Week 2 turned the Big Ten quarterback board upside down, and the top of the list now belongs to Indiana’s Josh Hoover. After another spotless, high-scoring start, Hoover moves to No. 1 in the conference rankings heading into Week 3.
Hoover has been as sharp as anyone in the league so far. In Indiana’s 55-0 rout of Howard, he threw four touchdown passes for the second straight game, and three of them went to wide receiver Charlie Becker.
Neither player came back after halftime. Through two games, the TCU transfer is 19 of 27 for 376 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
Behind him, USC’s Jayden Maiava keeps climbing on the strength of a huge response after an early mistake. He threw an interception on the Trojans’ opening drive, then bounced right back with a career-best five touchdown passes in a 49-30 win over Louisiana.
Two of those scores went to freshman tight end Mark Bowman. Through three games, Maiava is 67 of 83 for 896 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception.
Iowa State transfer Rocco Becht holds steady near the top after a strong showing in Philadelphia. He threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns, with two of those going to tight end Benjamin Brahmer, as Penn State shook off a slow first quarter and took control in the third. Becht has opened his season with 34 completions on 45 attempts for 539 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
Ohio State’s Julian Sayin takes the biggest hit among the high-end names, falling from No. 1 to No. 4 after the Buckeyes’ 24-23 loss at No. 4 Texas.
He still connected with Jeremiah Smith on a 19-yard touchdown to help Ohio State build a 23-3 lead, but his 53% completion rate was the lowest of his career as a starter. The drop reflects the quarterbacks ahead of him as much as anything Sayin did.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer had one of the more productive afternoons in the group, even in a loss. He threw three first-half touchdown passes to Collin Dixon, who posted career highs with 11 catches and 166 yards, but Illinois managed only a field goal after halftime.
Altmyer’s fourth-quarter interception ended a drive with the Illini trailing 31-27. He’s up to 453 passing yards, six touchdowns and one interception this season.
Michigan’s Bryce Underwood is back inside the top eight after the Wolverines’ 17-10 win over No. 11 Oklahoma.
Michigan leaned on the run, and Underwood finished with a game-high 87 rushing yards and a 38-yard touchdown run. He attempted only four passes after halftime.
“My guys trusted me to carry the ball,” he said.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore slips four spots after the Ducks’ loss to an Oklahoma State team that had entered on a 12-game losing streak. Moore opened 3 of 11 for 17 yards, then settled in with second-half touchdown passes of 36 and 38 yards. He was sacked four times, but he still has not thrown an interception this season.
Maryland’s Malik Washington gets back into the top eight after a record-setting efficiency day. He completed 18 straight passes, the program’s longest streak since at least 1953, and finished with a career-high 82.9% completion rate. “Malik was really efficient today,” Maryland head coach Michael Locksley said.
Three quarterbacks sit just outside that group: Washington’s Demond Williams Jr., Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey and Purdue’s Ryan Browne. Williams went 26 of 41 for 249 yards without a touchdown in a 16-14 win over Utah State.
Lindsey completed 31 of 48 passes for 279 yards in Minnesota’s 38-13 loss to Mississippi State. Browne set a career high with 329 passing yards, but Purdue fell 38-36 to Wake Forest in double overtime.
Nebraska’s Anthony Colandrea and Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic also drew attention in Week 2. Colandrea completed 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, all in the first half, during Nebraska’s 56-7 win over Bowling Green. Milivojevic finished 12 of 20 for 170 yards and two touchdowns in Michigan State’s 35-7 win over Eastern Michigan.
In Other News...
Ohio State Has A Ryan Day Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Ohio States late-game issues have started to feel less like bad luck and more like a pattern. In recent games, the Buckeyes have watched big fourth-quarter leads shrink, and the common thread has been a defense that looks worn down when the pressure rises. The Texas game is part of that conversation, but it is not the only one, and the larger concern is how often Ohio State has needed to hold on instead of close out.
Ryan Days staff is now staring at the kind of problem that becomes impossible to dismiss when it keeps resurfacing in the same phase of the game. The defense has struggled to adjust when opponents keep pushing, and the coaching decisions around those moments are drawing more scrutiny because the Buckeyes have not been able to finish the way a top program is expected to finish. Texas, by contrast, has shown a steadier offensive base from season to season, which only sharpens the spotlight on Ohio States inability to protect its leads when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Just Put Ohio State's Punt Decisions On Notice
Ohio States special teams discussion got louder after the Buckeyes punted on a fourth-and-4 from Texas 39-yard line in the loss to the Longhorns, a call Ryan Day said he stood behind. Day also pointed to punter Joe McGuires ability as part of the equation, even as the possession became an easy talking point because it came with field position that invited second-guessing.
Days bigger message was less about one snap than about what comes next if the execution does not sharpen up. The Buckeyes brought in Robby Discher as special teams coordinator this offseason with an eye toward getting more out of the unit, and decisions like this one could keep drawing attention if those improvements do not show up quickly in high-leverage spots. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Has Plenty To Watch In This Weeks Playoff Race
A chaotic college football weekend left plenty for Buckeyes fans to monitor, and Ohio States own path is suddenly more complicated after the setback in Austin. The broader playoff picture is already being shaped by heavyweight matchups in the Big 12, SEC and ACC, while coaching changes and rivalry games across the country add another layer to a race that is barely settled in September.
For Ohio State, the timing is as important as the result. The Buckeyes still have a chance to steady things, but the margin for error is thinner now, and every result around them matters more than it did a week ago. Before Big Ten play fully takes over, there is at least one chance to reset, regroup and see how the rest of the playoff contenders handle the same kind of pressure. [Read more 🡒]