...talks about how UConn hasn't been in contact and how they're out. (HT: UMHoops)
drafosnark
Hokepoints: The Mid-Season Snarkening (Offense)
It's almost mid-season, so it's time to check in on the Draft-o-Snark teams and see how this whole Big Ten(nnnnnnnN!) thing is shaping up so far. Spoiler: euh.
Quarterbacks:
Who we drafted:
The sacks have been removed, and I've combined the rushing and passing totals.
| # | Player | Team | School | Rtg | YDs | YPA(T) | TDs(T) | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denard Robinson | SETH | MICH | 122.8 | 1,672 | 8.3 | 11 | 8 |
| 3 | Braxton Miller* | HEIKO | OSU | 127.6 | 1,915 | 8.3 | 17 | 3 |
| 6 | Taylor Martinez* | HEIKO | NEB | 139.9 | 1,732 | 8.6 | 17 | 4 |
| 7 | James Vandenberg | ACE | IOWA | 111.3 | 1,051 | 6.1 | 3 | 2 |
| 12 | Nathan Scheelhaase | BRIAN | ILL | 115.7 | 819 | 5.9 | 5 | 5 |
| 60 | MarQueis Gray* | BRIAN | MIN | 132.1 | 354 | 8.2 | 2 | 1 |
| 74 | Kain Colter* | ACE | NW | 114.3 | 536 | 5.8 | 4 | 0 |
| 94 | Danny O'Brien | HEIKO | WIS | 115.8 | 465 | 6.1 | 3 | 1 |
| 101 | Andrew Maxwell* | BRIAN | MSU | 109.8 | 1,447 | 6.2 | 6 | 3 |
*Heiko took Martinez as a running back, and Braxton Miller was turned into a fullback when he drafted Danny O'Brien. Andrew Maxwell was a backup option chosen in lieu of having a punter. Gray and Colter were taken strictly as wide receivers.
Who's winning: Heiko's running back, followed by Heiko's fullback. He is better off with either of those guys than his designated passer Danny O'Brien, who lost his job to Joel Stave (stah-VAY) after Week 2. The competition matters, but Taylor Martinez has been the conference's best quarterback so far, and Braxton Miller holds a strong second.
Denard looks really good in most stats but already has 8(!) interceptions. He's faced the hardest schedule so far (Alabama and Notre Dame) though nobody else threw 4 picks against Notre Dame, and guys like Miller have already faced MSU's DBs. Also Michigan has had a bye week, while most of the competition has played 6 games, so some of his totals are not quite comparable.
Of Brian's two guys, Scheelhaase has been barely productive. Weirdly he hasn't rushed much, just 160 yards on 34 carries for 4.7 YPC with sacks removed. So much for the new coach being a perfect fit. If you don't believe me when I say Denard's interceptions haven't all been that bad, watch a few of Scheelhaase's. His O-line isn't doing him any favors, FWIW. Maxwell has been a bit better than his worse-than-Vandenberg stats might tell you; those stats have been suppressed by awful receiver play, though he's sent his share and some to Tacopants and Nachoshorts as his offensive line deteriorated. I'm all this is Threet if Threet was in the right offense for his abilities.
Vandenberg isn't helping the Ace cause very much, failing to throw a touchdown the first three weeks against not-good secondaries; Iowa currently ranks 95th in pass 
offense nationally and last in the Big Ten. He had a decent game last week against the toughest defensive backfield he's faced yet, unfortunately that was Minnesota's.
Guy we should have drafted (?): Nobody, really. Joel Stave's YPA will come down when a 62-yard screen to James White isn't 1/10th of his yardage, but he's still been impressive since taking over for O'Brien. That pass which ended with (Illini CB) Terry Hawthorne in the hospital was floated directly into the palms of his tight end along the sideline, in stride, and between two defensive backs. OTOH he has had the new-guy struggles.
QB Standings: 1. Heiko, 2. Seth, 3. Brian, 4. Ace. Should I penalize Heiko for turning the best two QBs in the conference (thus far) into RBs?
[Bad receivers, terrible offensive linemen, and an exclusive, dramatic reenactment of AIRBHG being foiled by Jewish Vin Diesel, after THE JUMP]
