'Very, Very Average' QBs in B1G West

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
Staff member
Glen Mason didn't mince words.

Asked to size up starting quarterbacks in the Big Ten West Division, he said, "Very, very average — much like the whole division."

We forever appreciate the veteran BTN analyst's honesty.

This past Saturday, when Nebraska had a bye, I enjoyed a rare chance to watch a lot of football on television. I locked in hard on Northwestern, Iowa and Minnesota, and fell into a nice slumber. 

OK, not really. But those are some mundane offenses, folks. 

Even fifth-ranked Wisconsin (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten), clearly the best team in the West, has an average quarterback. 

"They're really playing at a high level," Mason said of the Badgers, who thumped the Huskers 38-17 three weeks ago in Lincoln. "But if you ask why they're playing so well, the first words out of your mouth wouldn't be Alex Hornibrook. It would be defense and (running back) Jonathan Taylor."
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LJS

 
Which is why it's ridiculous that we aren't challenging for the division every year.  To say nothing of being underdogs in all our remaining games.

B1G West National Scoring Offenses:

Wisconsin - 27

Minnesota - 74

Iowa - 81

Northwestern - 83

Nebraska - 85

Purdue - 95

Illinois - 122

B1G West National Total Offenses:

Wisconsin - 28

Northwestern - 74

Purdue - 80

Nebraska - 81

Iowa - 104

Minnesota - 106

Illinois - 119

 
Yeah, the QB play in the WEst is rather pedestrian.  No 1st round draft picks there.  

But, and a big but, other Qb's are not asked to win the games.  They are game managers.  They take what the defense gives them.  This is where this program needs to get back too.  

Teams in the West have systems that work.  They don't need alot other than lineman and running backs.  Its not that hard.  We seem to really struggle with simple.  Simple is running the ball and playing D.  Force other teams to make mistakes.  

 
My God. I never thought I would ever see NEBRASKA have stats like this on offense. We're getting worse every week. Purdue has a solid defense. We should be able to put up some numbers on Northwestern and Minnesota but struggle against Purdue, PSU, and Iowa.

In the end, I don't see any serious improvement happening on offense statistically any time soon. Thanks for ruining my night @Mavric

:thumbs

 
Mavric said:
Which is why it's ridiculous that we aren't challenging for the division every year.  To say nothing of being underdogs in all our remaining games.
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It may mean we don't get to change coaches, and we get to play like this every year. 

 
Very very average sounds like a bad thing until you realize “average” would be a significant improvement for the Huskers. Well check that.....it still sounds bad.

 
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Mavric said:
Which is why it's ridiculous that we aren't challenging for the division every year.  To say nothing of being underdogs in all our remaining games.

B1G West National Scoring Offenses:

Wisconsin - 27

Minnesota - 74

Iowa - 81

Northwestern - 83

Nebraska - 85

Purdue - 95

Illinois - 122

B1G West National Total Offenses:

Wisconsin - 28

Northwestern - 74

Purdue - 80

Nebraska - 81

Iowa - 104

Minnesota - 106

Illinois - 119
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Which is why it's ridiculous that we aren't challenging for the conference every year.

B1G East National Scoring Offenses:

Ohio State - 2

Penn State - 17

Maryland - 62

Indiana - 88

Michigan - 89

Michigan State - 102

Rutgers - 103

B1G East National Total Offenses:

Ohio State - 3

Penn State - 27

Michigan State - 90

Indiana - 94

Michigan - 97

Maryland - 115

Rutgers - 122

 
I agree the QB play is not great, but the style of play doesn't help in the stat sheet.  Look at CJB starting QB for the 49ers.  Now they are not very good, but it is still something else to be starting in the NFL.  The biggest issue with the west is the lack of weapons on the perimeter and offensive philosophy.  CJB looks better in the NFL than he did in college because he has some weapons to throw too.  If you gave Thorson the weapons that Barrett has and their productivity would be comparable.  

 
swmohusker said:
I agree the QB play is not great, but the style of play doesn't help in the stat sheet.  Look at CJB starting QB for the 49ers.  Now they are not very good, but it is still something else to be starting in the NFL.  The biggest issue with the west is the lack of weapons on the perimeter and offensive philosophy.  CJB looks better in the NFL than he did in college because he has some weapons to throw too.  If you gave Thorson the weapons that Barrett has and their productivity would be comparable.  
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The quality of starting QB in the NFL is near an all time low, to be honest. The reason Bethard is starting in SF is because they got their stadium and cheaped out the roster to maximize profits. 

 
swmohusker said:
I agree the QB play is not great, but the style of play doesn't help in the stat sheet.  Look at CJB starting QB for the 49ers.  Now they are not very good, but it is still something else to be starting in the NFL.  The biggest issue with the west is the lack of weapons on the perimeter and offensive philosophy.  CJB looks better in the NFL than he did in college because he has some weapons to throw too.  If you gave Thorson the weapons that Barrett has and their productivity would be comparable.  
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So one QB who used to play in the division and is now a below-average QB for one of the worst teams in the NFL is evidence against the current crop of B1G West QBs being 'very, very average.

Got it. 

 
Mavric said:
So one QB who used to play in the division and is now a below-average QB for one of the worst teams in the NFL is evidence against the current crop of B1G West QBs being 'very, very average.

Got it. 
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No.  But most people would say that last year that CJB was a very, very average QB last year.  There are a lot of pretty darn good QB's that are not starting for one of the worst teams in the NFL.  Purdue had 2 QBs that started for LSU and Florida.  Joel Stave is on the Redskins practice squad but he was a very average QB that struggled to keep a starting job @ Wiscy..

 
swmohusker said:
No.  But most people would say that last year that CJB was a very, very average QB last year.  There are a lot of pretty darn good QB's that are not starting for one of the worst teams in the NFL.  Purdue had 2 QBs that started for LSU and Florida.  Joel Stave is on the Redskins practice squad but he was a very average QB that struggled to keep a starting job @ Wiscy..
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And LSU and Florida have struggled with QB play with those ex-Purdue QB's.  The NFL will take a lot of guys to be backups because they are smart and can pick up the NFL system.  I actually expect Tanner Lee to catch on as a back-up in the NFL because of his strong arm and exposure to a NFL system in college.  It doesn't make these Big Ten QB's good college QB's though. 

 
Pedro Guerrero said:
Which is why it's ridiculous that we aren't challenging for the conference every year.

B1G East National Scoring Offenses:

Ohio State - 2

Penn State - 17

Maryland - 62

Indiana - 88

Michigan - 89

Michigan State - 102

Rutgers - 103

B1G East National Total Offenses:

Ohio State - 3

Penn State - 27

Michigan State - 90

Indiana - 94

Michigan - 97

Maryland - 115

Rutgers - 122
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Your look at the East total offenses basically shows the same thing as the West.  Not a lot of great over all offense in the Big 10.  That may be a reflection of the defense that is play in the league also, don't you think.  

 
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