The college football season is finally underway and there were many players that proved they were prepared to begin play.
I am going to be looking at the Big Ten qaurterback power rankings based on their play in week one. I will take into consideration the teams that they played and last year’s success will play no part in the rankings. For example, because Denard Robinson plays for Michigan and Robert Marve plays for Purdue, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Robinson will be a higher rank.
Here are the quarterback rankings after week one play.
1. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
Martinez tops the first power rankings of the season for Big Ten quarterbacks. Martinez went into the season with people questioning his arm strength and accuracy. He heard comparisons to Tim Tebow, being a quarterback who could run but had trouble with the pass. He silenced all of his critics with a 26-34, 354 yard performance with five touchdowns and not a single interception. He was on key all game against Southern Miss and looked like a completely different quarterback.
2. Danny O’Brien, Wisconsin
O’Brien is the second ACC quarterback to transfer and start for Wisconsin in two years, coming from Maryland. Many people weren’t sure if he would be able to replace Russell Wilson from last year. The Big Ten is a bit tougher of a conference to play in than the ACC and O’Brien will likely have a harder time adjusting once conference play begins, but for now he has done well enough to earn himself the second spot. He led the Badgers to a victory over Northern Iowa, completing 19-23 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
3. Robert Marve, Purdue
Marve may be the biggest surprise at the top of the list this week. He led a team that returns 19 starters this season to a 48-6 win over Eastern Kentucky, making an early season statement. I know what you’re thinking, Eastern Kentucky isn’t much of a test, but Purdue is a team on the rise and winning this big in a season opener is something that has not happened to the Boilermakers in many years. Marve threw for 295 yards on a 30-38 performance and three touchdowns. Although he had an interception, he showed his accuracy and strong arm throughout the game.
4. Braxton Miller, Ohio State
Miller has earned extremely high praise from head coach Urban Meyer going into the season, calling him the most athletic quarterback he has ever coached. Miller fits Meyer’s system perfectly, being a quarterback who can pass and run the ball. He opened the season against an easier opponent in Miami(OH) and led the Buckeyes to a week one win. Miller was 14-24 for 207 yards and two touchdowns. He also showed his speed, running 17 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. He is flat out explosive.
5. James Vandenberg, Iowa
Vandenberg is at No. 5 mainly because he has the potential to be No. 1. Although he was just 21-33 with a measly 129 yards passing, he showed accuracy and had to pass to many new targets. Once he gets acquainted with the new targets and comfortable with their route running, he will put up bigger numbers and move his way up the list.
6. Marqueis Gray, Minnesota
Gray has been improving every season since joining the Golden Gophers and this year looks to be no exception. Gray has been one of the Big Ten’s most underrated quarterbacks since the beginning of last season, and a lot of that has to do with the poor play of his team as a whole. The Gophers are not one of the top Big Ten teams and probably won’t be for the next couple of years, but they can knock some of the top teams out of contention with Gray at quarterback. He was 17-30 for 269 yards and two touchdowns in week one against UNLV.
7. Tre Roberson, Indiana
A little higher than expected, Roberson made a strong case for the top half of the power rankings after week one. Although the Hoosiers are probably the worst team in the Big Ten, Roberson is still a solid quarterback that can escape pressure and throw the ball on the run. He isn’t quite as fast as the likes of Robinson at Michigan or Miller at Ohio State, but he can still get the job done with his legs, scoring himself a rushing touchdown in week one. He finished the game 26-36 with 280 yards and a touchdown in a week one win over Indiana State.
8. Andrew Maxwell, Michigan State
Maxwell was one of the biggest question marks heading into the week one showdown against Boise State in East Lansing. Many people wondered whether he would be able to handle the pressure of playing on a big stage and replacing record-breaking quarterback Kirk Cousins. He answered one of those questions, handling himself well enough to lead his team to victory against a top-25 team on a national stage. He still has a lot of work to do with accuracy, only throwing 22-38 with a less0than-impressive three interceptions. He did have 248 yards passing which is a positive sign, but he will have to get comfortable with the new receivers in order to have any success.
9. Kain Colter, Northwestern
Colter is a first-year starter for the boys in purple and has some big shoes to fill with the loss of Dan Persa. Colter is a quick little quarterback with a solid arm. He is one of the more athletic quarterbacks in the conference and will shock a lot of people with his play this season. The Wildcats traveled to Syracuse to play the Orange and sneaked by with a close victory. Colter played the first three quarters and was 14-21 with 135 yards and two touchdowns. He will continue to develop under Pat Fitzgerald‘s system and put up more solid numbers throughout the season.
10. Denard Robinson, Michigan
Let’s face it, Denard was one of the most disappointing performances of week one out of any player in the country. Yes, he did play a dominant Alabama team that could beat anyone at any stadium, but in order to be so hyped up, you need to deliver, and that he did not. He was a mediocre 11-26 passing with 200 yards and two interceptions. He couldn’t get open field running room and only passed for one touchdown, looking extremely intimidated and inaccurate throughout the entire game. He just proved that Michigan isn’t ready to be elite yet, but give them time and they will be able to beat teams like Alabama in a couple years.
11. Matt McGloin, Penn State
McGloin is one of those guys that a lot of people around the country will be rooting for. However, in week one he wasn’t impressive enough to crack the top 10. Although he did complete 27 passes, it took him almost 50 attempts to do so and he passed for 260 yards. He finished the game with two touchdowns and an interception against Ohio and could not lead his team to a victory against the team from the MAC. If Penn State is going to move on from the monstrosity that happened in the offseason, McGloin is going to have to be the first step for the school into normality.
12. Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois
Scheelhaase will no doubt move up this list considerable before the season is over with, but for now he gets the dreaded No. 12 spot on the list. He is a solid quarterback for the Illini and had a sophomore slump last season that many thought would be the end of his starting days at the school. He came back this year with a new coach and a new playbook looking to prove people wrong. Although his performance in week one wasn’t terrible, he needs to put up better numbers against weak teams if he wants to be considered one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. He was 11-18 with 126 yards and a touchdown in a week one win, the lowest yardage output of any starter in the conference. He also threw an interception, showing he still has a long way to go as a starter in the Big Ten.
