Tennessee football: 4 reasons Jarrett Guarantano should start for the Vols

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 18: Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to the sideline for a play call against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Neyland Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 18: Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to the sideline for a play call against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Neyland Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Jarrett Guarantano
TUSCALOOSA, AL – OCTOBER 21: Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers is tackled by Joshua Frazier #69 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 21, 2017, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

No.1 – SEC Experience

Coming in at our number one reason Guarantano should be the starting quarterback for the 2018 season is because he has SEC experience. Fellow editor, Caleb Calhoun mentioned that Keller Chryst has more proven experience and maybe that is true. But, it is Pac 12 experience. The Pac 12 is a Power 5 conference, however, it doesn’t compare to the SEC.

People can hate on Vanderbilt and Kentucky all they want. In fact, I do on a regular basis, but the truth is both teams would beat Oregon State and California, two teams from the Pac 12 North division, every single year.

The SEC is a far superior conference. Since 2000, four different SEC teams have won a National Championship. The Pac 12? Only one team has been able to claim a National Championship, and that was Southern California.

In fact, to get a second team from the Pac 12, you have to go all the way back to the 1991 season when Washington and Miami (Fla.) were crowned Co-Champions.

According to the total defense rankings on NCAA.org three SEC teams had defenses ranked in the top ten compared to only one from the Pac 12. The SEC adds three more teams in positions 11-14 for a total of five teams in the top 15.

Simulating 2018 Vols season on old NCAA game. dark. Next

So, Calhoun is right, Chryst has more experience, but is it the right experience? Is it good enough for the SEC? Call me crazy, but I would take SEC experience over Pac 12 experience any day of the week.