Tim Tebow vs. Marcus Mariota: Who Transitions Better to the NFL?
5. Team Success
Advantage: Tim Tebow
Team success is one of the most overrated stats when judging quarterbacks, but it has got to count for something to a degree. And the advantage here has to go to Tebow.
Mariota was 36-5 as a starter while Tebow was 35-6. That is obviously a point in Mariota’s favor.
But Tebow’s record was skewed by a bad 9-4 first year, the year he ironically won the Heisman. He still won a national championship, and Mariota came up grossly short against the Ohio State Buckeyes this past year.
Both won a conference championship as well. And, ironically, both often had trouble with physical teams.
We knew about Oregon’s trouble with those type of teams, but don’t forget Tebow’s teams losing to Ole Miss in 2008 and getting blown out by Alabama in 2009. The team success is closer than you might think overall, but the national championship swings it in Tebow’s favor.
Otherwise, Mariota would have a strong case to be ahead of him. But, on the biggest stage, he never came through. Not only did Tebow come through, but he had a very strong fourth quarter to make the difference in the game and beat a Heisman Trophy quarterback in the process. Ironically, since we’re speaking of the Eagles, that quarterback was Sam Bradford.
Score: Tim Tebow Leads 1-0
Next: #4: Level of Competition