saw this from Ivan Maisel today:
2. A long, long time ago, former ESPN color analyst Mike Gottfried said to me in a pre-game press box that he liked one team to win “because they have better players.” That’s so simple, it’s brilliant. I thought of that Wednesday when I read a statistic from ESPN Stats & Info saying that the Big Ten – the entire conference – has not had a quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in 20 years. In that time, the SEC has had 11 quarterbacks picked in the first round. And Tulane has had two.

That is remarkable to have a conference like the Big Ten to have a 20 year gap like that. Really almost would say any FBS conference quite frankly.

Which conference has a trio of current NFL QBs better than Brady, Wilson and Brees???

I dunno.

P12 with Luck, Rodgers, and Carson Palmer?
SEC with Manning, Manning, and Stafford/Newton?

The thing is though- it speaks to what the perception is coming out of college.

NFL scouts swing and miss enough to warrant a mention. Michigan was QB U for a long time,
Elvis, Todd Collins, Brady, Griese, Harbaugh, Navarre, Henne, Henson. Round 1 I want DTs, and OTs,
but if you have QB you really want go for it.

(09-10-2015 09:47 AM)stever20 Wrote:  I dunno.

P12 with Luck, Rodgers, and Carson Palmer?
SEC with Manning, Manning, and Stafford/Newton?

The thing is though- it speaks to what the perception is coming out of college.

It also speaks to how perception is dumb sometimes. A lot of the gaudy numbers being put up by college QBs are a facade due to a combo of spread offenses and warm weather (neither of which the Big Ten has had that much of compared to the other power conferences).

Note that some of the recruiting disadvantages that the Big Ten faces against Southern schools at the college level, such as colder weather, more pro-style offenses and more defense-oriented teams, turn into favorable assets in the NFL.

Maisel might be overreacting here. The Big Ten historically has not been a conference of QB-driven, pass-heavy teams. There's nothing wrong with that, it was just never the way of coaches like Bo and Woody or the old conventional wisdom that when it gets cold you have to play smash-mouth football on every down.

Here's another Big Ten trivia question that illustrates the point:
Q. Who was the first Big Ten QB to throw a touchdown pass in the NFL?
A. Jim Harbaugh.

That's right, Harbaugh, whose last year as a Michigan player was 1986, more than 60 years after the NFL began and more than 80 years after the Big Ten started playing football.

I think it is pretty amazing that in 20 years, the Big Ten hasn't had even 1 first round QB.

And look at the 3 that were mentioned...
Brady- left college in 1999
Brees- left college in 2000
Wilson- left college in 2011- was at Wisconsin for 1 year

What other top Big Ten QB have there been recently? The 4th best Big Ten QB last year was Kyle Orton. So not that many QB, and really only 1 that is really any good since 2000. and that's with an asterisk.

also the question becomes, can that style of run first pass second offense be truly successful in 2015 football? Look at Ohio St last year. they were hardly a ground and pound team.

(09-10-2015 10:27 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Here's another Big Ten trivia question that illustrates the point:
Q. Who was the first Big Ten QB to throw a touchdown pass in the NFL?
A. Jim Harbaugh.

That's right, Harbaugh, whose last year as a Michigan player was 1986, more than 60 years after the NFL began and more than 80 years after the Big Ten started playing football.

Not even close to true....

(09-10-2015 10:27 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Maisel might be overreacting here. The Big Ten historically has not been a conference of QB-driven, pass-heavy teams. There's nothing wrong with that, it was just never the way of coaches like Bo and Woody or the old conventional wisdom that when it gets cold you have to play smash-mouth football on every down.

Here's another Big Ten trivia question that illustrates the point:
Q. Who was the first Big Ten QB to throw a touchdown pass in the NFL?
A. Jim Harbaugh.

That's right, Harbaugh, whose last year as a Michigan player was 1986, more than 60 years after the NFL began and more than 80 years after the Big Ten started playing football.

Wedge that can't be right. There has to be a bunch of them. I mean immediately I think of Bob Griese and the undefeated Dolphins in 72'.
I bet Jim Everett had a TD pass before Harbaugh.

(09-10-2015 09:26 AM)stever20 Wrote:  saw this from Ivan Maisel today:
2. A long, long time ago, former ESPN color analyst Mike Gottfried said to me in a pre-game press box that he liked one team to win “because they have better players.” That’s so simple, it’s brilliant. I thought of that Wednesday when I read a statistic from ESPN Stats & Info saying that the Big Ten – the entire conference – has not had a quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in 20 years. In that time, the SEC has had 11 quarterbacks picked in the first round. And Tulane has had two.

That is remarkable to have a conference like the Big Ten to have a 20 year gap like that. Really almost would say any FBS conference quite frankly.

I think this kind of analysis is statistically irrelevant in light of the fact that during the bolded time-frame quarterbacking in CFB has become vastly different than doing so in the NFL. Bryce Petty, the starter for the NYJ apparently never had to read a defense while at Baylor because the Spread he ran was predicated simply on timing and route running.

Texas hasn't had an OL drafted in any round since 2008.

(09-10-2015 10:27 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Maisel might be overreacting here. The Big Ten historically has not been a conference of QB-driven, pass-heavy teams. There's nothing wrong with that, it was just never the way of coaches like Bo and Woody or the old conventional wisdom that when it gets cold you have to play smash-mouth football on every down.

Here's another Big Ten trivia question that illustrates the point:
Q. Who was the first Big Ten QB to throw a touchdown pass in the NFL?
A. Jim Harbaugh.

That's right, Harbaugh, whose last year as a Michigan player was 1986, more than 60 years after the NFL began and more than 80 years after the Big Ten started playing football.

Wha??? You're telling me that Bob Griese, who played for the Purdue Boilermakers and was the QB for the perfect season Dolphins doesn't count?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Griese

Len Dawson is another former Boiler that won a Super Bowl

(09-10-2015 10:27 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Maisel might be overreacting here. The Big Ten historically has not been a conference of QB-driven, pass-heavy teams. There's nothing wrong with that, it was just never the way of coaches like Bo and Woody or the old conventional wisdom that when it gets cold you have to play smash-mouth football on every down.

Here's another Big Ten trivia question that illustrates the point:
Q. Who was the first Big Ten QB to throw a touchdown pass in the NFL?
A. Jim Harbaugh.

That's right, Harbaugh, whose last year as a Michigan player was 1986, more than 60 years after the NFL began and more than 80 years after the Big Ten started playing football.

lol no. Otto Graham is a HOF Northwestern Alum who threw 176 TDS for the Browns between 1946-1955. I'm sure there are countless other examples but he was the earliest I could remember and quickly google.

(09-10-2015 10:51 AM)TheNealT Wrote:  Len Dawson is another former Boiler that won a Super Bowl

And head coach was a former Boiler? There has to be Big Ten QBs from the
40's, 50's etc that had good careers in the NFL. Mike Phipps is another Boiler that had a long career in the NFL, maybe 12 years. from late 60's to 81'?

Gary Danielson, another Boiler

(09-10-2015 10:32 AM)stever20 Wrote:  I think it is pretty amazing that in 20 years, the Big Ten hasn't had even 1 first round QB.

And look at the 3 that were mentioned...
Brady- left college in 1999
Brees- left college in 2000
Wilson- left college in 2011- was at Wisconsin for 1 year

What other top Big Ten QB have there been recently? The 4th best Big Ten QB last year was Kyle Orton. So not that many QB, and really only 1 that is really any good since 2000. and that's with an asterisk.

The two Super Bowl teams last year were led by Big Ten QBs. The Big Ten won the national championship in college, too, if you recall. There might be 3 QBs drafted in the first round just from the current Ohio State team, which would render this entire discussion moot. Why does everything have to be "the sky is falling" or "X conference/team is awful" with your narratives?

I just found 7 guys from crappy Illinois that threw NFL TD's before Harbaugh

(09-10-2015 11:00 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(09-10-2015 10:32 AM)stever20 Wrote:  I think it is pretty amazing that in 20 years, the Big Ten hasn't had even 1 first round QB.

And look at the 3 that were mentioned...
Brady- left college in 1999
Brees- left college in 2000
Wilson- left college in 2011- was at Wisconsin for 1 year

What other top Big Ten QB have there been recently? The 4th best Big Ten QB last year was Kyle Orton. So not that many QB, and really only 1 that is really any good since 2000. and that's with an asterisk.

The two Super Bowl teams last year were led by Big Ten QBs. The Big Ten won the national championship in college, too, if you recall. There might be 3 QBs drafted in the first round just from the current Ohio State team, which would render this entire discussion moot. Why does everything have to be "the sky is falling" or "X conference/team is awful" with your narratives?

And look at the 2. Brady left the Big Ten 15 years ago. Wilson gets an asterisk given that he was at Wisconsin for 1 year...

And sorry- but Ohio St would have at most 2 QB. Braxton Miller isn't a QB any more, and won't be drafted as a QB.

It's easy to see why the Big Ten has had such a down period before last year. When you go pretty much 15 years between guys that turn out to be decent pro's- in an era where QB play means more than it ever has before- you're going to struggle.