So crap on our current team and coaches to make everything better? That's the Zoo for ya!!!

Mendoza is a 5th year senior.

Maybe just maybe we should all hope and pray Reed stays until he is a 5th year senior.


Perfect Example: Random QB.

QB as a First time, full time starter.: 2,894 yards 57.8 completion percentage, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions

QB as a second year starter and senior.: 5,671 yards 76.3 completion Percentage, 60 touchdowns, 6 interceptions


Its almost like multiple years in a system and experience make a huge difference. Not expecting Reed to make that huge of a jump, but he has a solid base to start from and if he improved his completion percentage and cuts down on the INTs just a bit he will be All-SEC.

Not saying they can't... but that is the bar for Reed in 2026.

(or anyone taking snaps)

Even after a great season, we are still so freaking miserable. This constant chattering about Reed being inaccurate and this and that is so tiring.

I think everybody gets that Reed needs to show improvement next season if we want to win anything next season. For some reason, people think that Reed has reached his ceiling. The guy has only played 1.5 seasons!! I have faith that he's going to take a big leap and be the QB that everyone wants him to be.

jturner181 said:

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Look at the QB Ratings of the past 5 winners...

2026 - Mendoza - 188
2025 - Sayin - 178
2024 - McCarthy - 160
2023 - Bennett - 161
2022 - Bennett - 161

2026 - Reed - 148 with 12 INT's

"Consistency kept him out of the top-tier efficiency"

QB's who have met/exceeded these? Bo Nix (188), Mayfield (199), Murray (199), Tua (199), Burrow (202), Mac Jones (203), Jayden Daniels (208)

Thats the standard... 160+

If you aren't there, or higher, you probably cannot win it all...

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I'm confused on why Sayin' is on there. Didn't Will Howard win in 2025?

HoustonAg2106 said:

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jturner181 said:

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Look at the QB Ratings of the past 5 winners...

2026 - Mendoza - 188
2025 - Sayin - 178
2024 - McCarthy - 160
2023 - Bennett - 161
2022 - Bennett - 161

2026 - Reed - 148 with 12 INT's

"Consistency kept him out of the top-tier efficiency"

QB's who have met/exceeded these? Bo Nix (188), Mayfield (199), Murray (199), Tua (199), Burrow (202), Mac Jones (203), Jayden Daniels (208)

Thats the standard... 160+

If you aren't there, or higher, you probably cannot win it all...

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Joe Burrow in 2018 had a QB Rating of 133. People can improve believe it or not

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Here's hoping...

Speaking of Will Howard, who was his OC/QB coach at KState again? Yes I know the talent difference b/w them and Ohio St, but…

Almost like the team and the coaches have something to do with it....

You're referring to passer rating. QBR is a far superior metric. You want 89+ QBR. Mendoza jumped from 63 to 90.

It can be done, but gonna take S tier coaching for Reed to take the next step

tk for tu juan said:

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Yes I know the talent difference b/w them and Ohio St, but…

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doesn't seem like you do:

Emeka Egbuka
Jeremiah Smith
Carnell Tate
TreVeyon Henderson
Quinshon Judkins
2 first rd OL's

EliteZags said:

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tk for tu juan said:

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Yes I know the talent difference b/w them and Ohio St, but…

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doesn't seem like you do:

Emeka Egbuka
Jeremiah Smith
Carnell Tate
TreVeyon Henderson
Quinshon Judkins
2 first rd OL's

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How does listing names prove I do or do not know the talent difference b/w KState and Ohio St? Just about every fall Saturday I watch college football from 11am to the end of the prime time games. It is pretty easy to see the difference.

Here is a hint, on threads like this when I post images of the stats with the comp% or QB rating boxed, I am joking with the posters that get hyper-focused on just Reed's stats and mistakes.

Ask Justin Jefferson how he REALLY feels about QB McCarthy.

What if I told you Reed threw for 65% against Miami and 20 mph gusts of wind while Mendoza threw for 59% against Miami in a dome

And how many interceptions did Mendoza have?

Look the OG post it right. Marcel HAS TO get more accurate and over the pst 2 seasons, it's effectively the same. But this is also on the coaching staff, which is why I've been so critical of their QB coach hire. We don't need just a warm body, but actually someone who can coach Marcel up to hit AT LEAST 65% of his passes. To reach elite level, he needs to be at 70%, but I'm ok with less if he rushes for 500 yards next year. And if you think I'm pulling that number out of my a$$, go look at Johnny's Heisman numbers.

If they would've used the game plan that they used for LSU against Miami, we probably win the game by more than a touchdown because we would've significantly slowed down their past rush with the zone read.

OldShadeOfBlue said:

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What if I told you Reed threw for 65% against Miami and 20 mph gusts of wind while Mendoza threw for 59% against Miami in a dome

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I never would have believed Reed's completion % without checking. It sure didn't feel like it. The QBR is believable. The number of pass attempts is bordering on unforgivable.

Reed didn't really get much better this year.

His completion % basically stayed the same.
His interception % increased.
His rushing total was down, despite playing far more snaps.

This was despite:

- veteran OL
- better, more dynamic receivers
- easier schedule

He's basically Kellen Mond lite. Not as good at decision making. More evasive runner.

We should have gotten a QB out of the transfer portal.

I defended Reed last year but he seemed to peak against ND this year. Other than that, he looked bad against top teams.

It's one thing to miss on accuracy, but missing by yards on short and mid passes is more than concerning.

If he looks the same early next season, i'd look at bringing in the backup. There are too many people putting everything they have into winning to have a QB that can't maintain a higher level of consistency.

He is Ass My Dude said:

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If he looks the same early next season, i'd look at bringing in the backup. There are too many people putting everything they have into winning to have a QB that can't maintain a higher level of consistency.

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yea that's what'll take us to the next level

OldShadeOfBlue said:

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What if I told you Reed threw for 65% against Miami and 20 mph gusts of wind while Mendoza threw for 59% against Miami in a dome

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And on the whole, Mendoza completed 72% of his passes while Reed completed 62%. He was 64.5% against Oregon in the regular season, 65% against OSU in the BIG10 championship, 87.5% against Alabama, and 85% against Oregon in the playoffs.

Did he have a down game against Miami in completion percentage? Yeah. Did he throw two picks and lose a fumble? No. He also took 3 sacks to Reed's 7. If Reed had thrown the ball away 4 of those times instead instead of taking sacks, he'd be at 59% too.

tk for tu juan said:

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Speaking of Will Howard, who was his OC/QB coach at KState again? Yes I know the talent difference b/w them and Ohio St, but…

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So when a QB transfers from a mediocre team to a REALLY good team his QBR goes up. Interesting.

Jturner181's post is a step off.

Kind of a dumb comparison.

Compare previous seasons and it makes sense

Mendoza and Howard both benefited from being transfer QB's to better teams. They had low QB ratings in the 140 range in the year prior, but it's arguable that was a result of the players they were surrounded by or the offense they were running than their personal abilities. McCarthy had a QB rating of 152 and 155 in the years before. Bennett was a backup in 2020 and took over the starting role in 2021. OP is also incorrect because he had a QB rating of 176.7 in 2021, not 161. Reed has been a consistent mid to upper 140's QB.

OP is mostly correct. If you want to win a championship, you need an accurate passer who can make quick decisions. However, as demonstrated by the improvement of Mendoza and Howard through transferring, a high potential QB can be in wasted in the wrong system or by not having enough talent surrounding them. You can't have a bad OL, poor WR play, or lack a running game and expect your QB to make up for it every game.

HoustonAg2106 said:

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jturner181 said:

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Look at the QB Ratings of the past 5 winners...

2026 - Mendoza - 188
2025 - Sayin - 178
2024 - McCarthy - 160
2023 - Bennett - 161
2022 - Bennett - 161

2026 - Reed - 148 with 12 INT's

"Consistency kept him out of the top-tier efficiency"

QB's who have met/exceeded these? Bo Nix (188), Mayfield (199), Murray (199), Tua (199), Burrow (202), Mac Jones (203), Jayden Daniels (208)

Thats the standard... 160+

If you aren't there, or higher, you probably cannot win it all...

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Joe Burrow in 2018 had a QB Rating of 133. People can improve believe it or not

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'Member when we made fun of the sips for comparing Burrow's 2018 stats to their QB's?
I 'member, and it's just as ****ing ******ed now as it was earlier in the season. It just happens to support the pumper narrative now, so go figure…