College Football Power Rankings: The Top 25 Quarterbacks Heading into Week 4
Another week of college football is in the books.
While it's been an exciting ride for some teams, it's been a sad and unfortunate one for others.
Houston lost star quarterback Case Keenum and his backup Cotton Turner for the season on Saturday, and now have the look of a team that's lost and spiraling down the drain.
Such is the way of the game, though—just ask Baylor fans about that. You'll get no sympathy from them after having to endure most of 2009 without Robert Griffin.
Moving from the unfortunate to the fortunate, it must be good to be an Arkansas fan right now. Ryan Mallett put on a show against Georgia and silenced many of his doubters.
He wasn't the only quarterback to go off last week though. There have been quite a few shifts in the rankings since Week 2.
Here are the top 25 quarterbacks heading into Week 4.
25. Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech
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2010 Stats
Yards: 200 / TD: 2 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 36.0 / Rating: 121.60 / Rushing Yards: 267 / AVG: 4.7 / TD: 6
We're not sure we buy Josh Nesbitt as a quarterback by traditional standards, as he spends most of his time rushing in the Yellow Jackets' triple-option offense.
He has yet to pass for over 115 yards in any game and has a terrible 36 percent completion rate. Still, you can't argue with his effectiveness on the ground.
In Georgia Tech's big win over North Carolina, he passed for 76 yards and a touchdown, with 104 yards and another touchdown rushing.
24. T.J. Yates, North Carolina
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2010 Stats
Yards: 621 / TD: 4 / INT: 0 / CMP%: 65.7 / Rating: 159.09
T.J. Yates has been better in 2010 than most observers expected him to be entering the season.
Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, that hasn't equaled victories yet.
North Carolina has lost 30-24 in each of its first two games, first to LSU and most recently to ACC-rival Georgia Tech.
In those games, Yates has combined for over 600 yards and four touchdowns, playing solid, mistake-free football.
23. Dayne Crist, Notre Dame
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2010 Stats
Yards: 851 / TD: 7 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 60.4 / Rating: 145.83
We have our doubts about Crist after a couple of key losses to Michigan and Michigan State.
But that's not just on him; it's on the team as a whole.
Those who were expecting the Irish to jump out of the gates swinging might want to reconsider their stance, but that isn't to say the future doesn't look bright at quarterback.
Even in defeat, Crist was impressive against Michigan State, with 369 yards and four touchdowns. But he did have an interception in the second quarter.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Kirk Cousins, Michigan State
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2010 Stats
Yards: 573 / TD: 4 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 63.4 / Rating: 144.13
Cousins was bumped from the list last week after a subpar game against Florida Atlantic, but he bounced back in a big way against Notre Dame in Week 3.
Yes, there was some clock controversy surrounding this one, but give Cousins his credit; he was a big reason why the Spartans were able to pull off the 34-31 overtime win.
Cousins went 23-33 for 245 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. On the other side of the field, Dayne Crist was pretty impressive too, but we'll give the edge to the game's victor.
21. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
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2010 Stats
Yards: 392 / TD: 1 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 65.1 / Rating: 144.71 / Rushing Yards: 421 / AVG: 10.5 / TD: 8
Nebraska fans, your calls for Martinez have not gone unheard.
After another solid performance in Week 3, there's no denying he's a top 25 quarterback.
He's more of a runner than a passer, but the numbers are impressive anyway you look at them. Washington is an underrated opponent with a decent defense, and he absolutely shredded them in the Cornhuskers' 56-21 victory.
Martinez has totaled over 800 total yards of offense through three games and nine touchdowns. There aren't many players in the country producing better.
20. Cameron Newton, Auburn
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2010 Stats
Yards: 525 / TD: 7 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 57.4 / Rating: 187.66 / Rushing Yards: 309 / AVG: 6.9 / TD: 2
Newton wasn't particularly strong against Clemson in Week 3, but he did lead his team to victory.
At the end of the day, that's what matters most.
Auburn has won its last two games by a combined six points, and while Newton hasn't necessarily been the difference-maker, he hasn't cost the Tigers a game either.
Against Clemson he was 7-of-14 for 203 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, adding another 68 yards on the ground.
19. Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
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2010 Stats
Yards: 852 / TD: 4 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 67.7 / Rating: 129.82
Gabbert has yet to really be tested in 2010, having gone up against Illinois, McNeese State, and San Diego State.
But the team is winning, so you can't argue with that.
Beating San Diego State by three points isn't exactly the type of performance that sparks a ton of confidence going forward, but Gabbert was 28-of-51 for 351 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the contest.
If he doesn't play better against Miami (OH) next week, there will be some cause for concern.
18. Jacory Harris, Miami
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2010 Stats
Yards: 442 / TD: 4 / INT: 4 / CMP%: 63.0 / Rating: 141.35
Harris and the 'Canes were off this week, but fans are probably still a bit queasy from his performance against Ohio State.
He threw four interceptions on the day, putting the Hurricanes' defense in terrible position all game long and pretty much securing defeat in the much-anticipated matchup.
With Pitt up next, Harris will get the chance to rebound and prove that he can do better than he showed against the Buckeyes.
17. Christian Ponder, Florida State
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2010 Stats
Yards: 429 / TD: 5 / INT: 3 / CMP%: 58.7 / Rating: 132.60
Ponder bounced back from a bad game against Oklahoma in the Seminoles' victory over BYU in Week 3.
After completing under 40 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions against the Sooners, Ponder looked more like himself back at home.
In FSU's convincing 34-10 victory, he threw for 149 yards and a touchdown, with another 50 yards rushing and a second score.
16. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
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2010 Stats
Yards: 975 / TD: 11 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 73.3 / Rating: 186.33
Weeden was left off the list after the first couple of games of the season as we waited to see if he was legit.
And while Washington State, Troy and Tulsa aren't exactly the type of competition you'd like to measure a quarterback against, the numbers have been very impressive.
When a quarterback is already playing well and then goes off for 409 yards and six touchdowns in a 65-28 victory, it doesn't matter who he's playing: that's legit.
15. Ricky Stanzi, Iowa
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2010 Stats
Yards: 711 / TD: 6 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 63.5 / Rating: 168.28
Iowa is coming off a tough loss to Arizona in Week 3, but that shouldn't reflect negatively on Ricky Stanzi.
Despite the loss, Stanzi had a solid game. Though we would have liked to see better accuracy and no interceptions, his pick was due to the receiver, not the throw.
Stanzi was 18-of-33 for 278 yards and three touchdowns on the night. With four ranked Big Ten opponents coming up after Ball State, Stanzi is about to really get tested.
14. Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
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2010 Stats
Yards: 865 / TD: 7 / INT: 4 / CMP%: 58.7 / Rating: 139.23
After starting the year red-hot, Jerrod Johnson put up a performance to forget in Texas A&M's 27-20 victory over Florida International in Week 3.
Johnson was 11-of-31 for 194 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions on the day. Against a better opponent, the Aggies lose that game badly.
If he doesn't play a whole lot better against Oklahoma State, Johnson will begin a free fall down the rankings.
13. Matt Barkley, USC
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2010 Stats
Yards: 651 / TD: 9 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 65.5 / Rating: 161.17
Ever since his opening weekend performance against Hawaii, Matt Barkley hasn't looked quite as good and is beginning to show some weakness on the field.
He was decent against Virginia and no better against Minnesota this past week.
Barkley passed for 192 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Trojans' 32-21 victory. If he turns the ball over like that against Stanford or Oregon, USC will lose.
12. Robert Griffin III, Baylor
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2010 Stats
Yards: 703 / TD: 5 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 55.6 / Rating: 129.85 / Rushing Yards: 107 / AVG: 4.3 / TD: 3
Like Johnson, Griffin didn't do much to help his case in Week 3, with an ineffective performance against TCU in an ugly 45-10 loss.
Griffin at least held onto the ball, with 185 total yards and a touchdown, but this wasn't the type of game we were expecting from one of the nation's best playmakers.
Maybe TCU's defense is just that good, but we're inclined to believe that Griffin could have had a much better performance than that.
11. Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
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2010 Stats
Yards: 509 / TD: 5 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 61.1 / Rating: 167.14 / Rushing Yards: 191 / AVG: 5.0 / TD: 0
Taylor was expected to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation this season, but he hasn't shown it yet after a couple losses to open the year and a decent performance against East Carolina.
Compared to how things went down against James Madison last week, Taylor and the Hokies won't be complaining after their 49-27 victory, but we're still not convinced Taylor is an elite quarterback in 2010.
He was 8-of-16 for 199 yards and a pair of touchdowns. With Boston College and N.C. State up next, he'll need to do better to turn this season around.
10. Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
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2010 Stats
Yards: 728 / TD: 5 / INT: 0 / CMP%: 70.4 / Rating: 166.24 / Rushing Yards: 369 / AVG: 9.5 / TD: 7
Fans have been calling for Colin Kaepernick to get his respect, and after his performance against Cal in Week 3, we're finally listening.
Admittedly, we didn't give Kaepernick enough credit for his outstanding performances against Eastern Washington and Colorado State, but in Nevada's 52-31 victory, he proved himself more than worthy.
Kaepernick was 10-of-15 for 181 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 148 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He's on pace for over 4,000 total yards this season.
9. Russell Wilson, NC State
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2010 Stats
Yards: 744 / TD: 8 / INT: 0 / CMP%: 56.4 / Rating: 144.45
Wilson was solid once again in Week 3, leading N.C. State to a 3-0 start and giving hope that this might be a much better year than most observers expected.
Against Cincinnati, Wilson had arguably his best game of the season, throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns in the 30-19 victory.
The Wolfpack head to Atlanta next, and things should be a lot tougher against Georgia Tech. If N.C. State is looking to make a statement in the ACC, this is the chance to do it.
8. Landry Jones, Oklahoma
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2010 Stats
Yards: 851 / TD: 7 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 61.9 / Rating: 138. 63
Jones wasn't quite as good against Air Force as his dominating performance against FSU.
But he led the Sooners to a win, nonetheless.
Though a 27-24 victory isn't the type of game Oklahoma fans were expecting, Jones threw for 254 yards and touchdown on the day.
But if this team is going to get past Texas in a couple weeks, he'll need to do a whole lot better than that.
7. Greg McElroy, Alabama
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2010 Stats: Yards: 705 / TD: 6 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 71.7 / Rating: 200.03
McElroy never seems to get the respect he deserves as many people will point toward the strength of the Crimson Tide's roster, rather than McElroy's talent, when it comes to evaluating his performances.
While Alabama does feature one of the best rosters in the game, McElroy shouldn't be faulted for that. He's playing near-perfect football through the first three weeks of the season, and plays a bigger role in this team's success than he's given credit for.
Against Duke, McElroy was 14-of-20 for 258 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.
6. Jake Locker, Washington
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2010 Stats: Yards: 626 / TD: 6 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 51.1 / Rating: 127.10 / Rushing Yards: 100 / AVG: 3.7 / TD: 2
Locker was bad against Nebraska, really bad.
Some are calling it the worst game of his college career, and it's hard to argue against such a notion.
He was 4-of-20 for 71 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions, adding 59 yards and a score on the ground in the Huskies' 56-21 loss on Saturday.
Is the Cornhuskers' defense just that good? Or was there too much hype surrounding Locker entering the season?
The jury is still out.
5. Kellen Moore, Boise State
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2010 Stats: Yards: 585 / TD: 5 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 63.2 / Rating: 156.82
Boise State returned to action in Week 3 after an early bye, and the Broncos looked just as sharp as ever in their 51-6 blowout of Wyoming.
If not for an interception, Moore would have had a perfect performance in the contest, throwing for 370 yards and a pair of touchdowns off 20-of-30 passing.
Things should get a lot more interesting against Oregon State next week, in what looks like Boise State's last real test of the regular season.
4. Denard Robinson, Michigan
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2010 Stats: Yards: 671 / TD: 4 / INT: 1 / CMP%: 69.7 / Rating: 158.64 / Rushing Yards: 559 / AVG: 7.6 / TD: 4
Robinson continued his stellar season with another great performance in Week 3.
After beating Notre Dame last week, Robinson helped the Wolverines squeeze by Massachusetts 42-37.
He was 10-of-14 for 241 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the day, adding another 104 yards and a score on the ground.
He's leading the nation in rushing and has Michigan off to its best start in years
3. Andrew Luck, Stanford
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2010 Stats: Yards: 674 / TD: 10 / INT: 0 / CMP%: 64.3 / Rating: 192.31 / Rushing Yards: 140 / AVG: 10.8 / TD: 1
Luck was his usual self against Wake Forest in Week 3, playing extremely efficient in the Cardinal's 68-24 victory.
He went 17-of-23 for 207 yards and four touchdowns, with another 69 yards and score on the ground.
Add in the fact that Luck has only been sacked once this year and has yet to throw an interception, and there's no denying he's seriously in the mix for the Heisman.
2. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
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2010 Stats: Yards: 715 / TD: 6 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 63.0 / Rating: 156.62 / Rushing Yards: 165 / AVG: 4.6 / TD: 2
After a tremendous game against Miami in Week 2, Pryor didn't look quite as sharp against Ohio in Week 3, with a pair of interceptions marring what was otherwise a near-perfect game.
In the Buckeyes 43-7 victory, Pryor was 22-of-29 for 235 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 35 yards on the ground and a third score.
He'll have a few more very winnable matchups before Ohio State faces off with Wisconsin in mid-October.
1. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
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2010 Stats: Yards: 1081 / TD: 9 / INT: 2 / CMP%: 70.0 / Rating: 186.50
Mallett proved why he's the top quarterback in the country after a dominating performance against Georgia in Arkansas' 31-24 victory in Week 3.
Some might point toward the fact that Georgia is off to 1-2 start and has lost two SEC games in a row, but we're still talking about a solid football team.
Mallett looked like nothing short of a leading Heisman candidate, throwing for 380 yards and three touchdowns in the win; he has yet to throw for 300 yards in a game this season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
