College Football Rankings: 8 Best QBs Heading into Week 5

Defense may win championships, but the quarterback is the heart and soul of the team. Most of the time, a team is only going as far as the man under center can take them.

The 2011 college football season features an inordinate amount of top-quality quarterbacks. Andrew Luck is supposed to be the next Peyton Manning, Kellen Moore might be the winningest college QB of all time when he's finished, and there are more than a few dual-threat guys playing well, too.

With all that competition, this is a tough list to crack. Here are the top eight quarterbacks in college football right now, based mostly on how well they've played this season. 

8. Tajh Boyd, Clemson Tigers

Facing a tough opening schedule that included the defending national champion Auburn Tigers and ACC-favorite Florida State Seminoles, Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd has played extremely well so far.

Through four games, Boyd has thrown for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns with just one interception. After playing mediocre football last season in limited time, Boyd has had a phenomenal start to this season, leading the Clemson Tigers to a 4-0 record and No. 13 ranking.

This weekend presents a different kind of challenge as Clemson travels to a hostile environment in the form of a night game at Lane Stadium. Boyd will have to show a lot of poise to face the Virginia Tech Hokies and come out with a third straight win over a ranked opponent.

7. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska Cornhuskers

It's hard to have complete faith in a quarterback whose offense ground to such a halt as it did at the end of last season. But Taylor Martinez had pretty good numbers in 2010 overall, and he's had a good start to the 2011 campaign.

Four games in, Martinez has thrown for just 647 yards and four touchdowns to two interceptions. However, he has also run for 421 yards and seven touchdowns.

This weekend's matchup with the No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers presents a huge game for Martinez and the No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Martinez played very poorly last season in Top 25 matchups with the Texas A&M Aggies and Oklahoma Sooners, as well as the bowl game against the Washington Huskies.

Taylor Martinez needs to avoid a reputation as a big game no-show by having a good showing against the Badgers.

6. Darron Thomas, Oregon Ducks

Despite suffering the loss to the LSU Tigers in Week 1, Oregon Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas has been very efficient this season.

Through four games, Thomas has passed for 842 yards and 12 touchdowns with just one interception, while rushing for two touchdowns.

With a tough opening schedule that also included the Nevada Wolfpack and Arizona Wildcats, the Ducks quarterback has responded well to the adversity of losing such a tough opener. I don't think we've seen the last of Oregon this season.

5. Denard Robinson, Michigan Wolverines

Through three games, Denard Robinson has already posted 526 passing yards and six touchdowns, and 506 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

While he still makes mistakes in the passing game too often (he has already thrown six interceptions), his abilities with his feet compensate for such shortcomings. Perhaps most impressively, "Shoelace" still hasn't tripped a single time in his three years with the Michigan Wolverines.

While I think the Wolverines will likely falter at some point (probably at least once during that tough November stretch) and Robinson will fall down the Heisman list he currently sits near the top of, he has played well so far.

4. Andrew Luck, Stanford Cardinal

With so much hype surrounding him, it's hard to put Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck anywhere but the top of this list. While he may be the best future pro, he has yet to prove he's the best quarterback in college football right now.

Through three games, Luck has thrown for 786 yards and eight touchdowns, with just one interception. But the Cardinal hasn't really played anyone. Big games at the USC Trojans, and home against the Oregon Ducks and Notre Dame Fighting Irish remain.

Luck didn't play particularly well against the latter two a season ago (combined four interceptions to just three touchdowns), but did show up big in the Orange Bowl against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

3. Russell Wilson, Wisconsin Badgers

Talk about getting the last laugh. Actually, not even the last laugh. Russell Wilson has already been laughing for about four weeks, and we might still be months away from the last laugh.

After dumping Wilson, a second-team All-ACC performer a season ago, the North Carolina State Wolfpack are 2-2 after playing an FCS team, the fledgling South Alabama Jaguars, and two FBS teams that didn't make bowls in 2010. Wilson's replacement, Mike Glennon, threw two interceptions in the Wolpack's most recent loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats.

At the same time, Wilson has compiled 1,136 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. His completion percentage is 75.8 percent, helping him post the second highest passing efficiency rating in college football right now. He sits near the top of most Heisman lists at this juncture.

Wilson has looked phenomenal against lesser competition so far. This weekend presents a huge challenge as his No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers face the No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

2. Kellen Moore, Boise State Broncos

You thought the loss of two NFL-caliber receivers (Titus Young, Austin Pettis) would slow Kellen Moore down? Clearly you haven't been watching him for the last three years (or taken a look at the Boise State Broncos' weak schedule).

Just three games in, Moore has compiled 995 yards and 12 touchdowns to just two interceptions. As he always does, he showed up big in the Broncos' biggest game. Against the Georgia Bulldogs, Moore was 28-34 for 261 yards and three touchdowns, with just one interception.

Kellen Moore's career numbers are outlandish. Though most of them have come against cupcake opponents, he has still had solid showings against the likes of TCU, Virginia Tech and Oregon. He's the most seasoned quarterback in college football right now.

1. Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears

After his coming-out party against the TCU Horned Frogs (21-27 for 359 yards and five touchdowns), Robert Griffin III has had two games against weak opponents.

Three games into the season, the Baylor Bears quarterback has 962 yards and 13 touchdowns without a single interception.

Griffin had solid numbers last season (3,501 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions), so there's no reason to think these opening stats are an aberration. It'll be interesting to see how Griffin and Baylor do with consecutive trips to face the No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies and No. 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys soon.