Four games into the season, it would be hard to argue that Drew Stanton is not the best quarterback in the Big Ten. The junior quarterback threw for five touchdowns in leading his offense to a 61-14 rout of the Illini last Saturday and was named co-offensive Big Ten player of the week.
But last week wasn't his only impressive performance. Stanton has already beaten Notre Dame this season and leads the nation with a 201.26 passer rating. He has completed 73 percent of his passes to go along with 13 touchdowns. Stanton gets another test this week at home against Michigan.
After surprising the nation with a 51-7 rout of Georgia Tech in a game that was supposed to be a lot closer, the Hokies are suddenly the favorites to win the ACC and have people in Blacksburg thinking Rose Bowl. The victory was complete in all phases, with quarterback Marcus Vick having a solid game against a Yellow Jackets' defense that was tops in the nation in scoring defense coming into the game.
The defensive player of the week award went to the entire Virginia Tech defense, which held Georgia Tech to only 217 total yards. The Hokies will look to continue their domination as they travel to West Virginia for a non-conference battle Saturday.
The junior quarterback came into last Saturday's game against Virginia Tech battling viral meningitis, but Ball looked like he was more than ill against the Hokie defense. He threw for only 143 yards and one touchdown, with 11-for-27 passing and two interceptions.
The Yellow Jackets' quarterback has had a pretty good season outside of last week's loss, but this is a team that is looking for an ACC championship and cannot afford mediocre performances in big games. With a bye week coming up, Ball will have a chance to redeem himself at home against North Carolina State next weekend.
The Hawkeyes emerged last season as a legitimate contender in the Big Ten, and coming into this year they had high expectations for a Big Ten championship. Those chances aren't gone yet, but this is a team that has yet to show that they can compete in big games.
After putting up only three points and being embarrassed by Iowa State a few weeks ago, they were manhandled by Ohio State last week in a 31-6 loss. Quarterback Drew Tate was supposed to be the best in the Big Ten this season, but so far he has underperformed in their two losses. With a Big Ten conference that is as strong as ever, the rest of the season looks bleak for Hawkeye Nation.
