Back to the trend of the day: Michigan replaces starting quarterback Bryce Underwood with freshman Tommy Carr
Poly Rating · from the trend of the day

Tommy Carr Michigan Stats: Top 10 Relief QBs

Caleb Williams entered down 21 against Texas and led Oklahoma to a 55–48 win; Tanner Mangum’s first college completion was a Hail Mary for the win.

  • No. 1: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama vs. Georgia (2018 national championship)
  • 10 places

01Final list

The leading AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.

Order: from most to least AI agreement.

A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.

  1. 1

    Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama vs. Georgia (2018 national championship)

    Alabama trailed 13–0 at halftime; Tua threw three touchdowns, including the overtime winner, and became the next season’s starter.

    Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: ChatGPT: 1 · Gemini: 1

    What each AI noted 2
    • ChatGPTplace 1

      Down 13–0 at halftime, he threw the 41-yard overtime winner—and took Alabama’s starting job the next season.

      Source ↗
    • Geminiplace 1

      Erased a 13–0 halftime deficit on the sport's biggest stage, swinging Alabama's win probability from under 15% to a national title with the iconic 2nd-and-26 touchdown.

      Source ↗
    2 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  2. 2

    Caleb Williams, Oklahoma vs. Texas (2021)

    A 21-point deficit became a 55–48 win; his 300 yards of offense and three touchdowns helped him keep the job for the rest of the season.

    Included it: Gemini. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: Gemini: 2

    What each AI noted 1
    • Geminiplace 2

      Subbed in down 28–7 in the Red River Showdown and engineered a 55–48 comeback that ended Spencer Rattler's tenure in Norman.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  3. 3

    Trevor Lawrence, Clemson vs. Syracuse (2018)

    The true freshman entered with Clemson down 23–13 and helped win 27–23, then started the remaining games; the rescue was shared with Chase Brice’s late drive.

    Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: ChatGPT: 2

    What each AI noted 1
    • ChatGPTplace 2

      Clemson was down 23–13 when the true freshman backup entered; he turned the deficit into a 27–23 win and started the remaining games.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  4. 4

    Brock Purdy, Iowa State at Oklahoma State (2018)

    Down 7–6 after an early offensive stall, he produced 402 yards of offense and five touchdowns in a 48–42 upset; he started the rest of his college career.

    Included it: Gemini. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: Gemini: 3

    What each AI noted 1
    • Geminiplace 3

      Entered on Iowa State's third series as a third-string true freshman and detonated for 402 yards of total offense to upset No. 25 Oklahoma State on the road.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  5. 5

    Jake Fromm, Georgia vs. Appalachian State (2017)

    Fromm replaced an injured Eason, whose 4 passing yards came on 3 attempts; Georgia won 31–10, and Fromm started the rest of a 13–2 season.

    Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: ChatGPT: 4

    What each AI noted 1
    • ChatGPTplace 4

      The true freshman’s first relief touchdown came with Georgia up only 7–0; by season’s end, he had led the Bulldogs to the national title game.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  6. 6

    Stetson Bennett, Georgia vs. Arkansas (2020)

    He entered down 7–2 and led 35 unanswered points, but Gemini’s cited source says he held the starting role for five games, not the full season.

    Included it: Gemini. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: Gemini: 4

    What each AI noted 1
    • Geminiplace 4

      Came off the bench in the 2020 season opener trailing Arkansas 7–2, sparking 35 unanswered points and launching a run to back-to-back national championships.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  7. 7

    Tanner Mangum, BYU at Nebraska (2015)

    He threw for 111 yards, then completed his first college pass for a 42-yard Hail Mary; BYU won 33–28 and he started after Taysom Hill’s injury.

    Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: ChatGPT: 5

    What each AI noted 1
    • ChatGPTplace 5

      His first college completion was a 42-yard Hail Mary for the winning score as time expired.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  8. 8

    Cade McNamara, Michigan at Rutgers (2020)

    He entered with Michigan down 17–0 and threw four touchdowns in the comeback; the claim that he kept the job for the rest of 2020 is not established by the cited source.

    Included it: Gemini. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: Gemini: 5

    What each AI noted 1
    • Geminiplace 5

      Overcame a 17–0 deficit in Piscataway with 5 total touchdowns in a triple-overtime epic, permanently taking the starting reins from Joe Milton.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  9. 9

    Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State at Michigan (2017)

    He completed 6 of 7 passes after entering down 14–0 and helped win 31–20, but J.T. Barrett started the next game.

    Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: ChatGPT: 6

    What each AI noted 1
    • ChatGPTplace 6

      His first meaningful relief appearance ended with a 31–20 rivalry win, but J.T. Barrett reclaimed the job the following week.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗
  10. 10

    Billy Dicken, Purdue vs. Notre Dame (1997)

    Dicken entered at halftime down 7–0, scored three touchdowns in a 28–17 upset, and started the remaining 10 games; his listed season ended 9–3.

    Included it: Gemini. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

    In their lists: Gemini: 10

    What each AI noted 1
    • Geminiplace 10

      Inserted at halftime down 7–0 against No. 12 Notre Dame, sparked Joe Tiller's 'basketball on grass' spread offense, and held the job all the way to the Alamo Bowl.

      Source ↗
    1 AIs put it here
    Source ↗

More about the top three ↓

02More about the top three

The ranking is above. Here is more about the three places at the top: what they are, why they are here, and what is worth knowing.

Comeback deficits and job-retention evidence differ across these cases.

1Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama vs. Georgia (2018 national championship)

No. 1 — Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama vs. Georgia (2018 national championship). On the lists of 2 of 7 AIs; median place there: 1. The AIs ranked him first for turning a halftime deficit into an overtime title win and taking the starting job the next season.

Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints 2021 (cropped)
CCS Pictures · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints 2021
CCS Pictures · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know

  • The overtime winner came on Alabama’s first offensive play: after a 16-yard sack, Tua Tagovailoa threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith on second-and-26. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
What it is
A backup quarterback who led Alabama to an overtime national title win.
Its edge
He paired the comeback with a next-season starting job.
Who should know
Useful to readers comparing relief quarterbacks’ comebacks and job retention.
  • Comeback and job retention13–0 halftime deficit

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

  • Alabama came back from 13 points down to win 26–23 in overtime. Tua’s 41-yard touchdown pass ended it. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
History

  • In 2018, after Alabama’s kicker missed a potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, Tua Tagovailoa was sacked on the first play of overtime. He answered with a 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith to win the national title, 26–23. — TIME

    Source ↗
What people say

  • “I thought Tua would give us a better chance and a spark, which he certainly did.” — Nick Saban

    Source ↗

Video: NFLPA reviews how Miami Dolphins handled Tua Tagovailoa’s last concussion l GMA · ABC News

Compare the top three ↓

2Caleb Williams, Oklahoma vs. Texas (2021)

No. 2 — Caleb Williams, Oklahoma vs. Texas (2021). On the lists of 1 of 7 AIs; median place there: 2. The AI ranked him second for leading a 21-point comeback and keeping the job for the rest of the season.

Did you know

  • Williams entered with 6:41 left in the second quarter, when Oklahoma trailed 35–17. He scored on a 66-yard run on fourth-and-short. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
What it is
A freshman who entered against Texas and led Oklahoma’s comeback win.
Its edge
The notes emphasize a 21-point deficit, larger than the others’ stated deficits.
Who should know
Useful to readers comparing relief quarterbacks’ comebacks and job retention.
  • Comeback and job retention21-point deficit
Why it is here

  • Oklahoma erased a 21-point deficit, its largest comeback win over Texas. Caleb threw for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second half. — (voice only)

    Source ↗

  • After the Texas game, Williams went on to pass for 1,670 yards and 18 touchdowns, the most passing touchdowns by a true freshman in Oklahoma history. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
History

  • In 2021, Oklahoma trailed Texas by 21 points when freshman Caleb Williams took over at quarterback. He led the comeback, but Spencer Rattler returned to throw the tying two-point conversion; Kennedy Brooks then scored the winning touchdown, sealing a 55–48 win. — University of Oklahoma Athletics

    Source ↗
Keep in mind

  • Williams led the second-half surge, but Kennedy Brooks scored the winning touchdown. Williams finished with 211 passing yards, 88 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.

    Source ↗
Compare the top three ↓

3Trevor Lawrence, Clemson vs. Syracuse (2018)

No. 3 — Trevor Lawrence, Clemson vs. Syracuse (2018). On the lists of 1 of 7 AIs; median place there: 2. The AI ranked him third for helping turn a deficit into a win and starting the remaining games, with the rescue shared.

Did you know

  • Lawrence left with an injury in the second quarter. Backup Chase Brice then led scoring drives of 75 and 94 yards as Clemson came back from 23–13. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
What it is
A true freshman who entered against Syracuse and helped Clemson win.
Its edge
The notes say he started the remaining games after the comeback.
Who should know
Useful to readers comparing relief quarterbacks’ comebacks and job retention.
  • Comeback and job retention23–13 deficit
Why it is here

  • Clemson trailed 23–13 with 12:58 left, then won 27–23. The comeback included scoring drives of 75 and 94 yards. — (voice only)

    Source ↗
History

  • In 2018, Trevor Lawrence left Clemson’s game against Syracuse with an injury, and the Tigers fell behind 23–13. Backup Chase Brice helped bring Clemson back, and Travis Etienne’s late touchdown finished a 27–23 win. — Syracuse University Athletics

    Source ↗
What people say

  • “My whole freshman year was a blur.” — Trevor Lawrence

    Source ↗
Compare the top three ↓

The top three side by side

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama vs. Georgia (2018 national championship)Caleb Williams, Oklahoma vs. Texas (2021)Trevor Lawrence, Clemson vs. Syracuse (2018)
In the AIs' lists2 / 71 / 71 / 7
Comeback and job retention13–0 halftime deficit21-point deficit23–13 deficit
Put first byChatGPT, Gemini——

Places with the same number of AIs are ordered by their average place in the AIs' own lists.

More ratings

03Worth knowing

What the AIs noticed while building the list.

Tua supplied the overtime winner, while Georgia’s defense and ground game helped build Fromm’s large lead; the two freshman rescues had different levels of direct quarterback impact.

Noticed by:
Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.
Source ↗

Mangum’s 7 completions included the final-play touchdown, but Hill had already produced 340 yards of combined offense before leaving injured.

Noticed by:
Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.
Source ↗

Haskins won in relief against Michigan, but Barrett started the next game; one comeback did not immediately change the depth chart.

Noticed by:
Included it: ChatGPT. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.
Source ↗

The two answers describe Tommy Carr’s Indiana game differently: ChatGPT says he started in a loss, while Gemini says he took over at halftime against Penn State and won. The evidence supplied does not support including him as a confirmed relief rescue.

Noticed by:
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.
Source ↗

04How we counted

In plain words, no formulas.

1The question

Top 10 Relief Quarterbacks Who Rescued a Game and Kept the Job

2Why this topic

It sets win-probability swings against individual grades and what happened in the weeks after, a picture no single box score gives.

3Where it applies

U.S. college football (FBS), all eras, with a focus on freshmen entering mid-game

4What we looked at

  • Deficit or offensive stall when the backup entered, and the final margin
  • Team win probability gained during the backup's snaps
  • Backup's grade in the game, set against the starter's earlier numbers in the same game
  • Whether he kept the job, and what the season looked like after
  • ESPN Analytics — Play-by-play win probability; neither answer provides verified backup-only figures for these games.
  • PFF College — Individual passing and running grades; neither answer provides verified game grades for these cases.
  • CollegeFootballData.com — Play-by-play scoring drives and EPA; neither answer provides consistent verified quarterback-only comparisons for this list.

5Who ranked

The leading AIs, each building its own list of ten independently and naming a source for every place: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Gemini, Nemotron, DeepSeek, Qwen.

6How the places were set

The same entry written differently by different AIs was counted as one. The more AIs put an entry on their list, and the higher they put it, the higher its place. "AI agreement" shows how many of the AIs had it on their own list. Sources are only those the AIs found themselves; nothing was added by hand.

05Each AI's own list

🇺🇸 ChatGPT10 places · 4 notes

The same question, answered by ChatGPT alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama vs. Georgia (2018 national championship)

    Down 13–0 at halftime, he threw the 41-yard overtime winner—and took Alabama’s starting job the next season.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Trevor Lawrence, Clemson vs. Syracuse (2018)

    Clemson was down 23–13 when the true freshman backup entered; he turned the deficit into a 27–23 win and started the remaining games.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Cardale Jones, Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (2014 Big Ten Championship)

    A third-string quarterback made his first career start in a title game and helped Ohio State win 59–0.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Jake Fromm, Georgia vs. Appalachian State (2017)

    The true freshman’s first relief touchdown came with Georgia up only 7–0; by season’s end, he had led the Bulldogs to the national title game.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Tanner Mangum, BYU at Nebraska (2015)

    His first college completion was a 42-yard Hail Mary for the winning score as time expired.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State at Michigan (2017)

    His first meaningful relief appearance ended with a 31–20 rivalry win, but J.T. Barrett reclaimed the job the following week.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Chase Brice, Clemson vs. Syracuse (2018)

    The backup’s late fourth-down conversion helped keep alive a comeback from 10 points down, but Lawrence remained the starter once healthy.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Jalen Hurts, Alabama vs. Georgia (2018 national championship)

    He came off the bench in overtime to celebrate the title-winning kick, then returned as Alabama’s starter after Tua went to the NFL.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    Drew Brees, Purdue vs. Ohio State (1999)

    A 28-point deficit became a 31–28 win, though the decisive comeback was a whole-team effort, not a mid-game quarterback substitution.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Tommy Carr, Michigan vs. Indiana (2026)

    The search hook is real, but this was no rescue: Michigan went from 0–0 to a 13–6 overtime loss, and Carr did not take over mid-game.

    Source ↗

What ChatGPT noticed

The strongest freshman examples differ in what “rescue” means: Tua personally supplied the overtime-winning pass, while Fromm entered early and Georgia’s ground game and defense built a large lead.

Source ↗

Mangum’s Nebraska finish is unusually concentrated: a seven-completion relief line included the game-winning touchdown on the final snap.

Source ↗

Haskins shows why one comeback and a permanent job change are different claims: he beat Michigan in relief, but Barrett started the next game.

Source ↗

Tommy Carr’s 2026 Indiana game is relevant to searches for his stats, but it does not belong among successful relief rescues: he started and Michigan lost in overtime.

Source ↗
🇺🇸 Gemini10 places · 2 notes

The same question, answered by Gemini alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.

  1. 1
    Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama, 2018)

    Erased a 13–0 halftime deficit on the sport's biggest stage, swinging Alabama's win probability from under 15% to a national title with the iconic 2nd-and-26 touchdown.

    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Caleb Williams (Oklahoma, 2021)

    Subbed in down 28–7 in the Red River Showdown and engineered a 55–48 comeback that ended Spencer Rattler's tenure in Norman.

    Source ↗
  3. 3
    Brock Purdy (Iowa State, 2018)

    Entered on Iowa State's third series as a third-string true freshman and detonated for 402 yards of total offense to upset No. 25 Oklahoma State on the road.

    Source ↗
  4. 4
    Stetson Bennett (Georgia, 2020)

    Came off the bench in the 2020 season opener trailing Arkansas 7–2, sparking 35 unanswered points and launching a run to back-to-back national championships.

    Source ↗
  5. 5
    Cade McNamara (Michigan, 2020)

    Overcame a 17–0 deficit in Piscataway with 5 total touchdowns in a triple-overtime epic, permanently taking the starting reins from Joe Milton.

    Source ↗
  6. 6
    Cardale Jones (Ohio State, 2014)

    Thrust into action after J.T. Barrett's 4th-quarter injury against Michigan, iced the rivalry win, and delivered a three-game championship sweep for the ages.

    Source ↗
  7. 7
    Trevor Lawrence (Clemson, 2018)

    Took over mid-game against Georgia Tech, threw 4 touchdown passes, and rendered Kelly Bryant's 16–2 starting record a thing of the past.

    Source ↗
  8. 8
    Tommy Carr (Michigan, 2026)

    Replaced a scoreless Bryce Underwood at halftime against Penn State, generated 83 yards and a game-winning 4th-quarter touchdown run to trigger the start against Indiana.

    Source ↗
  9. 9
    J.T. Barrett (Ohio State, 2015)

    Brought in to solve red-zone gridlock against Penn State, generated 4 touchdowns off the bench, and recaptured the full-time role from Cardale Jones.

    Source ↗
  10. 10
    Billy Dicken (Purdue, 1997)

    Inserted at halftime down 7–0 against No. 12 Notre Dame, sparked Joe Tiller's 'basketball on grass' spread offense, and held the job all the way to the Alamo Bowl.

    Source ↗

What Gemini noticed

True freshmen winning relief situations often depend less on pure passing volume and more on explosive run-option dynamism; both Caleb Williams (66-yard TD run) and Tommy Carr (12-yard game-winning TD run) flipped games with their legs before proving their passing ceilings.

Source ↗

Cardale Jones and Tua Tagovailoa represent the only relief quarterbacks in FBS history to take their first meaningful snaps of a postseason and end the season holding the National Championship trophy.

Source ↗