PSU Nittany Lions

Way back in the heady days of the 2012 preseason, we ranked every Big Ten position group from No. 1 through 12. We had to base our thoughts on previous performance and a lot of projections in August.

We're going back now and issuing a final, postseason ranking for each position group, and these will be far less subjective now because we have an actual full season's worth of data on hand.

Quarterbacks, naturally, are up first. (Those guys hog all the glory). You can take a look back and see how we ranked this group in the preseason here. Depth is an important factor in these position rankings, but having a standout main guy under center (or in the shotgun) is the most overriding concern with this group.

1. Ohio State (Preseason rank: 5): We figured Braxton Miller would improve greatly in his second year of starting and in Urban Meyer's system. We didn't know he'd become the Big Ten offensive player of the year or finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. While he didn't always throw the ball with precision, Miller made all the big plays and led his team to a 12-0 record. The biggest preseason worry was what would happen if he got hurt. Kenny Guiton answered that in the Purdue comeback.

2. Penn State (Preseason: 12): The Nittany Lions were dead last in our preseason rankings, and with good reason considering their past performances at the position. But I did write at the time: "Call me an optimist, but I believe Matt McGloin will be more effective at quarterback now that he's got a more modern offensive system and peace of mind that he's the starter." Uh, yeah. McGloin led the Big Ten in passing yards (3,266) and passing touchdowns (24) while throwing only five interceptions. And he stayed healthy, keeping Penn State's youthful backups from getting exposed.

3. Nebraska (Preseason: 3): Taylor Martinez led the Big Ten in total offense and completed a career-best 62 percent of his passes. When he was good, he was as good as there was in the league. But he still struggled with turnovers in key games, including 12 interceptions and numerous fumbles. If he can eliminate the mistakes, the sky's the limit.

4. Michigan (Preseason: 2): The Wolverines are a hard to team to peg in these rankings. Do we rank them based on Denard Robinson's poor showings in big games against Alabama and Notre Dame? Do we rank them based on Devin Gardner's strong finish to the season, when he was as productive as any Big Ten QB? How much do we factor in the team's lack of a solid backup plan in the Nebraska loss when Robinson got hurt early? You have to weigh the good with the bad, which makes this spot feel about right.

5. Northwestern (Preseason: 9): Starting quarterback Kain Colter threw for 872 yards, which was nearly 450 yards less than nominal backup Trevor Siemian. But Colter also rushed for 894 yards and kept defenses off balance with his versatility. Meanwhile, the Wildcats could use Siemian when they needed to stretch the field. The next step for Northwestern is developing a more consistent downfield passing attack.

6. Indiana (Preseason: 11): Who would have guessed in the preseason that the Hoosiers would actually exhibit the best depth at quarterback? After starter Tre Roberson went down in Week 2, Indiana was able to plug in juco transfer Cameron Coffman and true freshman Nate Sudfeld to sustain the league's top passing offense. The three combined to throw for more than 3,700 yards. Coffman got the bulk of the work but needed a better touchdown-to-interception ration than his 15-to-11 mark.

7. Purdue (Preseason: 1): We overrated the Boilermakers' depth in the preseason. It turned out that only one of the trio of former starters performed at a high level, and Robert Marve didn't play enough because of a torn ACL and Danny Hope's misguided insistence on sticking with Caleb TerBush. Purdue actually led the Big Ten in passing touchdowns (30) and finished third in passing yards, but much of that was because the team often had to throw the ball a lot after falling way behind. This ranking could have been higher with a full season of Marve.

8. Wisconsin (Preseason: 8): Danny O'Brien quickly showed that he was not the next Russell Wilson, but luckily the Badgers had some depth. Redshirt freshman Joel Stave showed major promise before his season was derailed by a broken collarbone, and Curt Phillips turned in a nice comeback story by managing the team well down the stretch. Still, Wisconsin ranked last in the Big Ten in passing yards.

9. Michigan State (Preseason: 10): It was not exactly a season to remember for first-year starter Andrew Maxwell, who was benched late in the Spartans' bowl game. But for all his struggles, Maxwell still finished No. 4 in the league in passing and had some nice games in the middle of the year.

10. Minnesota (Preseason: 6): What could MarQueis Gray have done if he hadn't hurt his ankle, prompting an eventual move to receiver? True freshman Philip Nelson took over the reins midseason and broke out with a huge first half against Purdue. However, he failed to throw for more than 80 yards in the team's final three regular season games. Nelson led the team with just 873 passing yards on the season, and the Gophers threw 15 interceptions.

11. Iowa (Preseason: 4): Nobody took a bigger tumble than the Hawkeyes, as James Vandenberg went from a 3,000-yard passer as a junior to often looking lost as a senior. He completed only 57.3 percent of his passes and tossed only seven touchdowns, with eight interceptions, and Iowa showed almost no ability to go vertical. And no other Hawkeye attempted a pass all season.

12. Illinois (Preseason: 7): The Illini had experience at the position with Nathan Scheelhaase and Reilly O'Toole, but they were both part of a wildly dysfunctional offense. Illinois was next-to-last in passing yards in the Big Ten and also had just 11 touchdown passes versus 14 interceptions. In fairness, both QBs were often running for their lives and had very little help.

Only three weeks left in the Big Ten regular season, and it's put up or shut up time for several teams. Here's an early look at the Week 11 story lines:

Wisconsin (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten) at Indiana (4-5, 2-3), Noon, ESPN2: It's true. We have an actual large and meaningful Big Ten game in Bloomington. In football. The surprising Hoosiers can pull even with Wisconsin and would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker for the Leaders Division spot in the Big Ten title game if they can win their third straight conference game. Let's put that in perspective: Indiana won a total of three Big Ten games from 2008-11. So, yeah, this is all a bit new. The Badgers have had two weeks off to try and figure out their new situation at quarterback (our money is on Curt Phillips). Their defense will be under pressure to stop an IU passing game that has caused everybody fits this year. Wisconsin has won seven straight in this series by an average of 34 points.

Penn State (6-3, 4-1) at No. 18 Nebraska (7-2, 4-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC: The Huskers can't clinch the Legends title yet, but they can take one more giant step toward Indianapolis with a win this week in their toughest remaining game. Penn State can't go to the postseason but will have a huge say in both division races, with this game and remaining ones against both Indiana and Wisconsin. This game features the top two passers in the league in Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and the Nittany Lions' Matt McGloin. If you just woke up from a four-month coma and read that sentence, we forgive you for feeling very disoriented.

Northwestern (7-2, 3-2) at Michigan (6-3, 4-1), Noon, ESPN: Devin or Denard? That will be the big question this week for Michigan, which did just fine with Devin Gardner replacing Denard Robinson at quarterback last week. Northwestern had its own quarterback drama before seemingly settling on Kain Colter as the full-time option. The loser of this game can pretty much kiss its Legends hopes goodbye.

Minnesota (5-4, 1-4) at Illinois (2-7, 0-5), 3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network: The Gophers built a little offseason momentum by upsetting Illinois in last year's season finale. Now they need to beat the Illini to gain postseason eligibility for the first time since 2009. Minnesota has won its last three trips to Champaign, while Illinois has lost 11 straight Big Ten games dating back to last season.

Purdue (3-6, 0-5) at Iowa (4-5, 2-3), Noon, BTN: You'd be hard-pressed to find another game this weekend featuring two fan bases less enthusiastic about their teams. The Boilers have been in a five-week tailspin that might well cost Danny Hope his job, while Iowa has lost three straight in disheartening fashion after a promising 2-0 start in league play. The Hawkeyes still have a chance to get to a bowl but must win here and then upset either Michigan on the road or Nebraska at home on Black Friday. The Boilers have Illinois and Indiana left, so a win here would keep their faint postseason hopes flickering.

Byes: Ohio State, Michigan State