The Big Ten's two best passing quarterbacks face each in Penn State's Matt McGloin and Nebraska's Taylor Martinez

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 November 2012 08:28 Tuesday, 06 November 2012 06:17

Written by Mark Dent

We all know it's been a down year for the Big Ten. There was a time when only Ohio State was ranked in the top 25, and as we know the Buckeyes and Penn State aren't eligible for bowls. It is still possible that Indiana could play for the Big Ten title and a BCS berth, and the Hoosiers would do so with a losing record. 

Underscoring the Big Ten's ineptitude has been the quarterback play. The Big Ten has very few reliable passers (although OSU's Braxton Miller and Michigan's Denard Robinson are spectacular running quarterbacks). Purdue is maybe the best example of poor quarterback play in this league. The Boilermakers use three quarterbacks who are essentially exactly the same. It's not like one of them is a great runner and they use him in those situations. They just spread the ball among three inconsistent passers. 

The two best passing quarterbacks, however, will meet on Saturday in the Penn State-Nebraska game. Here is a look at how they compare and how they compare to the rest of the country.

Matt McGloin, Penn State: 270.7 yards per game (1st in Big Ten), 62.1 percent completion rate (3rd in Big Ten of those with 100 or more attempts), 271.2 total yards per game (4th in Big Ten)

Taylor Martinez, Nebraska: 215.7 yards per game (2nd in Big Ten), 62.9 percent completion rate (2nd in Big Ten of those with 100 or more attempts), 289.7 total yards per game (2nd in Big Ten)

How prolific are they on a national level? Matt McGloin ranks 23rd in passing yards and Taylor Martinez 55th.

They might not be among the nation's best, but they are clearly the conference's best passers, and it will be exciting to finally watch a Big Ten game in which both teams can throw the ball consistently.  

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