2010 CFB Predictions: Ranking the Big 12's Starting Quarterbacks
It's game time college football fans and the action in the Big 12 should be the best in years. This conference is no longer a two-horse race between Texas and Oklahoma after the push Nebraska had at the end of the season.
The Cornhuskers will battle for the conference crown, but they aren't the only up-and-comers on the block. Texas Tech, with Tommy Tuberville at the helm, has to be considered a darkhorse. Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Baylor are good enough to challenge the big dogs and could spoil the party for any contender.
So how will the battle for the Big 12 play out?
We have a whole season packed with action to find the answer to that question, but what we can do in the meantime is make some predictions.
So how about this one.
Here are the preseason power rankings for the starting quarterbacks of the Big 12; no single player will play a bigger role in their team's success on the field in 2010.
12. Carson Coffman, Kansas State
1 of 12
2009 Statistics: 863 Passing Yards / 2 TD / 4 INT / 60% COMP
With Grant Gregory gone, Carson Coffman will have the first crack at taking over the starting quarterback gig at Kansas State.
Coffman started the first four games of the season in 2009, but was quickly replaced after a bad loss to Louisiana-Lafayette and an ineffective performance against UCLA. He'll have to prove each week the job deserves to be his.
11. Tyler Hansen, Colorado
2 of 12
2009 Statistics: 1,440 Passing Yards / 8 TD / 7 INT / 55.8% COMP
Tyler Hansen has been in and out of the starting lineup at Colorado for the last two seasons and it looks like 2010 will finally be his year to claim the job on a permanent basis.
He noticeably matured throughout the season in 2009 and really came into his own down the stretch. Take away a poor game against Nebraska and Hansen's season could almost be considered a success.
10. Kale Pick, Kansas
3 of 12
2009 Statistics: 22 Passing Yards / 0 TD / 0 INT / 80% COMP
Now that Todd Reesing is gone the Kale Pick Era is about to begin at Kansas. Pick has a ton of upside, but practically nothing to offer in the way of experience.
He's a great athlete with a strong arm and if he can play consistently, the coaches will keep him in the starting lineup. If not, he'll be replaced about as fast as any quarterback in the conference.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
9. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
4 of 12
2009 Statistics: 248 Passing Yards / 4 Touchdowns / 1 INT / 62.5% COMP
Weeden only saw limited minutes with Zac Robinson at the helm in 2009, but Robinson is yet another quarterback who's now out of the picture and it's Weeden's job to lose.
He hasn't had a very good offseason, but this 26-year-old and former pitcher in the New York Yankee farm system has a cannon arm and can really get the ball downfield.
8. Zac Lee, Nebraska
5 of 12
2009 Statistics: 2,143 passing yards / 14 TD / 10 INT / 58.6% COMP
Zac Lee didn't have too much pressure on him last year while Nebraska leaned on its defense and running game. But he's entering his senior year now and needs to step up and be a leader for this team.
He was good toward the end of the year, but put up a lame duck performance against Texas in the Big 12 championship. Something tells me this former JUCO star will be more consistent in 2010 and should be healthier after an offseason arm surgery.
7. Austen Arnaud, Iowa State
6 of 12
2009 Statistics: 2,015 Passing Yards / 14 TD / 13 INT / 58.7% COMP / 561 Rushing Yards / 8 TD
Arnaud had a down year in 2009 in a season when most observers expected him to be one of the Big 12's breakout players. He wasn't terrible last year, but his inconsistency was troubling and it cost Iowa State on more than one occasion.
There's no denying how good of a dual-threat passer he can be though. Arnaud is a big, strong quarterback with a quick pair of feet; he's a difficult target to bring down. Add in some improved decision-making and the expectations of a year ago might finally be realized.
6. Taylor Potts, Texas Tech
7 of 12
2009 Statistics: 3,440 Passing Yards / 22 TD / 13 INT / 65.7 % COMP
Of all the Big 12's starting quarterbacks, Taylor Potts is probably in the most danger of losing his job. It's not because he's played poorly; it's more so that his backup, Steven Sheffield, is a fan-favorite and has performed very well when Potts has been out with injury.
Potts needs to prove he's healthy, stop making the mistakes that plagued his 2009 season, and have more of the 400-yard games that made him look like a star in the making a year ago.
5. Garrett Gilbert, Texas
8 of 12
2009 Statistics: 310 Passing Yards / 2 TD / 4 INT / 45.5% COMP
Gilbert comes into the year with a lot of very high expectations considering he was the Gatorade and Parade National Player of the Year in 2008 and has the chance to be the next great quarterback at UT.
The problem is his production on the field hasn't been that great so far, but there really haven't been a whole lot of opportunities to show what he can do anyway. If it starts to click next season, he could explode on the scene
4. Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
9 of 12
2009 Statistics: 3,579 Passing Yards / 30 TD / 8 INT / 59.6% COMP / 506 Rushing Yards, 8 TD
Johnson is already one of the best quarterbacks in Aggies history—if not the outright best. He holds several single-season records on top of throwing the most career touchdowns in school history.
After his breakout performance against Texas last year, Johnson has proven he's capable of playing with just about anyone. He's the leader of an A&M team that's better than its 6-7 record in 2009 indicates.
3. Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
10 of 12
2009 Statistics: 3,593 Passing Yards / 24 TD / 9 INT / 58.9% COMP / 204 Rushing Yards / 3 TD
Gabbert will be starting his second season as the Tigers quarterback and should continue leading their high-powered offense to a productive campaign in 2010.
Gabbert is a solid pocket-passer with great accuracy on most of his throws. He's also deceptively fast when forced to scramble. As the season progresses, he'll be on watch lists for many national awards
2. Landry Jones, Oklahoma
11 of 12
2009 Statistics: 3,198 Passing Yards / 28 TD / 14 INT / 58.1% COMP
Landry Jones was forced into a starting role much sooner than expected for the Sooners because of the nagging shoulder injury problems of Sam Bradford. While Oklahoma had a disappointing season, the freshman actually held his own out there and got a ton of valuable game experience.
That experience is going to come into play in 2010 when Jones takes over sole control of the starting quarterback position. He has the tools to be very successful leading the Sooners.
1. Robert Griffin III, Baylor
12 of 12
2009 Statistics: 481 Passing Yards / 4 TD / 0 INT / 65.2% COMP
Griffin emerged as a dangerous weapon as an 18-year-old dual-threat quarterback with exceptional athleticism. Unfortunately, a torn ACL sidelined him for much of last year and ruined Baylor's season.
He's back this year healthy and ready to resume where he left off as a freshman. As long as that knee holds up, he could be one of the best college football players in the country, period
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
