College Football: Ranking The Pac-12 QB’s
By Jason Gold
Nov 16, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion (4) makes a pass during the second half of the game against Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. The Devils defeated the Beavers 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Mannion had one of the most underrated 2013 seasons of any QB in college football, likely because he plays in the shadow of Eugene and the Nike factory the Ducks have created. Mannion, who will be in his 4th year as starting QB at Oregon State, threw for more than 4,600 yards last season and had 37 touchdowns.
There is now doubt that Mannion will miss top wideout Brandin Cooks, but he should be more familiar with his other top targets and will likely turn over the ball less then last season.
The knock on Mannion is that he throws a ton of interceptions, 15 last year, and gets sacked a bunch, 25 times in 2013. He will need to be quicker with his decisions this year and be more accurate with those decisions. It’s a lot to ask, but Mannion is a senior and should be up to the challenge. He may be a Heisman sleeper if Oregon State can win 10+ games.