B1G QB Rankings after Week 6: Peyton Ramsey, Adrian Martinez shine despite losses
Week 6 didn’t provide us with much excitement from a game perspective, but it was a really good Saturday for quarterbacks.
B1G gunslingers lit up the sky this weekend, as six of the 12 in action threw for over 300 yards. A few others showed off their mobility and dual-threat capabilities, as well. So even on a relatively uneventful football Saturday in the conference, the quarterback play gave us something to talk about.
The result from the quarterback-friendly weekend? A little shakeup in the weekly QB rankings.
14. Artur Sitkowski, Rutgers (E)
Three more interceptions thrown by Sitkowski this weekend in another loss. The freshman has almost four times as many picks (11) as touchdown passes (3). It’s a pretty steep learning curve in Piscataway.
Last week vs. Illinois: 29-of-46, 267 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
13. Kasim Hill, Maryland (-2)
Things have really gone downhill since the season opener against Texas. Hill hasn’t exceeded 17 passes in a game since his Week 1 performance. Saturday, he threw just 10 passes in the loss to Michigan. The Terrapins do have some playmakers in the backfield, but Hill just hasn’t been a factor at all in the offense recently.
Last week vs. Michigan: 5-of-10, 62 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
12. Zack Annexstad, Minnesota (-3)
Now that Annexstad is starting to play B1G competition, we’re beginning to realize he’s still a true freshman. He’s thrown five interceptions and completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes against Maryland and Iowa in the last two games. Annexstad will probably have really wide eyes this week, when the Gophers battle Ohio State.
Last week vs. Iowa: 17-of-33, 218 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs
11. AJ Bush, Illinois (+2)
Rutgers might have served as the perfect opponent for Bush to make his return after missing the previous two games with injury. The Illinois quarterback recorded his first touchdown pass of the season and showed off his dual-threat ability, rushing for 116 yards and two scores. The Illini definitely have a weapon under center.
Last week vs. Rutgers: 10-of-18, 89 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
10. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern (+2)
It was only appropriate that Thorson dominate Michigan State one final time. He ends his career with over 1,000 passing yards against the Spartans and a perfect 3-0 record. The senior also set a new career-high on Saturday, throwing for 373 yards. This is a good time for Thorson to get into a rhythm, as the Wildcats have an important stretch coming up.
Last week vs. Michigan State: 31-of-47, 373 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
9. Adrian Martinez, Nebraska (+1)
All of these big numbers and nothing to show for it. Martinez fueled another 500-yard offensive performance for the Huskers, but it still wasn’t nearly enough to knock off Wisconsin. This kid is going to be really special when he has other playmakers around him and that defense gets fixed.
Last week vs. Wisconsin: 24-of-42, 384 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
8. Nate Stanley, Iowa (-1)
Following a ho-hum start to the season, Stanley is really starting to get into a groove. The junior has completed 66.7 percent of his passes and has thrown eight touchdowns over the last three games. We are still waiting to see if he can deliver a performance similar to last year’s Ohio State game, though.
Last week vs. Minnesota: 23-of-39, 314 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT
7. Peyton Ramsey, Indiana (+1)
Ramsey continues to fly under the radar, but he was really good against Ohio State. Sure, he got plenty of help from his wide receivers, but throwing for over 300 yards without an interception against the Buckeyes? That’s a pretty strong performance. And it moves you up at least a spot in the QB rankings.
Last week vs. Ohio State: 26-of-49, 322 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT
6. Brian Lewerke, Michigan State (-1)
This is really getting difficult to judge. Lewerke might be better than No. 6 in the B1G, but it’s really hard to tell behind the atrocious offensive line. Michigan State also doesn’t have much of a run game, putting all of the offensive pressure on Lewerke’s shoulders. Mark Dantonio may just be asking too much out of his quarterback.
Last week vs. Northwestern: 31-of-51, 329 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
5. Alex Hornibrook, Wisconsin (+1)
Wisconsin pretty much allowed its rushing attack to dominate Nebraska’s defense on Saturday night. But Hornibrook stepped in occasionally to mix things up offensively. His numbers weren’t great, but they certainly didn’t need to be against the Huskers.
Last week vs. Nebraska: 13-of-24, 163 yards, 1 TD
4. David Blough, Purdue (E)
A week off probably served Blough well. We’ll see if he picks up where he left off next week vs. Illinois.
Last week, bye week: No stats
3. Shea Patterson, Michigan (E)
Patterson’s 282 yards against Maryland was his highest passing total of the season and he threw three touchdowns for the third time. It’s safe to say that the former 5-star prospect is starting to feel comfortable in Ann Arbor. He’s got a huge three-game stretch coming up though, and that will tell us a lot about Patterson.
Last week vs. Maryland: 19-of-27, 282 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
2. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (E)
After throwing six more touchdown passes on Saturday, Haskins is on pace to record 50 touchdowns through the air in a single season. Just an absolutely incredible stat. He did appear a little more human against Indiana though, throwing two interceptions in the game. Still, there really aren’t enough good things to say about the Buckeye quarterback.
Last week vs. Indiana: 32-of-44, 455 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs
1. Trace McSorley, Penn State (E)
Another big opportunity for McSorley as he’ll be tested by the Michigan State defense next weekend.
Last week, bye week: No stats