COLUMN: Only A Super Bowl Ring Stands Between Ryan And NFL Glory

Ryan also fits in with the new era of mobile quarterbacks. He finished with a run EPA—which ESPN describes as “clutch weighted expected points added through scrambles, designed rushes, and fumbles/fumble returns on running plays” of 12.1 that ranked 10th in the league, right between Robert Griffin III and Christian Ponder.

There were three moments concerning BC football this year that topped anything the actual team accomplished.

One was the dismantling of Notre Dame that Alabama put on our rivals in the BCS championship game.

The second was the ongoing success of Luke Kuechly—the 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year led the league in tackles even after playing out of position the first four games of the season.

The biggest event, though, was the emergence of  Ryan as a top quarterback. He has ascended the ranks to which the Falcons now have a Super Bowl or bust mentality.