Jacob Ramer takes sole possession of first place in local contest

I got a great e-mail question from a member of our reading audience over the weekend and here’s what I was able to find out.

Clint wrote “I know you like answering questions so here's one for you. I ran across this stat on Espn.com, QBR for quarterbacks. I don't know. What is it?"

QBR, which is sometimes abbreviated as Total QBR, stands for Total Quarterback Rating. Developed by ESPN in 2011, QBR is used to measure a quarterback’s performance. The way this stat is computed is complicated but it basically measures the degree to which a signal-caller contributes to his team’s ability to score points and win. To come up with a quarterback’s QBR you have to examine every play in which they’re involved. QBR values range from 0 to 100 with a QBR of 50 considered as average.

Don’t confuse QBR with the better known NFL passer rating statistic, which is another popular measure of a quarterback’s performance. Passer ratings are computed based on a quarterback’s completion percentage, interceptions, passing yardage and touchdowns. In the NFL, a perfect passer rating is 158.3, not 100.

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This past Saturday wrapped up the eighth week of our local ESPN College Football Pick ‘Em Contest, and after the dust settled on Saturday, Jacob Ramer found himself in sole possession of first place.

Ramer, who was one of two contestants tied for the top spot last week, correctly picked the outcomes of all 10 games last Saturday, and he holds a two-point lead over second place Johnny Davis.

Hunter Norris, who was in fourth place last week, moved up to third place. My brother Mark Peacock dropped from third place to fourth place. I retained my spot in fifth place, and Aaron Albritton moved up from seventh place to sixth place.

LaBarin Banks, who was in sixth place last week, dropped to seventh place this week. Sharon Peacock and David Price, who were tied for ninth place last week, were tied for eighth place this week. Travis Presley, who was also in ninth place last week, dropped to tenth place.

With six more weeks to go, there is still a lot of time for everyone out there to make their way into the Top 10. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and a lot can happen in the college football world in the next month and a half.

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There are more than a few good SEC football games on tap for this week, including several rivalry games. Games set for this Saturday include Mississippi State at Alabama, Ole Miss at Arkansas, Texas A&M at Auburn, Florida against Georgia, Kentucky at Missouri, Tennessee at South Carolina and UMass at Vanderbilt.

For what it’s worth, here are my picks for this weekend’s slate of games. I like Alabama over Mississippi State, Arkansas over Ole Miss, Texas A&M over Auburn, Florida over Georgia, Missouri over Kentucky, South Carolina over Tennessee and Vandy over UMass. LSU doesn’t play this week.

Last week: 6-0. So far this season: 56-14.