You're exactly right. The UT QB is getting a lot of raves for reasons I don't really understand. He played well at the end of the season against underwhelming competition. The AU QB is new, but of course the Heisman already has his name on it. Awful QB situation in the SEC this season. Including at Bama, who apparently have a mess.
Fortunately, Bama and UGA follow the Future Scintillating Radio Personality QB model: a Barker or Belue type guy who hands off to RB's in a conservative power-running offense, completes one or two legendary miracle passes, and otherwise throws well enough to keep the opponents' D from stacking the box. It's not that much harder for y'all to find QB's in that mold than it is for GT to find B-Backs.
Joshua Dobbs is the Deshaun Watson of the SEC. Or, if you prefer, he's the Nick Chubb of SEC QB's. He was super impressive in a half-season of play.
And UT has a huge fan base that is ravenous after the starvation diet of the last few years. It's been mighty hard to find much good to say about Tennessee going into the last few seasons. In the past at least they usually finished on a winning note, since they close against Vandy and UK and usually play their last really tough game around October 18th. But with Vandy so solid in 2012-13 even that little consolation was taken away from them.
Now the QB vacuum in the SEC combined with the "strong finish" against USC-e, UK and Vandy provides a great opportunity to sell preseason rags to Lulu and Junior.
As y'all point out, besides Dak Prescott the best returning full-season starting QB's in the SEC are roughly tied between Brandon Allen, Maty Mauk and Patrick Towles, all of whom are only serviceable. Plus they all play for "small-market" SEC teams -- the three most northern to boot. We'd hear a lot more about any of the three if they played for LSU or Bama.
Mizzou in particular can't buy an ounce of respect at any price. I think there is an unwritten law: SEC schools in states that stayed loyal to the diabolical Union are only allowed to be basketball schools. Even if they hire Bear Bryant. Or win 10+ games and their division two years running.
I don't ordinarily care that much about SEC QB's, but fact-checking this post helped me prepare for my Wed night ACC+SEC fantasy draft.
EDIT -- okay I reread that and it's kinda dumb. Dobb's numbers were not Chubb- or Watson-like. Still, based on a half-season he's the second best returning starting QB. Like you said, it just says a lot about the SEC's QB situation that he's getting so much hype.