College football pundits say the title game\u2019s McQuarterback matchup clearly favors Texas. Yes, the Longhorns\u2019 Colt McCoy has won an NCAA-record 45 games, but McElroy, a junior, hasn\u2019t lost as a starter since the eighth grade.<\/p>\n
Fittingly, the Rose Bowl represents center stage for freckle-faced, 21-year-old McElroy, the longtime understudy.<\/p>\n
At Carroll he played behind Chase Daniel and didn\u2019t start until his senior season, when he led the Dragons to a Class 5A state title.<\/p>\n
At Alabama, McElroy redshirted his first season, then backed up John Parker Wilson in 2007 and 2008. Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy isn\u2019t quite setting himself up for canonization, but he is a damn good student, already graduating with another year of eligibility left. He has made all As and one B in obtaining his degree in marketing. He also appears to plan on returning for his last year with the Crimson Tide. But, that doesn\u2019t mean that he\u2019s not already thinking of the future. He wants to study at Oxford.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m actually applying next year,\u201d McElroy said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to apply and miss a year of football if I was picked. But we\u2019ll see what happens. I wanted to obviously approach it and look into it because it is such a great honor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obviously, it isn\u2019t easy. Only two people drawn from Alabama, Florida and Tennessee will get the coveted scholarship any given year. But if Mark Ingram can win the Heisman, who says McElroy can\u2019t snag a Rhodes Scholarship next year?<\/p>\n