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Big Ten QB Power Rankings after Week 2: Sayin, Maiava, Moore, and the others
Jayden Maiava is putting up elite stats for the USC Trojans. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Big Ten's elite passers continued to stay elite in Week 2. There were exceptions-- Bryce Underwood got a return to Earth, for instance. But on the whole, the league still looks elite at the QB spot. Here's power rankings of the B1G quarterbacks after Week 2.

18. Preston Stone, Northwestern

He was better in Week 2, but still has a negative TD (three) to interception (four) rate.

17. Mark Gronowski, Iowa

The Hawkeyes lost their rivalry game and Gronowski's season number of 3.3 yards per pass attempt shows how awful adding him to the Iowa lineup has been.

16. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

He's 0-2 and he's 16th in the Big Ten in QB rating. Nico is at 6.2 yards per pass attempt with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

15. Bryce Underwood, Michigan

Yes, he's better than this. But a rough Week 2 loss and ho-hum stats (54.5% completions, just one TD) show that Underwood hasn't quite arrived just yet.

14. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Nothing against Mendoza. He's been fine and Indiana is 2-0, but his 7.8 yards per carry is a bit pedestrian considering their early competition.

13. Drew Allar, Penn State

Yes, he is also (much) better than this, but against meh competition, he's at 7.1 yards per throw. That leaves him 13th in the Big Ten in QB rating.

12. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

The Gophers are 2-0 and Lindsey has been fine. He's another of the guys that there's reason for excitement, but also to wonder how he will fare in the conference.

11. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State

The Spartans are 2-0 and Chiles has been quietly solid. His five TDs to no interceptions line shows development from last season.

10. Malik Washington, Maryland

The highest rated freshman QB in the league is 2-0. Washington has just 6.6 yards per attempt, but the five scores to no interceptions works well. Will he keep it up?

9. Danny O'Neil, Wisconsin

He got the starting nod due to injury, but O'Neil has been steady so far. He has completed over 76% of his throws. This week should be an interesting chance to see if he belongs this high.

8. Ryan Browne, Purdue

Browne is leading a 2-0 Purdue squad. His averaged of 9.8 yards per pass attempt indicates a very healthy passing game for Barry Odom.

7. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers

Kaliakmanis is completing just under 75% of his throws with six touchdowns to no interceptions. Will it hold with tougher competition?

6. Demond Williams Jr,, Washington

A legitimate dual-threat standout, Williams is picking up 9.8 yards per throw but has avoided interceptions. If he can keep that up, Washington should be in great shape.

5, Dylan Raiola, Nebraska

Raiola's 607 yards are second in the Big Ten and he's hitting a ridiculous 78% of his throws. That might not be sustainable, but he's been great so far for Nebraska.

4. Luke Altmyer, Illinois

The veteran Illinois passer has been exactly as planned. He's hitting 75% of his throws for 9.9 yards per attempt with six touchdowns. He seems pretty safe to remain in the top half of these rankings through the season.

3. Dante Moore, Oregon

The battle for the Oregon QB job might be the toughest competition Moore faces. He's connecting on 77% of his throws for an impressive 10.9 yards per pass attempt. Moore is second in the Big Ten in QB rating and has looked phenomenal.

2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

He's 2-0 and won the biggest game of the season to date. Sayin got to boost his numbers in Week 2 for Ohio State. His 79.5% completions leads the conference and 11.1 yards per pass shows no problem in hitting the big play. He's a star in the making.

1. Jayden Maiava, USC

Sure, the competition has been weak. But Maiava has 707 yards (first in the Big Ten), 16.8 yards per pass attempt (by FAR the best in the league), and six touchdowns (tied for best in the league). Maiava has been brilliant so far for the 2-0 Trojans.


This article first appeared on CFB-HQ on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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