Before the season started, I thought I had a pretty solid ranking of the Big 12 quarterbacks. Three months later, I find that I had some major errors on my list.
The emergence of names such as Brandon Weeden and Taylor Martinez came as a great shock to me, and to the rest of the country. The crash of Garrett Gilbert’s hype machine shocked most, but some expected it.
So nine weeks into this crazy 2010 college football season, we are starting to see a clear picture. The Big 12 QB hierarchy is broken into three tiers: the elite, the average, and the ugly.
The Ugly
#12 Garrett Gilbert, University of Texas
Preseason ranking: #3
I admit it: I drank the preseason Kool-Aid that nat’l pundits and orangebloods.com writers poured down my throat. Gilbert is a terribly average QB who lacks any semblance of the “it” that Chris Simms, Major Applewhite, Colt McCoy, and Vince Young had. He is on track to be the worst Mack Brown-era quarterback.
59.6% 1,788yds 6tds 9ints | 176yds 3tds
#11 Jordan Webb, University of Kansas
Preseason ranking: #Unranked
What else would we expect from an unheralded KU QB? This is to be expected.
58.4% 1,114yds 7tds 6ints | 102yds 0tds
#10 Tyler Hansen, University of Colorado
Preseason ranking: #10
Not a lot I can write about Tyler Hansen, other than no one expected the Buffs to do much this year. Hansen has done about as much as we expected him to do — which is to manage the game. Hansen had decent statistical games in losses to Baylor and Texas Tech.
68.3% 1,102yds 6tds 6ints | 41yds 4tds
The Average
#9 Austen Arnaud, Iowa State University
Preseason ranking: #7
Arnaud started the season shaky, with 5 ints to only 1 passing and 1 rushing td in a win over Northern Illinois, and then a humiliating defeat at the hands of Iowa in week 2. Arnaud has recovered since week 2, with only 3 ints to 9 passing touchdowns. It also doesn’t hurt Arnaud’s Iowa St legacy to be the first Cyclone QB to walk into a game versus the mighty perennial Texas Longhorns and leave with a victory.
57.4% 1,364yds 10tds 8ints | 250yds 1td
#8 Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M University
Preseason ranking: #6
Johnson came into the 2010 season with some local hype from Aggie fans — that was quickly diminished by Johnson’s inconsistent play. Johnson’s play has been so shaky that head coach Mike Sherman has been forced to bench Johnson at times in favor of Ryan Tannehill.
56.6% 1,947yds 14tds 9ints | 146yds 2tds
#7 Carson Coffman, Kansas State University
Preseason ranking: #12
I haven’t watched enough of Coffman this season to give an intelligent analysis of his play this year, but I’ll get a chance this Saturday when he faces my beleaguered Texas Longhorns.
66.3% 1,315yds 8tds 6ints | 127yds 7tds
#6 Taylor Potts, Texas Tech University
Preseason ranking: #Unranked
I didn’t even have Potts ranked in the preseason, as I thought newly hired TTU coach Tuberville would start fan favorite Steven Sheffield (#5 in preseason). Potts began the season with 7 tds and 0 ints, but then was rocked with a haymaker by the then-#6 Texas Longhorns.
Potts is doing about what we would expect from a Texas Tech QB — racking up a large amount of yards/offense. If only TTU’s defense could manage to stop opponents, TTU might have more life at this point in the season.
65.4% 2,388yds 21tds 5ints | -50yds 0tds
#5 Blaine Gabbert, University of Missouri
Preseason ranking: #2
Gabbert is not having an eye-popping statistical season, but he has the Tigers 7-1 and on track for a decent bowl.
64.0% 2,098yds 12tds 4ints | 74yds 2tds
The Elite
#4 Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State University
Preseason ranking: #8
Weeden is probably the 2nd biggest surprise this year for Big 12 QBs. He has performed admirably in every game this season for the 7-1 Cowboys.
65.2% 2,547yds 23tds 9ints | -74yds 0tds
#3 Taylor Martinez, University of Nebraska
Preseason ranking: #Unranked
The true freshman phenom is by far the biggest surprise this year in the Big 12. The only knock on Martinez was that he was a one-dimensional college QB, but that was quickly debunked with his 323yd 5td 0int performance against Oklahoma State two weeks ago.
The only blemish on Martinez’s resume is his abysmal performance against the speedy Texas Longhorn defense. Don’t let that worry you, Taylor; NU can’t ever seem to beat those pesky Longhorns.
60.0% 1,161yds 9tds 3ints | 886yds 12tds
#2 Landry Jones, University of Oklahoma
Preseason ranking: #4
Sam Bradford who? The Sooners had no problem replacing their former Heisman QB this year. Jones’ performance this season enabled the Sooners to even beat Texas for the first time since 2007 — something the Sooner nation desperately needed after last season’s nail-biter.
67.2% 2,547yds 21tds 5ints | -92yds 0tds
#1 Robert Griffin III, Baylor University
Preseason ranking: #1
Well, at least my preseason #1 is still my #1 this far into the season. RGIII has performed better than I had even predicted. He has Baylor #1 in the Big 12 South (Wow!) and an astonishing win @ Texas last week. Unfortunately for Griffin III, the road doesn’t get any easier, with @Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma remaining on the schedule. If Baylor does run the gauntlet, then Griffin III better get an invitation to New York for that bronzed statue.
66.7% 2,592yds 20tds 5ints | 401yds 7tds
