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Week 9 B1G QB Rankings: Surprise performances lead to nail-biting results
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We might’ve had some of the biggest shifts in the B1G quarterback rankings this season after what happened on Saturday. Plenty of guys stepped up in big moments, while a few others made some critical mistakes when the lights were the brightest.
For the most part, quarterback play was pretty solid across the B1G this week, at least that’s how it felt. And it’s probably no coincidence that last Saturday was, by far, the most entertaining weekend we’ve had in the conference. Because of it, there’s been some reshuffling in the QB rankings.
Maryland and Northwestern still don’t have quarterbacks ranked this week, though if Tyrrell Pigrome (Terrapins) and Aidan Smith (Wildcats) get starts next week, they’ll be in the rankings moving forward. Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez will be back if he plays against Indiana next week, as well.
So, without any further delay, here’s what the B1G quarterback rankings look like heading into Week 9:
Unranked this week
Josh Jackson, Maryland (injury)
Adrian Martinez, Nebraska (injury)
Hunter Johnson, Northwestern (did not start)
11. Johnny Langan, Rutgers
Last week vs. #20 Minnesota: 9-of-19, 48 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT
I’m just wondering how bad it’s going to look when Langan has to go up against Ohio State and Penn State later this year. It was another dreadful day for Langan, and it certainly isn’t all his fault. I’m not even sure what the goal would be for him at this point. Don’t throw an interception, I guess.
Last week: No. 10
10. Brian Lewerke, Michigan State
Last week: OFF
Keeping Lewerke at No. 7 didn’t feel right considering he’s led the Spartans to just 10 points the last two weeks and had an off day on Saturday. He can make a big leap this weekend against Penn State, but he takes a hit this week.
Last week: No. 7
9. Brandon Peters, Illinois
Last week vs. #6 Wisconsin: 9-of-21, 174 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
The final stats weren’t great for Peters, but there were two huge items we need to recognize about his performance against Wisconsin in the upset. No. 1: He connected with his receivers on a few explosive plays throughout the game, which turned out to be the difference in the game. No. 2: Peters didn’t throw an interception against one of the nation’s top defenses. He did exactly what Illinois needed him to do.
Last week: Unranked
8. Jack Plummer, Purdue
Last week vs. #23 Iowa: 30-of-50, 327 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Plummer’s arm may be held together by duct tape by the time the season ends. He threw 50 passes for the Boilermakers against Iowa, and was actually pretty productive for the game. But those throws and all that yardage didn’t result in points. Plummer experienced some lulls against a good defense had threw a critical interception. Overall, though, a pretty good outing on the road.
Last week: No. 9
7. Nate Stanley, Iowa
Last week vs. Purdue: 23-of-33, 260 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Do you know what Stanley’s touchdown-interception ratio is in the last three games? 1 to 5. That’s the opposite of good, especially for a senior quarterback. The pass protection hasn’t been all that great, causing Stanley to force some throws this month — which isn’t the best recipe for success at Iowa. Stanley is too experienced and those Hawkeye receivers are too good for these struggles to continue.
Last week: No. 5
6. Shea Patterson, Michigan
Last week vs. #7 Penn State: 24-of-41, 276 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
It took the eighth week of the season, but we finally saw the gutsy Shea Patterson on the field. The Michigan QB deserves a significant bump this week, because he was a huge reason why the Wolverines clawed their way back into a 21-0 game against Penn State. He still made some bad decisions at times, but that’s a good Penn State defense. This might’ve been Patterson’s best outing, even though the statistics may not indicate that.
Last week: No. 8
5. Michael Penix Jr., Indiana
Last week vs. Maryland: 9-of-14, 141 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Moving Penix into the top five was difficult considering he left the game extremely early with an injury, but his previous performances this season, as well as the numbers he put up through essentially one quarter against Maryland, has been impressive. He nearly accounted for 200 yards of total offense in 15 minutes of play. When he’s on the field, the Indiana offense is just different.
Last week: No. 6
4. Jack Coan, Wisconsin
Last week vs. Illinois: 24-of-32, 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
The first not-so-great performance from Coan of the year. We all expected it to happen at some point, we just didn’t think it would happen against Illinois. Coan actually played fairly well for most of the game, but that interception he threw at the end of the game is going to haunt him for a few weeks. He has to regroup fast, with Wisconsin traveling to Columbus to take on Ohio State next Saturday. Coan needs to have a lights out performance against the Buckeyes.
Last week: No. 3
3. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Last week vs. Rutgers: 15-of-28, 245 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Actually, Morgan didn’t have quite the day everyone expected against Rutgers. Then again, Minnesota didn’t need to exactly go to its air raid attack in order to beat the Scarlet Knights. Morgan has been kind of the quiet quarterback in the B1G this year, but he ranks third in completion percentage and has only thrown three interceptions through seven games. It’s a big reason why Minnesota is sitting at 7-0 right now.
Last week: No. 4
2. Sean Clifford, Penn State
Last week vs. #16 Michigan: 14-of-25, 182 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Clifford came through in the biggest game of the year for Penn State. Not only did he throw three touchdown passes, he also scored on the ground, accounting for all four of the Nittany Lions’ scores in the 28-21 victory. This kid is proving to be a special player. He had quite a bit of help from KJ Hamler, but someone has to get the wide receiver the ball. Clifford is doing that in Happy Valley and it’s really paying off.
Last week: No. 2
1. Justin Fields, Ohio State
Last week vs. Northwestern: 18-of-23, 194 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
A completion percentage over 70 percent, 30 total touchdowns and just one interception. Fields was at it again on Friday night, picking apart the Northwestern defense — which has actually been pretty solid this season. But that’s been the story all year, Fields has made even good defenses look elementary. I guess we’ll see what he can do against Wisconsin on Saturday, but would you really be surprised if you saw another Heisman performance from the sophomore?
Last week: No. 1
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB