In one of college football's best conference, one thing is clear: QBs reign supreme. If you don't have a good one, chances are your team is doomed, especially in the Big Ten. That's why when USA Today ranked all 18 Big Ten QBs, some Penn Statefans may have been shocked to see a familiar name ranked so high after three straight weeks of below average play. Still, as one of the most experienced players in the country, some may say he deserves some respect.
Still, Paul Myerberg ranking Rocco Becht seventh amongst all Big Ten QBs is somewhat weird considering he's lost to those lower than him. Both Colton Joseph(12th) and Aidan Chiles(14th) outdueled Becht on the field when it mattered most and as a result, have better records and potentially resumes
than him. However, it seems that everyone's fallback argument in favor of the Nittany Lions QBs seems to be experience, and that's the case with Myerberg here.
"Becht is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country and a huge get for Penn State, which can lean on his knowledge of Matt Campbell’s scheme and style to help speed up the learning curve under the former Iowa State coach", Myerberg says of Becht. However, what he fails to mention is that Rocco Becht's elite start has not matched his start to life in the Big Ten.
Consider this: In Becht's first three games as a Nittany Lions, things could not have gone better. He completed 45 of 64 passes for a 70 percent completion percentage. He had 751 total passing yards, averaging a solid 250 yards through the air per game. Most importantly, he had 9 passing touchdowns and no interceptions thrown. However, once you compare it to his Big Ten stats, that's where you begin to see the rapid decline. In Big Ten play, he has only completed 59 of 102 passes for a 57 percent completion percentage, and his average yards per game has dropped to 215. He has only thrown for 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Sure, it's nice to have a great reputation based on your prolific college career as an Iowa State Cyclone. But the Big Ten is a major step up in competition that Rocco Becht has so far shown may just be a step too far even for him. While Myerberg may be ranking these QBs based on overall pedigree, there's a reason that the Nittany Lions are 3-3 and other teams with lower ranked QBs have better records. For now, it feels a bit too soon to say Rocco Becht is an above average Big Ten QB.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Rocco Becht ranked 7th in USA Today's Big Ten QB rankings
