus Wagner..........or even Frank "Home Run" Baker........

1 vote

#11 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 7:37 PM EDT

Endy9

You named the wrong Manning. Archie deserves to be on the list. Your list should be titled which QBs played on the best teams, if your only criteria is did the team win the national championship.

#12 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 8:32 PM EDT

Yata-Hey

Agreed!

#12.1 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 8:59 PM EDT

John Pileggi

I am not sure that ANY of your top 5 make my list. What happened to all the great BYU guys? How about Staubach, Montana, Pat Sullivan, Jerry Tagee, Jim Plunkett, Steve McNair, John Elway, Joe Namath, Charlie Ward and Vinny Testaverde?

#13 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 8:41 PM EDT

glicea

Lets get one thing clear..... The media is driving the obsession over Tebow. His team was the best last year with or without him...... His heisman was a joke... anyone could score with running everytime the ball is on the 5 yard line. (Give it to the running back) And he was not even the starter in the 1st national championship game.. Chris Leak was. should Leinart get credit because he sat behind Carson Palmer???? ESPN wants Tebow to win the heisman again, you cant even talk about him without them crusifiying you.

#14 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 8:57 PM EDT

Wayne(NYC)

I suppose Meryl Hogge (did I spell his name right?) was the chief editior of this listing. LOL Anyone with half-a-brain knows that Vince Young is the greatest ever. Tim Tebow has never near-single-handedly taken over a Rose Bowl (or conference equivalent) like VY -- and never will. Have any of you noticed the skinny-toothpick Wunderkind of The U (Miami, FL) named Jacory Harris? Unless he gains 50 pounds, he'll likely suffer broken bones in the NFL. Most college players are half-the-girth of NFL'ers. It's no wonder that college QBs who make it to the NFL face a difficult transition, when their respective NFL coaches let them waste away on the sidelines. What's the point of having 2 backup QB's standing by the fan-cooler when they could be out on the field, making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. Coach Ditka is right, that VY will gain strength between years 4/5 and will then begin to produce more. I mean, by age 32, what QBs can scramble and get 1st Downs on 3rd and 8 -- so VY will have to stay in the pocket and deliver before it collapses. As long as you don't sprint, you can't pull a hamstring. Roethlisberger is probably the only NFL QB who can "take a licking" and "keep on ticking". Anyway... COLT MCCOY, Heisman Winner 2009.

#15 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 10:11 PM EDT

Full Brain with reading retention

Way to completely miss the point of the article titled; Who was the best college football quarterback of all time? Keep your mouth running off topic someplace somewhere else.

#15.1 - Wed Sep 9, 2009 12:31 AM EDT

pmstex

Vince Young was not only the best college QB ever, he may be the best player I have ever seen. Watch two games, the 2005 Rose Bowl v. Michigan and the 2006 Rose bowl v. USC, and tell me there has been a more dominate player in college football. When the great Keith Jackson is speechless over a performance, it must be something special. In the 2006 Rose Bowl he was on the field with Leinart and Bush and was easily the best player.

#16 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 10:35 PM EDT

trosen0

Jim McMahon led the nation in passing and total offense in 1980 and '81. His 47 scoring throws in '80 were a NCAA Division I-A record for 10 years. He also threw for 4,571 yards that season. I don't like any of your choices.

1 vote

#17 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 10:37 PM EDT

Jason-1319933

You made the right pick with Tommie Frazier at #1. He is the Tiger Woods of college football.

1 vote

#18 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 11:03 PM EDT

j4k312

Tim Teb???? Are you kidding me....Florida plays teams like the one this past weekend....no wonder....half the games they play are div 3 or scrub teams.....he wont make it in the pros..but he will win heisman cause its rigged just like the BCS

#19 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 11:31 PM EDT

Padraig1

Just college ball, right? How about Neil Lomax, Portland State Vikings. Take a look at the stats. Seven TD's in a quarter, 91 NCAA records, etc. Yeah, not Div 1, but impressive and a pro to boot.

#20 - Tue Sep 8, 2009 11:52 PM EDT

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