Rebel Roundup - 8/3/10 - Yeah, it's Still Mostly Masoli News

How Much of a Difference Does Masoli Make? | Brandt
Brandt - and, following, Matt Hinton - make good points. Specifically, they point out that Masoli, while talented, does struggle against strong defenses and may not be the giant slayer some argue he is. He does, however, add a dynamic and experience level to the quarterback position Ole Miss didn't have until a few days ago (and hasn't had in years). He's short, errattic, and lacking a traditional quarterbacking style, but he does somehow find ways to get first downs.

Finding Jeremiah Masoli's Hastily Assembled Niche in the SEC | Dr. Saturday
Matt Hinton's astute, albeit oftentimes too-simplistic assessments of college football has always provided for entertaining preseason reads, and this one's no different. He looks as the possibility that maybe Masoli isn't that good to begin with or, at least, only plays well in a Pac-10, wide open offense with a lax defense type of situation, but still concludes that

[a]s bleak as the outlook was for the [Ole Miss quarterback] position when the media cast those last-place ballots, at least Masoli gives the Rebels a fighting chance to tap into some of that old Oregon dynamite.

It's simple, really. The coaches think Masoli gives them a better chance to win. That's it and that's all.

Masoli: Sports Illustrated | Catch This
This is unique: a football blog actually written by a football player. George Wrighster, a former tight end for the Oregon Ducks and Jacksonville Jaguars, has taken up the bloggin' game and, as a natural Ducks fan, has found some interest in the Masoli to Ole Miss situation. In this entry, he looks at what Masoli's been accused of, weighs that against the circumstances of the accusations, and juxtaposes that with what he himself knows about Masoli to conclude that

[f]ar too often, we as readers take what we read as fact instead of doing our own research.

This is in reaction to the people who casually toss around words like "thug" and "troublemaker" and "sonofabitch" (that'd be me) without actually taking the time to examine why we're calling someone something.

George, one thing you'll learn, if you haven't already, is that most people on this planet want people to tell them what to think. Maybe they're afraid of their own judgment, or maybe they cannot trust themselves, or maybe they're just lazy; but whatever it is, it's just one of those things that can be chalked up as "the way it is."

Breaking Down the Quarterback Situation of the SEC West | AJC.com
Tony "Mr. College Football" Barnhart does an Ivory Tower "stack up" type deal and looks at the quarterbacks of the SEC West. Masoli and Stanley sit at third right below Greg McElroy and right above Cameron Newton. Without Masoli, we'd probably be last.