
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.
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

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR | 11.6
Total Before Last Week | 7.0
Ranking Last Week | 12 (⇓ one spot)
12
Ryan Hilinski, Northwestern

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 49.2
Total Before Last Week: 51.6
Ranking Last Week: 10 (⇓ two spots)
11
Connor Bazelak, Indiana

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 51.0
Total Before Last Week: 51.1
Ranking Last Week: 11 (no change)
10
Evan Simon, Rutgers

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 54.0
Total Before Last Week: NR
Ranking Last Week: NR
9
Payton Thorne, Michigan State

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 55.3
Total Before Last Week: 54.0
Ranking Last Week: 6 (⇓ three spots)
8
Casey Thompson, Nebraska

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 55.6
Total Before Last Week: 57.2
Ranking Last Week: 8 (no change)
7
Tommy DeVito, Illinois

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 55.9
Total Before Last Week: 54.5
Ranking Last Week: 9 (⇑ two spots)
6
Graham Mertz, 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

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 65.2
Total Before Last Week: 72.6
Ranking Last Week: 5 (no change)
4
Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 77.2
Total Before Last Week: 75.2
Ranking Last Week: 3 (⇓ one spot)
3
Aidan O'Connell, Purdue

Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 83.8
Total Before Last Week: 82.2
Ranking Last Week: 2 (⇓ one spot)
2
Tanner Morgan, Minnesota

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

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.
Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.