On championship teams, team goals matter more than individual goals. Saturday's quarterback winner in the Keelon vs. Kamari Show does not have to be the best quarterback in the game. Keelon can outperform Kamari, but it will be no problem if he doesn't, as long as the Crimson Tide wins.
As John Mitchell wrote, an Alabama win would boost the Crimson Tide's Playoff chances. Beating the Bulldogs on the SEC road would give Alabama breathing room to stumble a time or two before the final Playoff rankings.
Crimson Tide fans can focus on team goals and goal expectations for individual Alabama players. Keelon has quickly become one of the SEC's best quarterbacks. Many SEC fans are willing to acknowledge Trinidad Chambliss as the SEC's current best QB. In Bill Connelly's latest Power Four Quarterback Rankings, Keelon Russell is not far behind. As SEC quarterbacks, Ole Miss' Chambliss is No. 1, and Keelon is No. 3. And the SEC's No. 2 is Mississippi State's Kamari Taylor. In the full Power Four rankings, Chambliss is No. 4, Taylor is No. 5, and Russell is No. 7. One spot below Keelon is Georgia's Gunner Stockton at No. 8.
Alabama QB a big rankings mover
The biggest upward movers from Connelly's preseason rankings are Taylor, Russell, and Florida's Aaron Philon. Russell and Philon moved up 21 spots from their preseason rankings. Kamari Taylor moved up a whopping 43 spots.
More than a few SEC teams have quarterback troubles. South Carolina and Texas A&M may be on the brink of cratering because LaNorris Sellers and Marcel Reed have not lived up to expectations. In Connelly's rankings, Reed plummeted from No. 18 to No. 60. Sellers went from No. 25 to No. 49.
Oklahoma's John Mateer dropped 29 spots from No. 19 to No. 48. Auburn's Byrum Brown dropped 25 spots from No. 10 to No. 35. The Texas Longhorns may prevail without Arch Manning being a top quarterback. That is where Arch is now, having dropped from No. 4 to No. 29.
After Saturday, Keelon may jump above Kamari Taylor, but what matters more is an Alabama Crimson Tide win.
Add us as a preferred source on Google