Two of the Big Ten’s pleasant surprises threw the conference’s playoff fortunes into chaos last weekend. Personality-wise, Iowa’s Nathan Stanley and Michigan State’s Brian Lewerke seem like opposites, but the two sophomore quarterbacks have an advanced grasp of what defenses are trying to do to them and have pumped new life into programs that needed a jolt.
Up until last weekend’s 55–24 rout of No. 6 Ohio State, the low-key, soft-spoken Stanley had been one of the better-kept secrets in college football. The Wisconsin native has a big arm and much better feet than you might expect from a 6' 5", 215-pound quarterback.