Which QB battles matter most?

Spring practice is on its way in college football, and every program in the country will be preparing soon to fill holes on both sides of the ball. The NFL combine reports over the past week have served as a daily reminder of the elite talent that will be sorely missed in some college camps. As proud as fans may be to see their favorite college stars make it big at the next level, they'd much rather have those players back for one more year in school.

That wish is especially true for programs filling a hole at the quarterback position. Quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III elevated their respective teams to peak program success in recent seasons and will be top draft picks in April. The Stanford Cardinal and Baylor Bears will be fortunate to find new starters who will merely approximate the previous QB's success at the position.

Those two programs are not alone. Among the top 13 teams in the final Associated Press poll of 2011, eight will debut a new starter at quarterback in 2012.

Some of these programs will take a big step back next season, and others will barely skip a beat. So which quarterback battles this spring are more crucial to the top teams than others? The numbers can give us a good idea.

To read more about which teams will have an easier time replacing their QBs from last season, sign up for Insider today.

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