Harper, Not Ryan, is ACC's Best
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by Happyskinny
An article a few weeks ago suggested that it was too late to jump on the Matt Ryan bandwagon. Was it actually too early? Ryan might not even be the best quarterback in the ACC.
Matt Ryan and Cullen Harper could not be more different. Ryan is a three year senior starter. Harper is a first year starter as a junior who had previously only attempted 22 passes. Ryan has been touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate most of this season. Harper on the other hand has flown under the radar, just trying to win the starting quarterback job. Last year when Will Proctor struggled at quarterback, people wondered why Harper was not inserted into the starting lineup. They believed that if he was good enough to play, he should have been playing last season.
Prior to the start of this season, everyone expected, and many hoped that incoming freshman blue chip quarterback recruit Willy Korn would be the starter for Clemson. However, Harper won the job outright and he thought he had silenced the critics. Little did he know that early on in the season against Furman, the fans would be chanting "We Want Korn!". When Korn came in that game after a big lead, he was greeted with a standing ovation. At that point, Harper had to have been wondering what else he had to do to prove that he should be the one leading this team.
Harper no longer needs to worry. So far this season Harper has thrown for 2432 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. He has completed 214 of 322 attempts at a 66.5 completion percentage. He has already broken many Clemson passing records including the single game touchdown mark, and he already has broken the single season touchdown mark. His competition, Ryan, has thrown for 3269 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has completed 276 of 465 attempts at a 59.4 completion percentage. Some will look just look at Ryan's yards, but he has attempted almost 150 more passes than Harper.
Harper has proven that he belongs, and this weekends game at Clemson in Death Valley will really go a long way in determining the ACC's best. I hope Ryan isn't still thinking about the last time he came to Clemson:
