B1G QB Rankings after Week 3: A record-setting Saturday for 3 gunslingers

I’m not going to talk about the B1G’s awful Saturday. I’ve already beaten that horse to death. So instead, let’s talk about some of the positive things that happened in the conference. Maybe a few record-setting performances, for instance?

Three B1G quarterbacks hit milestones on Saturday, all for different reasons. Trace McSorley joined the 1,000-yard rushing club. David Blough accounted for 588 total yards of offense, a B1G single-game record. Clayton Thorson completed his 45th career touchdown pass, a new program record at Northwestern.

So there was some good that came out of an otherwise forgettable weekend. Oh, and Dwayne Haskins is absolutely a Heisman candidate. But you’ll find out why later.

Here’s how we’re ranking B1G quarterbacks following Week 3.

 Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

14. Artur Sitkowski, Rutgers (E)

The first three games of Sitkowski’s career at Rutgers couldn’t have gone much worse. The freshman threw three more interceptions against Kansas last week, bringing his season total to seven. Over the last two weeks, Sitkowski has thrown 37 passes but has totaled just 85 yards.

Last week vs. Kansas: 7-of-19, 47 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs

13. AJ Bush/MJ Rivers, Illinois (E)

Due to an injury to Bush, the Illini had to rely on Rivers under center last weekend against USF. Neither guy has been overly impressive, but both have done some good things. Most importantly, both Bush and Rivers have protected the football, throwing for 496 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

Last week vs. USF: 20-of-29, 168 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

12. Adrian Martinez, Nebraska (-4)

Martinez was spectacular in his debut, but we didn’t get the chance to see the dual-threat quarterback against Troy. He dropped quite a bit this week, but only because he was sidelined with the injury. Side note: Nebraska better hope he’s ready to go next week at Michigan.

Last week vs. Troy: No stats – out with injury

11. Kasim Hill, Maryland (-5)

For whatever reason, Hill didn’t seem nearly as confident against Temple as he did the first two weeks of the season. He completed just 7-of-17 passes for 56 yards and threw a pick-six. The Terrapins were without some key players, but Hill is the kind of player who can usually be a difference-maker. He wasn’t on Saturday.

Last week vs. Temple: 7-of-17, 56 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INTs

10. David Blough/Elijah Sindelar, Purdue (+2)

It’ll be interesting to see what Jeff Brohm does after Blough’s record-setting performance against Missouri. Will he continue to rotate Blough and Sindelar? Or will he commit to the senior who threw for 572 yards and three touchdowns while completing 70 percent of his passes against Missouri? Blough played the full game due to an injury to Sindelar. It could become more common.

Last week vs. Missouri: 39-of-55, 572 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INTs

9. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern (+1)

Thorson aired it out on Saturday against Akron, throwing 52 passes and racking up 383 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw a pair of interceptions, too. This was a closer version to the Clayton Thorson we saw before the ACL injury. Maybe that knee is starting to feel slightly better.

Last week vs. Akron: 33-of-52, 383 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs

8. Peyton Ramsey, Indiana (+1)

Slowly but surely, Ramsey is climbing his way up this quarterback ladder. He’s been the most consistent passer in the B1G, completing nearly 74 percent of his passes on the year. Ramsey isn’t putting up huge numbers, but he’s protecting the football and hitting his targets. That’s all Indiana has needed through the first three weeks.

Last week vs. Ball Sate: 20-of-27, 173 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

7. Zack Annexstad, Minnesota (+3)

Nothing has fazed the true freshman walk-on through the first three weeks of his first college football season. Annexstad is the only B1G quarterback to start in all three games and not throw an interception. That’s pretty impressive for a true freshman. He also added two more touchdown passes to his resumé against Miami (OH).

Last week vs. Miami (OH): 12-of-20, 142 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

6. Alex Hornibrook, Wisconsin (-2)

Hornibrook dropped this week after struggling to move the Wisconsin offense against BYU. The junior was 18-of-28, but made several questionable throws throughout the game. He needed to be more of a weapon for the Badgers and he simply wasn’t. If he doesn’t play better next week, Wisconsin is going to have its hands full again with Iowa.

Last week vs. BYU: 18-of-28, 190 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INTs

5. Nate Stanley, Iowa (+1)

The Nate Stanley of old finally made an appearance in 2018. Yes, it was against an FCS team, but throwing for over 300 yards is still a significant accomplishment, especially considering how much the Iowa offense struggled in the first two weeks. Maybe Stanley will start rolling now that he seemed to get back on track in Week 3.

Last week vs. Northern Iowa: 23-of-28, 309 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INTs

4. Shea Patterson, Michigan (+1)

Each of the last two weekends, Patterson has proven why there was so much hype surrounding his arrival in Ann Arbor. The Michigan got off to a slow start against SMU, but Patterson eventually got into a rhythm and was putting every pass on the money. If he keeps improving on a week-to-week basis, watch out.

Last week vs. SMU: 14-of-18, 237 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INTs

3. Brian Lewerke, Michigan State (-1)

It was a bye week for Michigan State. Lewerke and the Spartans are back in action next Saturday against Indiana. Yes, he’s still a top three quarterback, even after an early bye.

Last week: No stats – bye week

2. Trace McSorley, Penn State (+1)

McSorley hasn’t been nearly as consistent through the air as in past years, but he’s certainly proving that he’s a threat as a passer and as a rusher. Against Kent State, he accounted for five total touchdowns, three of which came on the ground. On the year, McSorley has 11 touchdowns, five passing and six rushing. You don’t get much more balanced than that.

Last week vs. Kent State: 11-of-22, 229 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INTs

1. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (E)

We thought TCU might present a different challenge for Haskins and he could potentially slip up in a big game. We were wrong. Instead, he threw for over 300 yards for the second time in three games, hit on 64 percent of his passes and didn’t throw an interception. This kid has a stranglehold on the top spot in the B1G. After Saturday, I’m not sure he’ll ever slip.

Last week vs. No. 15 TCU: 24-of-38, 344 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs