Imagine this. You are at a great party. I mean, off the wall crazy. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is cranked up on the Bose system. The champagne is flowing, and the caviar is premium. There are beautiful women everywhere you look. Yes, this is a sports fanatic's paradise.

Luckily, you decided to wear a button-up and some dress pants rather than the lucky Larry Bird jersey that has been so kind to you. So you’re fresh-dressed and looking like a million bucks when a strikingly gorgeous model approaches you. Here's your chance.

The two of you begin a series of interesting conversations. The first being a mini-debate over who is the most admirable of the impressionists: Edgar Degas or Claude Monet. The talk then drifts into which of Hemmingway's minor works leaves you questioning the intentions of anything you have ever done.

After an hour and a half, you have held your own. She's quite impressed with you. She's seen better, but not many. And you are smart enough to acknowledge that this is your chance to totally overachieve. This is your N.C. State over Houston moment. And you don't want to let it pass by without using every last timeout, every arm in the bullpen, and every ace up your sleeve. The score is tied, and you, the underdog, need to pull a Tom Brady in 2002 and forget the pressure. Drive your team down the field and set-up the game winner.

So your new model acquaintance throws out the question that is capable of blowing the minds of the finest of intellects. Yes, she casually sips her champagne and asks: "So, you’re down by 20 early in the fourth quarter. What quarterback do you want on your team to lead your comeback?"

Now, do me a favor. When you get done reading this article, print it out, fold it up, and place it in your wallet. It just might save your life because I have several acceptable answers to this almost unanswerable question.

First of all, don't play it safe. There are some obvious answers that this woman has heard a million times or more. Elway, Montana, and Marino will make her eyes roll. She'll yawn, gently place her glass on the table, and walk away. No kiss, no digits. Not even a good-bye. That’s what playing it safe will get you. So I’m going to be like Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men" and shout, "YOU WANT ANSWERS?"

WELL HERE ARE SOME ANSWERS.

This is a list of my "great comeback quarterbacks." This is an elite list, but very effective. I say effective because they have been heavily researched, and the unique perspective in which you can deliver any of the names on this list will impress your model-friend and might possibly extend your evening.

To make this list, the team that the quarterback played (or plays) for must be average or slightly below. It's too easy to lead a great team. To make the list, the QB must make the team better by his leadership and style, not just his overall "skill." These QB’s on my list are ALL masters of comebacks. No 17-point 4th quarter lead will ever be safe as long as one of my elite QB's are calling the signals.

I know, it's killing you. What players made the list? Well, here they are accompanied by a brief description of why and how they made my list and what year or years I feel are relevant to my research.

1) Jake Plummer

Arizona State University (1996)

Arizona Cardinals (1997-1998)

He made things happen in '96 in the PAC 10 and had Ohio State beat in the '97 Rose Bowl. His defense blew his comeback efforts. He went on to lead the Arizona Cardinals to their first playoff birth since the invention of canned tuna. Nicknamed "The Snake," Plummer's scrambling ability was second to none in his "comeback" prime. He now plays in Denver, and is officially done being under the radar. His career is in its prime, as well as his beard. Still, I'd rather remember Plummer as an unpredictable Cardinal-comeback king.

2) Doug Flutie

Boston College (1984)

Buffalo Bills (1998)

What a competitor. He is proof that football should be played by "football players", not just athletes. I may not have just made much sense with that comment, but it makes sense to me. Flutie is athletic, make no mistake about it. But if a 20-something version of Doug Flutie were entering the NFL Draft today, pro scouts would most likely label him as a CFL candidate. Sure, the real Flutie dominated the CFL, but he also showed flashes of brilliance in Buffalo. Flutie makes things happen when he touches the ball. No play is ever dead when he is running the show. What he lacks in height, he makes up with guts and spontaneity.

3)Jim Harbaugh

Michigan (1986)

Indianapolis Colts (1996-1997)

I love this guy. Tough as nails. He refused to quit, and his attitude spread throughout his teammates. His playoff run in late-'95, early '96 was probably the most exciting series of games I can remember because NOBODY expected the Colts to win a playoff game. Harbaugh extended his gutsy style into the next year as well, leading Indy to two consecutive years of post-season play.

I also quoted him during a National Honor Society Induction. I was watching NFL Live and he whipped out an Andrew Jackson quote: "One man with courage is a majority." It blew my mind, so I had to use it the next week in my speech. As NHS Vice-President, I think I made a great executive decision. Think about it, you have Emerson, Twain, Hemmingway, Churchill, and….Harbaugh?

4) Phillip Rivers

NC State (2000-2003)

Rivers got me hooked during my senior year of undergrad. He was a freshman for a mediocre N.C. State team, but he always found ways to make these crazy, bizarre, impossible comebacks. I can remember watching him play in one of his first games, down by a few TD's. On most nights, I would have switched over to Cinemax to watch some tastefully-directed soft-core pornography. But I KNEW there was something special about this guy. Just like I KNEW the song "Steal My Sunshine" by Len would be a big summer hit in 1999. (It was, by the way, for all of you who say it wasn't) Well, Rivers brought the Wolfpack back to win, and now he is waiting for a team to make the San Diego a decent offer so he can actually get some playing time. MARK MY WORDS: "Phillip Rivers will rock 'The League.'"

I hope you use these names, and use them responsibly. As for any other piece of advice or words of wisdom, well, there is a plethora. This is what I do. I can teach you, but I'd have to charge.

Trace Hacquard is a Senior Editor and contributing columnist at Atomic Sports Media and our resident free spirit. Trace can be reached at trace.hacquard@atomicsportsmedia.com.