CFB: Who is the greatest Quarterback of the 21st Century? 2000-2005
Part one of this series outlined the parameters of selecting the greatest Quarterback of the 21st century. You can find those here.
Now is time to pick the Quarterback from the 2000-2005 era:
2000-2005:
Candidates: Carson Palmer of USC, Jason White of Oklahoma and Matt Leinart of USC
Palmer: 2002 was the year that kicked off a six-year USC dynasty and it all started with Carson Palmer. Palmer threw for over eleven thousand yards and seventy-two touchdowns during his USC career which were school records at the time. The highlight of Palmer’s career was a 2002 Heisman trophy and a Rose Bowl victory over Iowa. In the rich history of USC football Palmer often gets overlooked due to the lack of National Championship on his resume, but starting a dynasty is an outstanding feat.
Leinart: Following Palmer at USC is his competition for the best collegiate quarterback from 2000-2005. If you could design a quarterback to go to USC it would be Leinart. Born and raised in California, movie star good looks, cannon for an arm. While at USC he broke multiple school records (Matt Barkley would later surpass them), won multiple National Championships and easily regarded as one of the best in school history. In his three years has a starter he lost twice….TWICE!, threw for over 3300 yards and at least 28 touchdowns every year (In 2005 he threw for only 28 touchdowns…..shame on him…..)
White: The early 2000s in College Football was starting to undergo a seismic scheme change and it started in Norman Oklahoma. The Sooners took the spread offense that was in the infancy stages, added a no-huddle element, threw in some athletes and created a Video game offense that would carry Oklahoma to several National Championship game appearances throughout the decade. White spearheaded this revolution with his 2003 season throwing for 3800 yards and forty touchdowns. His touchdown to interception ratio was a mind-boggling 4-1. What hurts White’s legacy has a quarterback in the back to back losses in the National Championship games including a 55-19 beatdown at the hands of Leinart’s Trojans.
So, who wins?
National Champion, Heisman, leaders of one of the greatest teams of all time.
Matt Leinart.
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