Big Ten Football: Power Ranking Starting QBs Ahead of Week 2 Matchups
With one week of the college football season in the books, teams have gotten an idea what type of talent, leadership and upside they'll be getting from the starting quarterback position.
In the Big Ten, Week 1 performances told us there are both Heisman hopefuls (Cardale Jones) and dogs on a short leash (Perry Hills) heading into Week 2 matchups on Saturday.
We ranked all 14 of the B1G's starting signal-callers—taking into consideration season-debut stats, opponents in the second week of games and any incoming expectations based on past performances.
Keep in mind these rankings may not reflect where a quarterback's team stands in the conference as whole—but the talent, support and offensive contributors around each are important in determining where the passer ranks among his peers.
So, without further ado, let's get to the rankings.
14. Austin Appleby, Purdue
1 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 31-of-48, 270 passing yards, 2 total TDs, 4 INTs in 41-31 loss at Marshall
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Indiana State, Saturday, noon ET
To say Austin Appleby's Week 1 was a nightmare is an understatement. Oddly enough, Purdue's junior quarterback completed about 65 percent of his passes with 270 passing yards—but his four picks overshadow any positives from the day.
Two of Appleby's interceptions couldn't have come at a worse time, either. On Purdue's first play from scrimmage, Marshall defensive back Tiquan Lang picked off Appleby and ran it back for a touchdown right off the bat.
Then, with Marshall leading 34-31 and just 1:20 left in the fourth quarter, it was deja vu all over again for Appleby. Lang intercepted another errant and returned it 55 yards for a second pick-six to put Marshall ahead for good.
The game ended just how it began for Appleby, who is the fifth quarterback to start a season for Purdue in the past five years.
13. Perry Hills, Maryland
2 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 12-of-21, 138 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT in 50-21 win vs. Richmond
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Bowling Green, Saturday, noon ET
Perry Hills may be the starter in Maryland for now, but if he doesn't improve soon, the team could replace him in the coming weeks. The junior quarterback had an inconsistent outing against an easy nonconference foe in Richmond. He barely completed half his passes and threw a pick as his Terrapins teammates picked up the slack in the blowout victory.
Hills somewhat unexpectedly won the starting job in College Park this summer over Caleb Rowe and Daxx Garman—but that could quickly change if Hills doesn't have a better Week 2 at home against Bowling Green.
Maryland will begin its conference schedule before too long, and it remains to be seen if Hills is a decent enough starter who can give the Terps a chance to win every week. Richmond was the easiest opponent he'll face all season—yet he still struggled to find a rhythm.
12. C.J. Beathard, Iowa
3 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 15-of-24, 211 passing yards, 26 rushing yards, 3 total TDs in 31-14 win vs. Illinois State
Week 2 Opponent: Away at Iowa State, Saturday, 4:45 p.m. ET
C.J. Beathard was given the Hawkeyes' starting quarterback job in January over since-transferred Jake Rudock—and last week he showed head coach Kirk Ferentz that was no mistake.
The junior accounted for 237 total yards on offense including three scores—one passing and two on the ground—as the top offensive performer in Iowa's Week 1 victory. His dual-threat ability could come in handy this season alongside tailback LeShun Daniels Jr., who rushed for a career-high 123 yards last Saturday.
Beathard and Co. have a tough road challenge this week when they travel to rival Iowa State.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
11. Jake Rudock, Michigan
4 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 27-of-43, 279 passing yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs in 24-17 loss at Utah
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Oregon State, Saturday, noon ET
Jake Rudock, a fifth-year senior transfer from Iowa, had an up-and-down game last week in the Wolverines' season-opening loss to Utah. He has the experience and talent to rise up these rankings, but better performances against tough nonconference opponents is necessary.
Rudock threw the ball an eye-popping 43 times in Week 1—putting him in the top 10 in the country in pass attempts after the first week. Yet, he tossed more interceptions (three) than touchdowns (two) and couldn't lead his team to a victory in the end.
A matchup with Oregon State at home could spell another day of Rudock slinging it a bunch. The visiting Beavers allowed just 58 rushing yards on 18 attempts to Weber State back in their opener at an average of 3.22 yards per carry. Yeah, it's Weber State. But Wolverines rushers gained just 76 yards on 29 carries against Utah.
Look for Rudock, who threw for at least 2,300 yards in each season as Iowa's starter from 2013 to 2014, to try to bounce back and eliminate those picks.
10. Chris Laviano, Rutgers
5 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 4-of-4, 138 passing yards, 3 TDs in 63-13 win vs. Norfolk State
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Washington State, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Chris Laviano will make his first career start on Saturday after being named the starting quarterback earlier this week. Despite sitting out the first half of the Scarlet Knights' Week 1 win because of a suspension, the redshirt sophomore was near perfect in relief. He completed all four of his passes—three of which were touchdown tosses to Rutgers star receiver Leonte Carroo.
Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood tabbed Laviano as the starter ahead of the team's home matchup against Washington State this weekend. It's an intriguing matchup for the youngster—the Cougars allowed close to 300 passing yards per game last year, yet their Week 1 opponent Portland State threw for just 61 yards.
9. Mitch Leidner, Minnesota
6 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 19-of-35, 197 passing yards, 1 TD in 23-17 loss vs. TCU
Week 2 Opponent: Away at Colorado State, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Considering TCU is a national championship contender, Minnesota's season-opening loss at home could be viewed as a step in the right direction—and Mitch Leidner is the one walking.
The junior tossed a career-high 35 pass attempts in Week 1 yet finished with less than 200 yards to show for it. His lone touchdown pass, a strike to receiver KJ Maye with 1:32 left in the game, pulled the Golden Gophers within a touchdown of tying TCU.
Leidner has Minnesota looking up, though. After an 8-5 record a year ago, including road wins over Nebraska and Michigan, the team came just one win away from being crowned Big Ten West champs. Leidner and Co. will have an easy matchup this week, albeit on the road, against Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference.
8. Nate Sudfeld, Indiana
7 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 19-of-32, 349 passing yards, 1 TD, 46 rushing yards in 48-47 win vs. Southern Illinois
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Florida International, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
Nate Sudfeld showed no signs of rust in the Hoosiers' season-opener after missing the final six games a year ago with an injury to his non-throwing left shoulder. The senior quarterback only tossed one touchdown in a close victory over Southern Illinois, but he racked up 349 yards to get Indiana past its Week 1 scare.
Sudfeld's air attack provides a nice complement to tailback Jordan Howard, a transfer from UAB who gained nearly 1,600 yards on the ground as a sophomore last season. Indiana's offense leaned on Howard last week—he gained 145 yards on 20 carries and scored three touchdowns.
Look for Sudfeld to have another big day in the air against FIU.
7. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern
8 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 12-of-24, 105 passing yards, 68 rushing yards, 1 rush TD in 16-6 win vs. Stanford
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Eastern Illinois, Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
Clayton Thorson's Week 1 stats were nothing to write home about, but it's what the Wildcats quarterback accomplished that matters: a victory at home over a Top 25 team—as a true freshman, no less.
Despite throwing for just 105 yards, Thorson caught the college football nation's collective eye last week when he sprinted his way for a 42-yard touchdown run out of the shotgun.
"You heard about them, and here are Clayton Thorson's wheels on a 42-yard @NUFBFamily TD run vs. Stanford. http://t.co/pwngS6OChW
— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) September 5, 2015"
The second-quarter score would give Northwestern a 9-3 lead—one it wouldn't relinquish. Thorson, who lit it up at nearby Wheaton North High (Ill.) just a year ago, looks to be the real deal. After passing the SATs with a victory over Stanford, he'll get a simple pop quiz in the form of an Ohio Valley Conference opponent this week.
6. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
9 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 11-of-25, 103 passing yards, 0 TD, 1 INT in 27-10 loss at Temple
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Buffalo, Saturday, noon ET
One look at Christian Hackenberg's stat line from Penn State's Week 1 loss to Temple can tell the whole story: no offense, whatsoever.
The Nittany Lions junior quarterback had a rough go of it on Saturday—to say the least. He was sacked 10 times and threw one pick with no touchdowns as it seemed Temple defenders were on top of him all game long. The porous blocking by Penn State's offensive line can be more than blamed for Hackenberg's less-than-stellar day in the air.
It's not a good sign for Nittany Lions fans if Hackenberg is already being hit in the backfield this much this early in the season. In 2014, he was sacked 44 times in 13 games—more than three per game.
We'll see if the O-line can figure out its problems against Buffalo at home on Saturday. The visiting Bulls racked up 25 sacks in 11 games a year ago, averaging more than two per contest.
5. Joel Stave, Wisconsin
10 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 26-of-39, 228 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT in 35-17 loss vs. Alabama
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Miami (OH), Saturday, noon ET
Joel Stave had the toughest task of any Big Ten starting quarterback in Week 1. Not even the best signal-callers expect to have a positive offensive day against the always-stout Alabama defense.
Yet, Wisconsin's senior quarterback started out strong in last week's matchup of two Associated Press Top 25 teams. Stave completed 14 of 16 pass attempts for 149 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the first half as the Badgers found themselves only down seven at the break. The Crimson Tide outscored Wisconsin 21-10 the rest of the way as Stave's day got worse and worse.
He should get a nice reprieve this week in nonconference opponent Miami (OH), which finished with just two wins a year ago.
4. Wes Lunt, Illinois
11 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 11-of-19, 162 passing yards, 4 TDs in 52-3 win vs. Kent State
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Western Illinois, Saturday, noon ET
Wes Lunt may have thrown for just 162 yards in Week 1, but four of his 11 completions went for scores. The junior quarterback was so efficient early on that he left in the third quarter of the eventual blowout win over Kent State.
The former transfer from Oklahoma State has another easy matchup this week in Western Illinois. It could be another short day for Lunt if he starts hot again—which no doubt would be a good sign for the Fighting Illini. Lunt and Co. need all the confidence they can get before traveling to North Carolina next week for a B1G-ACC showdown.
3. Tommy Armstrong Jr., Nebraska
12 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 24-of-41, 319 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT in 33-28 loss vs. BYU
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. South Alabama, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
The Cornhuskers junior quarterback had an impressive statistical season-opener—but in the end it wasn't enough to hold off BYU at home.
Tommy Armstrong Jr. will face an easier opponent this week in South Alabama as Nebraska looks for its first win of 2015. Pay attention to how much he targets junior receiver Jordan Westerkamp. Against BYU, the duo paired up for seven receptions, 107 yards and a score. Their touchdown was a true team effort with Armstrong's highlight block serving as evidence.
"Can we talk about this Tommy Armstrong @Huskers block? Dude basically took out three defenders. http://t.co/xGSrNu2CfT
— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) September 7, 2015"
The Cornhuskers got a scare Monday when Armstrong was seen wearing a walking boot to practice. All is well, though, as their starting quarterback practiced Tuesday without any problems, per Josh Harvey of Scout.com.
2. Connor Cook, Michigan State
13 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 15-of-31, 256 passing yards, 2 TDs in 37-24 win at Western Michigan
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. No. 7 Oregon, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
Connor Cook will look for his revenge this weekend against No. 7 Oregon. In Michigan State's Week 2 loss to the Ducks a year ago, the senior quarterback threw for 343 yards but tossed two crucial interceptions. Cook will have the benefit of playing in front of a home crowd in East Lansing this time around.
Oregon's young secondary got torched last week as both of Eastern Washington's quarterbacks combined for 438 passing yards and five touchdowns. Cook, projected to be a first-round pick in May's NFL draft, should have a field day in this high-scoring affair.
The Spartans gunslinger may not have the talent around him compared to Ohio State's Cardale Jones—yet a win over Oregon would quickly move Cook into the conversation as the conference's best quarterback.
1. Cardale Jones, Ohio State
14 of 14
Week 1 Performance: 10-of-19, 187 passing yards, 99 rushing yards, 3 total TDs in 42-24 win vs. Virginia Tech
Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Hawaii, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Let's be honest. Whoever came out Monday night as the Buckeyes starter would top this list—it just so happened to be Cardale Jones.
The junior wasn't too shabby, though. His passing line may seem pedestrian, but Jones' 99 yards on the ground kept the Virginia Tech defense honest as he represented another threat alongside Ezekiel Elliot in the backfield.
Braxton Miller may have stole the show in Week 1, though he wouldn't have done so without Ohio State's Heisman-candidate quarterback running the offense to a T complete with jump throws and dual-threat ability.
Follow Dan on Twitter @dan_servodidio. Hit him up to talk college football every Thursday, Friday and Saturday...and all the other random days a game is on.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
