Big Ten is crazy-good with quarterbacks

Three of the top six and seven of the top 20 FCS quarterbacks in passing efficiency play in the Big Ten.

In some years, quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins of Michigan State and Scott Tolzien of Wisconsin ould be surefire All-Big Ten candidates. This year? Get in line, fellas.

Dan Persa of Northwestern is third in the nation in passing efficiency. He also has rushed for 258 yards, including 99 Saturday at Minnesota. His 1,358 passing yards are second in the conference to Indiana's Ben Chappell, who has played one fewer game than his fellow league QBs.

Chappell, 12th in passing efficiency, has 12 TD passes and one interception. Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State (15th in passing efficiency) has matched Chappell's 12 TD tosses, and has 432 rushing yards.

Iowa's Ricky Stanzi has numbers that would stand out most years in the Big Ten after five games. Stanzi has 10 TD passes, just two picks, for 1,226 yards.

Then there's Denard Robinson, who would be handed the Heisman Trophy without an argument if the season ended today. Or at least should be.

Robinson is fourth in the nation in passing efficiency (7 TDs, 1 INT, 1,008 yards) and leads the nation in rushing with 181 yards per game and 9.2 yards per carry.

That ... is ... insane!

Year: 2010

Thru: 10/02/10 Minimum Pct. of Games Played 75Minimum 15 pass attempts per game

Minimum 15 pass attempts per game

Rank

Player

Pos

Cl

Gm

Patt

Pcomp

Comppct

Int

Intpct

Pyds

Ydspatt

TDs

TDpct

Rating

1

Terrance Cain, Utah

QB

SR

3

49

37

75.51

.00

486

9.92

5

10.20

192.50

2

Cam Newton, Auburn

QB

JR

5

87

57

65.52

4

4.60

928

10.67

12

13.79

191.44

3

Dan Persa, Northwestern

QB

JR

5

136

108

79.41

2

1.47

1358

9.99

10

7.35

184.61

4

Denard Robinson, Michigan

QB

SO

5

96

67

69.79

1

1.04

1008

10.50

7

7.29

179.97

5

Ryan Colburn, Fresno St.

QB

SR

4

106

77

72.64

3

2.83

992

9.36

11

10.38

179.84

6

Richard Stanzi, Iowa

QB

SR

5

121

82

67.77

2

1.65

1226

10.13

10

8.26

176.85

7

Kellen Moore, Boise St.

QB

JR

4

113

75

66.37

1

.88

1069

9.46

11

9.73

176.19

8

Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

QB

JR

4

138

95

68.84

5

3.62

1438

10.42

10

7.25

173.04

9

Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma St.

QB

JR

4

143

102

71.33

4

2.80

1259

8.80

13

9.09

169.69

10

Bryant Moniz, Hawaii

QB

JR

5

198

131

66.16

3

1.52

1869

9.44

15

7.58

167.42

11

Greg McElroy, Alabama

QB

SR

5

103

72

69.90

3

2.91

983

9.54

7

6.80

166.67

12

Ben Chappell, Indiana

QB

SR

4

162

116

71.60

1

.62

1370

8.46

12

7.41

165.85

13

Kirk Cousins, Michigan St.

QB

JR

5

120

81

67.50

4

3.33

1132

9.43

9

7.50

164.82

14

Matt Barkley, Southern California

QB

SO

5

129

85

65.89

4

3.10

1127

8.74

12

9.30

163.77

15

Terrelle Pryor, Ohio St.

QB

JR

5

123

80

65.04

3

2.44

1015

8.25

12

9.76

161.67

16

Stephen Garcia, South Carolina

QB

JR

4

81

56

69.14

2

2.47

743

9.17

5

6.17

161.62

17

Colin Kaepernick, Nevada

QB

SR

5

123

86

69.92

2

1.63

1048

8.52

8

6.50

159.70

18

Case Keenum, Houston

QB

SR

3

64

42

65.63

5

7.81

636

9.94

5

7.81

159.26

19

Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin

QB

SR

5

109

75

68.81

2

1.83

978

8.97

6

5.50

158.67