College Football Power Rankings, Week 1: The Big 12 Quarterbacks
The first week of college football is in the books, and there is already chatter of which teams deserve what and avid fans predicting the future.
In this week's edition of power rankings, Big 12 quarterbacks are under the spotlight.
As a conference, the group doesn't stand out amongst the nation's best, but there are a couple of bright spots on what otherwise could be deemed a pretty vanilla weekend in the Southwest.
Let's start from the bottom.
No. 12—Kale Pick, Kansas
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The first week of Big 12 Quarterback Power Rankings starts at the bottom (or top) with the Kansas Jayhawks' Kale Pick.
He doesn't have the most intimidating name for a quarterback, and he inspired little confidence in Kansas' pathetic 6-3 loss to North Dakota State.
The sophomore completed 13 of 22 passes for 138 yards, but threw an interception and no touchdowns before he was replaced by freshman Jordan Webb.
Basketball season is still a couple months away, Kansas fans.
No. 11—Austen Arnaud, Iowa State
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Iowa State's senior quarterback Austen Arnaud did throw for 265 yards, going 27-of-36, but threw two interceptions to no touchdowns—not a good ratio to start the season.
The good news is that the Cyclones' running game picked up from where it left off last season.
Arnaud may not have to carry this team by himself if the rushing attack can be as productive as it demonstrated against an inferior Northern Illinois team. Iowa State may not want him to either.
No. 10—Garrett Gilbert, Texas
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Coach Mack Brown made it clear that establishing a downhill running game was a main objective in Texas' matchup against Rice, and that game plan came to fruition nicely.
While sophomore Garrett Gilbert gets his feet wet in his first season as the starting quarterback, his stats won't jump off the page—he went 14-of-23 for 172 yards.
Gilbert's stock likely won't change much until the offense turns to a more balanced attack.
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No. 9—Carson Coffman, Kansas State
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The senior Carson Coffman had little to do in the Wildcats' 31-22 season-opening win against UCLA, but surely he didn't mind handing the ball to the team's star player in Daniel Thomas, who rushed for 234 yards and two scores.
Coffman threw for just 66 yards on 11 completions, including one for a touchdown.
Kansas State discovered this formula last season. Don't be surprised to see much of the same in 2010.
No. 8—Tyler Hansen, Colorado
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With the Buffaloes opening the season with their in-state rival Colorado State, junior Tyler Hansen led his team to an easy 24-3 victory.
Hansen passed for 192 yards on 17 of 25 attempts with two touchdowns and a pick. He also sneaked one in on the ground for just the second rushing score in his career.
It was a good primer for Colorado, as the road for Hansen and the Buffs will only get bumpier as the schedule fills out.
No. 7—Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
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As expected, Nebraska leaned on a great running game that picked up close to 300 yards—127 of them coming from the freshman Taylor Martinez, who also rushed for three touchdowns.
The Huskers' signal caller was much less effective throwing the football, however, passing for 136 yards on nine of 15 attempts. But a solid running game and a great defense will win several games for Bo Pelini this season.
Despite Nebraska giving snaps to three quarterbacks, there was plenty of distribution to go around, but don't expect the passing game to take off in the coming weeks.
No. 6—Landry Jones, Oklahoma
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In a contest that was surprisingly close, the Sooners pulled out a 31-24 win over Utah State.
Landry Jones, in his first season as Oklahoma's starting quarterback, completed 17 of 36 passes for 217 with a pair of touchdowns and a couple of interceptions.
Any struggles will have to be ironed out quickly when Florida State comes to Norman next week.
The Sooners may have to lean on running back DeMarco Murray a little more in this game.
No. 5—Robert Griffin III, Baylor
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A healthy Robert Griffin showcased his diverse talent in Baylor's 34-3 romp over Sam Houston State.
Still classified as a sophomore, Griffin passed for 242 yards and two touchdowns, but completed just 19 of 36 attempts. The shifty playmaker also led the Bears in rushing with 59 yards, including a 30-yard scamper for a score.
Finding an early groove in the season will be crucial if Baylor is to achieve any kind of success when they travel to Fort Worth to take on TCU in a couple of weeks.
No. 4—Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
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In a dismantling 65-17 rout of the overmatched Washington State Cougars, Oklahoma State's offense was chugging along as if it was in midseason form.
Junior quarterback Brandon Weeden, taking over for the now-departed Zac Robinson, threw for 218 yards on 22 of 30 attempts with three touchdowns and no blemishes to his box score.
Any harsh trip-ups for Weeden and he can lean on tailback Kendall Hunter all he wants.
No. 3—Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
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Facing a 10-point halftime deficit, junior Blaine Gabbert mounted a second-half comeback to take the season opener 23-13 over Illinois.
The 6'5" signal caller finished with 281 yards on 34 of 48 attempts with two touchdowns.
It helped that the Tigers' defense kept the Illini scoreless in the second half, but a relatively weak non-conference lineup will help get Gabbert into a nice groove before conference play kicks off.
No. 2—Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
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This year is Jerrod Johnson's year to shine.
The senior passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns on 23 of 35 passes, and he added another score on the ground from a yard out in a 48-7 blowout over Stephen F. Austin.
Perhaps he's keeping his legs fresh for more intimidating opponents, but Johnson is showing any naysayers his ability to sling the ball around the field.
He's off to a good start as the Aggies gear up for an early conference game with Oklahoma State and a non-conference fixture with the Razorbacks slated the next week.
No. 1—Taylor Potts, Texas Tech
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Despite the arrival of Tommy Tuberville as the head man in Lubbock, Taylor Potts and the Red Raiders' offense resembled the style of previous years under Mike Leach and the spread offense.
Potts tops off this week's quarterback power rankings, slinging the ball 54 times, and completing 34 passes for 359 yards with four touchdowns, three of them to Lyle Leong.
If Texas Tech's defense doesn't lift its game, Potts and Co. will need much of the same and more to tackle Texas in a couple of weeks.
At any rate, it reaffirms Tuberville's confidence in the senior as the starter, and Potts will need all the help he can get in his last year in Lubbock.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
