
Big Ten quarterback rankings entering Week 8: The West's top 2 are slinging it
Last week we learned that reasonably nice weather, coaching changes and facing Michigan State’s defense made life easier for Big Ten quarterbacks.
This week, we discovered a few more obscure kernels of truth. It turns out playing on a good team, with a stable offensive line, helps a lot too. And facing the Spartans isn’t a guarantee of success after all.
We also saw, courtesy of Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell in particular, that the truly great ones can sometimes can rise to the occasion despite less than ideal circumstances. And courtesy of Illinios’ Tommy DeVito, that toughness and super efficiency have a place in the league, too.
The B1G’s divisional races and our assessment of the league’s quarterback hierarchy continue to take shape.
Here’s what we’ve got heading into Week 8:
14. Evan Simon, Rutgers
Week 7 stats: Bye
Season: 57.7%, 122.3 ypg, 4 TDs, 6 INTs, 109.22 rating
Whether Simon or Noah Vedral starts after the week off is TBD. The Scarlet Knights (3-3, 0-3) host Indiana (3-4, 1-3) in their most winnable remaining game.
13. Spencer Petras, Iowa
Week 7 stats: Bye
Season: 54.0%, 156.7 ypg, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 103.46 rating
The most job-secure awful starting quarterback in the country, Petras will lead the visiting Hawkeyes (3-3, 1-2) to slaughter at noon Saturday against No. 2 Ohio State (6-0, 3-0).
12. Ryan Hilinski, Northwestern
Week 7 stats: Bye
Season: 57.8%, 262.7 ypg, 6 TDs, 6 INTs, 115.24 rating
Five straight losses and dwindling numbers have taken the shine off of Hilinski’s hot start to the season. He’ll try to ramp back up as the Wildcats (1-5, 1-2) travel to Maryland (5-2, 2-2) for a 3:30 kickoff Saturday.
11. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Week 7 stats: 4-12, 21 yards, INT
Season: 66.9%, 194.0 ypg, 7 TDs, 5 INTs, 156.36 rating
It was a 2nd straight dud performance and loss for Morgan, who exited early against Illinois with an injury. Morgan left in the fourth quarter after taking a hit to the head. If the 6th-year senior can’t go Saturday night at Penn State (5-1, 2-1), the Gophers (4-2, 1-2) will be severely limited. Backup Athan Kaliakmanus threw 2 picks in the 26-14 loss to the Illini.
10. Payton Thorne, Michigan State
Week 7 stats: 21-29, 265 yards, 2 TDs
Season: 65.49%, 214.1 ypg, 11 TDs, 7 INTs, 136.65 rating
Thorne posted his best numbers in some time in a 34-28 double-overtime victory over Wisconsin that ended a 4-game losing streak. The Spartans (3-4, 1-3) have a bye this weekend, then travel to Ann Arbor to take on rival Michigan.
9. Connor Bazelak, Indiana
Week 7 stats: 29-42, 292 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
Season: 54.6%, 269.9 ypg, 12 TDs, 8 INTs, 108.68 rating
The Missouri transfer piles up the stats, good and bad, in the Hoosiers’ pass-happy offense. He has been sacked a B1G-worst 23 times after going down 3 more times in a 38-33 loss to Maryland. He’ll lead the visiting Hoosiers (3-4, 1-3) against Rutgers (3-3, 0-3) at noon Saturday in a battle to avoid last place in the B1G East.
8. Casey Thompson, Nebraska
Week 7 stats: 16-29, 354 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Season stats: 64.1%, 264.4 ypg, 11 TDs, 8 INTs, 148.22 rating
The transfer from Texas made some big-time, big-play connections with Trey Palmer in a shootout loss to Purdue. But his 2 interceptions — for a 2nd straight game — cost Mickey Joseph and the Huskers (3-4, 2-2) a 3rd straight win and a share of the B1G West lead. After a bye this weekend, Illinois (6-1, 3-1) and its stout defense visit Lincoln on Oct. 29.
7. Graham Mertz, Wisconsin
Week 7 stats: 14-25, 131 yards, 2 TDs, INT
Season: 63.5%, 203.9 ypg, 13 TDs, 6 INTs, 157.70 rating
Any respectable quarterback should be able to throw for more than 131 yards against Michigan State’s woeful pass defense, especially in a game that goes 2 extra periods. After losing such a game, Wisconsin will host pass-happy Purdue on Saturday. We definitely don’t see Mertz and the Badgers (3-4, 1-3) keeping up with Aidan O’Connell and the Boilermakers in that one. But Mertz has been an enigma, so who knows.
6. Sean Clifford, Penn State
Week 7 stats: 7-19, 120 yards
Season: 59.0%, 191.7 ypg, 9 TDs, 2 INTs, 137.37 rating
Sean Clifford showing us how you lead a damn drive 😤💨 pic.twitter.com/fGBZjT9N8m
— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 15, 2022
The 6th-year senior didn’t do much against Michigan before leaving the game with a sore shoulder, but the rest of the offense did nothing. Clifford had a 62-yard run and a 48-yard completion to set up the Lions’ 10 offensive points. Penn State’s attack is getting worse along with Clifford’s odds of becoming PSU’s first 10,000-yard passer. His injury status remains up in the air ahead of Minnesota’s visit to Beaver Stadium for Saturday night’s White Out game.
5. JJ McCarthy, Michigan
Week 7 stats: 17-24, 145 yards, INT
Season: 77.1%, 185.3 ypg, 9 TDs, 2 INTs, 170.59 rating
The much-hyped sophomore threw a pick-6 and totaled only 145 passing yards against Penn State, but he contributed 57 yards to his team’s epic 418-yard rushing game. He remains the nation’s completion percentage leader, and seems to be learning and improving through his occasional mistakes.
4. Tommy DeVito, Illinois
Week 7 stats: 25-32, 252 yards, TD
Season: 70.4%, 202.1 ypg, 10 TDs, 2 INTs, 145.85 rating
Tommy DeVito's status was a mystery all week, but behind the scenes the #Illini QB1 was confident about being on the field:
"My wife always texts me and calls me, every day the first thing she'd say… 'Is Tommy playing?'"
"As soon as it happened… 'I'm playing on Saturday.'" pic.twitter.com/AZUv8kAG3T
— Andy Olson (@WCIA3Andy) October 15, 2022
For the other smashmouth B1G teams that want solid, game-manager QB play, DeVito is the model. The Syracuse transfer complements star running back Chase Brown and gives coach Bret Bielema peace of mind with his moxie and minimal-mistake efficiency. Questionable with an injury going into a showdown with Minnesota, he rose to the occasion. After a bye, a trip to Nebraska awaits.
3. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
Week 7 stats: 25-39, 270 yards, 2 TDs
Season: 72.5%, 285.9 ypg, 13 TDs, 5 INTs, 157.62 rating
Tagovailoa was carted off the field against Indiana with a lower leg injury, leaving his status for Maryland’s next game and the rest of the season in doubt. Billy Edwards Jr. entered and somehow rallied the Terps to a 38-33 victory despite not completing a pass. He did run 5 times for 53 yards and a touchdown.
2. Aidan O’Connell, Purdue
Week 7 stats: 35-54, 391 yards, 4 TDs, INT
Season: 66.2%, 325.0 ypg, 14 TDs, 5 INTs, 140.51 rating
A healthy Aidan O'Connell shows what's possible for Purdue offense … https://t.co/KiOVR1NyG4
— Kyle Charters (@KyleCharters79) October 17, 2022
The 6th-year senior and former walk-on got favorite target Charlie Jones involved again after a slow couple of weeks. Jones caught 12 balls for 132 yards and 2 TDs. O’Connell hit 8 other receivers, working tight end Payne Durham and several running backs into the scheme. Purdue needed all of that, plus a clutch 4th-down run from O’Connell, to outlast Nebraska 43-37.
1. CJ Stroud, Ohio State
Week 7 stats: Bye
Season: 70.6%, 289.5 ypg, 24 TDs, 3 INTs, 207.57 rating
There may be a few more contenders on the board, but C.J. Stroud is still the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy heading into Week 8. pic.twitter.com/7paXKxOrri
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 17, 2022
Stroud will go back to work Saturday, when the Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0) host Iowa (3-3, 1-2) for the noon game on FOX. He leads the country in QB rating ahead of Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, a fellow Heisman contender after the Vols’ 52-49 victory over Alabama.