The Sporting News Raises Controversy In Big 10 Quarterback Rankings

The Sporting News Has No Surprises At the Top

It hardly came as a surprise that Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel grabbed the top spot in the Big 10 quarterback rankings. The field general who transferred in from Oklahoma threw for over 3,600 yards and 30 touchdowns last year for the Sooners.  And many consider him to be one of the early leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy. This coupled with head coach Dan Lanning’s success that he had with Bo Nix, bodes well for his new quarterback.

Their Pick of Will Howard Raises Eyebrows

After the first pick, things get a little more murky in the Sporting News ranking as their second choice raised the ire of some Big 10 fans. The pick of Ohio State’s new field general Will Howard had many questioning the ranking’s accuracy. This is for several reasons. Though Howard put up some impressive numbers for Kansas State before heading to Columbus, much of those stats were put up in a weaker Big 12, and he threw too many interceptions in the process.

In addition, Howard is not the only one who will have to learn a new offense, as the addition of new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could make this a painful learning experience for all the players on that side of the ball. With this many question marks, it is legitimate to question this pick.

The Penn State Quarterback Was Inconsistent

Drew Allar became the Nittany Lions starter last season, and though there were some definite positives, there were also areas that needed improvement, and that is why many felt his rating was too high. Though he finished the season with a respectable 25 touchdowns versus only two interceptions, his low yardage in many games, including two in which he had under 100 yards passing, showed obvious weaknesses. This coupled with some accuracy issues, also raised doubts.  If he shows improvement in these areas, we may look back and say the Sporting News got it right, but until that time it is not unreasonable to question this ranking.

Moss Has To Prove He Can Do It Over A Season

Maybe the most interesting and certainly controversial ranking was USC’s Miller Moss coming in at number four. Moss had seen almost no playing time as he rode the bench behind Heisman winner Caleb Williams. However, when getting his first start against Louisville in the Holiday Bowl last season, Moss made the most of it, passing for a record six touchdowns.

That performance, as. pointed out by Grid Iron Heroics‘ Vincent Pensabene, convinced a lot of people he was ready, but one performance does not make a season, and it may not make a proper ranking either. Although Moss in his two years playing apprentice to Williams, obviously knows  Coach Lincoln Riley’s system, whether it is enough to translate to a great season is yet to be determined.

Cade McNamara May Be Underrated

Maybe the most overlooked quarterback in the Sporting News Big 10 overview was Cade McNamara, only garnering a number 12 out of 18 ranking. After suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2023, McNamara is finally back at full strength, and with 21 career starts under his belt, he is bringing the most experience of any Big 10 starting quarterback. But maybe the biggest factor in his ability to have a breakout season is the new offensive coordinator Tim Lester, who was brought in to revitalize what was an anemic offense.

As the first week of the season is now just four months away, we will get a better idea if the Sporting News was on the money or completely off-base.