Wisconsin Football: Comparing Danny O'Brien to Big 10's Top QBs in 2012

Danny O'Brien is a talented quarterback, and with his transfer to Wisconsin, he is poised to join the ranks of the Big Ten's elite quarterbacks.  Denard Robinson is clearly the top quarterback in the conference, and Braxton Miller is poised for a breakout season.  

Here's a look at the Big Ten's best quarterbacks, and how the new Badger quarterback stacks up against the competition.  

Danny O'Brien

O'Brien has prototypical size, and he earned plenty of starting experience playing for Maryland.  He also has a strong arm, and has no problem making all of the throws.

However, O'Brien does have some weaknesses in his game.  The new Badger quarterback needs to improve his accuracy and his decision making.  He also has a tendency to throw too many interceptions.

Thankfully for Wisconsin, Montee Ball and the Badgers rushing attack will be the focal point of the Badgers offense.  O'Brien is perfectly suited to manage the game for the Badgers and ensure that Wisconsin's offense doesn't stall. 

Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson is the best quarterback in the Big Ten, hands down.  He is an excellent runner, routinely taking over games with his legs.  Robinson is also a dangerous passer, and can really air it out.  

"Shoelace" is poised to dominate in 2012, and is a frontrunner to win the Heisman trophy.  

Robinson is a much better quarterback then O'Brien.  He's clearly a more gifted rusher, and he is also a much better passer than O'Brien. Robinson is exponentially more explosive than O’Brien and is an all-around better quarterback. 

Braxton Miller

Braxton Miller had a solid freshman season with Ohio State.  Miller flashed plenty of potential throughout the season, and demonstrated his abilities in a win against Wisconsin.  

A true dual threat quarterback, Miller is more than capable of dominating a game with either his arm or his legs.  

O'Brien is a solid overall quarterback, but he doesn't have the potential of Braxton Miller.  

The Buckeye's quarterback is poised for a breakout season playing in Urban Meyer's spread offense, and he should have no problem putting up impressive numbers.  With his running abilities, and an offense tailor-made to his skills, Miller is a better quarterback than O'Brien.

Nathan Scheelhaase

Nathan Scheelhaase is another excellent dual threat quarterback in the Big Ten.  While he isn't the rushing threat that Robinson and Miller are, the Illinois star is more than capable of moving the chains on the ground.  

Scheelhaase is also a much more accurate passer than either quarterback, and isn't prone to turning the ball over.  

Similar to the other dual threats on this list, Scheelhaase gets a boost over O'Brien because of his ability to utilize his legs.  Their passing abilities are comparable, but the Illinois' stars ability to add an extra dimension to the quarterback position is much too valuable.  

James Vandenberg

Vandenberg is the Big Ten's best pure passer.  He has prototypical size, and has a strong, powerful arm.  His decision making and touchdown-to-interception ratio were outstanding during his breakout campaign in 2011.  

However, Vandenberg's accuracy does need to improve, and he was mediocre in a couple of Iowa's big games in 2011.  

Vandenberg is a much better passer than O'Brien, and he is coming off an impressive season in 2011.  His ability to pick apart defenses is unmatched in the Big Ten, and he rarely makes mistakes with the ball.  

O'Brien simply isn't in the same class as Vandenberg.   

Taylor Martinez

Taylor Martinez is an incredible runner, but is a mediocre quarterback at best.  His accuracy is terrible, and he routinely makes awful decisions with the ball, whether it's interceptions or sacks.  

Martinez struggles mightily in the passing game, and provides little reason to trouble defenses, outside of his legs.  

The Nebraska quarterback is a gifted rushing quarterback, but he is nowhere near the passing quarterback that O'Brien is.  The Badgers quarterback is much more explosive through the air, and is an actual threat to defenses.  

Outside of Martinez' rushing abilities, O'Brien is a much better quarterback.

Conclusion

Danny O'Brien is a talented quarterback, but he is only middle of the pack in the Big Ten.  He can't compete with the dual-threat talents of Robinson, Miller and Scheelhaase, and he isn't as polished a passer as Vandenberg.  

However, O'Brien is perfectly suited to have a successful season for the Badgers.  Wisconsin only needs him to manage the game, and allow Montee Ball and the Badgers dominant rushing attack to dominate the game.