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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Phil Harrison

Ranking Big Ten quarterbacks by Total QBR after Week 4

College football is a quarterback-driven game and has been for a long time. Gone are the days of being a game manager with handoffs and short passes when needed. You simply can’t go special places anymore without having a dynamic player under center, and Ohio State has a good one in C.J. Stroud.

However, he’s not the only good quarterback in the Big Ten. Though Stroud is one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy, there are still other signal-callers in the league that can spin it when called upon.

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One of the best metrics we like to look at when it comes to a quarterback’s performance is Total QBR, and we look at it each week upon the completion of games. Where is Stroud this week after he threw five more touchdown passes against Wisconsin? What about other quarterbacks in the league?

Here’s a ranking of the top 13 Big Ten quarterbacks based on Total QBR ranking after four full weeks of the 2022 season. Stats are courtesy of ESPN.

Note: To qualify, a player must play a minimum of 20 action plays per team game

13
Spencer Petras, Iowa

Iowa sophomore quarterback Spencer Petras fires a throw in the second quarter against Wisconsin on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR | 11.6
Total Before Last Week | 7.0
Ranking Last Week | 12 ( one spot)

12
Ryan Hilinski, Northwestern

USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 49.2
Total Before Last Week: 51.6
Ranking Last Week: 10 ( two spots)

 

11
Connor Bazelak, Indiana

Indiana’s Connor Bazelak (9) throws during the Indiana versus Idaho football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 51.0
Total Before Last Week: 51.1
Ranking Last Week: 11 (no change)

10
Evan Simon, Rutgers

Sept. 24, 2022; Piscataway, New Jersey; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Evan Simon (3) throws against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at SHI Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 54.0
Total Before Last Week: NR
Ranking Last Week: NR

 

9
Payton Thorne, Michigan State

Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) runs the ball against the Maryland Terrapins during first-half action Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, at Spartan Stadium. USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 55.3
Total Before Last Week: 54.0
Ranking Last Week: 6 ( three spots)

8
Casey Thompson, Nebraska

USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 55.6
Total Before Last Week: 57.2
Ranking Last Week: 8 (no change)

 

7
Tommy DeVito, Illinois

USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 55.9
Total Before Last Week: 54.5
Ranking Last Week: 9 ( two spots)

6
Graham Mertz, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz (5) against Eastern Michigan during their football game on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Madison, Wisconsin. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 57.1
Total Before Last Week: 67.5
Ranking Last Week: 7 ( one spot)

5
Sean Clifford, Penn State

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford takes off on the ground during the 2022 Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in State College. USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 65.2
Total Before Last Week: 72.6
Ranking Last Week: 5 (no change)

4
Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

Nov. 20, 2021; College Park, Maryland; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) throws from the pocket against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 77.2
Total Before Last Week: 75.2
Ranking Last Week: 3 ( one spot)

3
Aidan O'Connell, Purdue

Nov. 6, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell (16) drops back to pass the ball in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Ross-Ade Stadium. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 83.8
Total Before Last Week: 82.2
Ranking Last Week: 2 ( one spot)

 

2
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota

Sept. 10, 2022; Minneapolis; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (2) passes in the third quarter against Western Illinois Leathernecks at Huntington Bank Stadium. Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 88.7
Total Before Last Week: 83.0
Ranking Last Week: 2 ( two spots)

 

1
C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

Sept. 24, 2022; Columbus; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Miyan Williams (3) celebrates scoring a touchdown with quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium. Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Inside the Numbers

Total QBR: 95.4
Total Before Last Week: 94.6
Ranking Last Week: 1 (no change)

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

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