The quarterbacks performed throwing drills at the NFL scouting combine on Sunday and below are some quick-hit thoughts on how each of them fared. (Thank you NFL Network for broadcasting the scouting combine for those of us who are unable to go to Indianapolis, or have a restraining order that mandates we stay 500 yards away from Rich Eisen, whom all I wanted to do was party with.)

- For those that were concerned with the way the ball comes out of Cam Newton’s hand, there’s no need. Unlike Tim Tebow last year, Newton doesn’t have a flaw that needs to be fixed when it comes to his delivery, which is important seeing as how he played in the spread option under Gus Malzahn at Auburn.

- That said, Newton was awfully inconsistent on Sunday. His passes on the out route sailed on him and he also overthrew his receiver on one of his post-corner throws. His footwork is still a work in progress but hey, he’s learning. He has to transition from being a spread quarterback to a conventional drop back passer in the NFL, so it’s going to take time. At least at this point he has better mechanics than Tebow and Vince Young when they were preparing for the draft.

- Ryan Mallett was really impressive. He has a cannon attached to his right shoulder and the ball comes out of his hand rather effortlessly. He has the best physical tools of any quarterback in the draft and at 6’6” and 238 pounds, he has the size that scouts drool over. Of course, his physical tools have never been in question. His attitude and character are what some are concerned about. Personally, I think he has Oakland Raiders written all over him. He could thrive in a vertical offense and Al Davis can’t even spell character.

- Christian Ponder had himself a great day as well. He outshined Newton and all other quarterbacks in the second group, displaying very good accuracy and decent arm strength. I can’t see him going any higher than the third round, but he looked healthy and confident on Sunday. Depending on what team he winds up with, he could be a player to watch in a couple of years.

- For those who followed him at Washington, it’s not surprising that Jake Locker ran one of the fastest 40 times (4.52 seconds) of any quarterback in combine history. The guy was blessed with a ton of athleticism and he looked good throwing the ball, which had been a concern heading into the combine. He was a little inconsistent with his accuracy when throwing the dig route, but it’s hard to complain about his performance. Of course, most quarterbacks perform well when there are no defenders in their face. When teams watch film of him from last year, there will be plenty to pick apart.

- Ricky Stanzi, Jerrod Johnson and Andy Dalton all struggled with their accuracy. I don’t think anyone is surprised with Johnson, but I thought Dalton would put on a better performance. Of course, where he wins teams over is with his leadership, his football IQ and his instincts. You can’t measure those things in throwing drills. I will say this about Stanzi though: the kid throws a nice deep ball (at least when he’s not facing any DBs).

The last time Iowa faced Northwestern was last year when the Hawkeyes were 9-0 and streaking towards a date with Ohio State for the chance to play in the Rose Bowl.

But the Wildcats ruined Iowa’s dreams then and then did it again this year.

For the fifth time in the last six meetings between these two teams, Northwestern was able to get the best of Iowa in a dramatic 24-17 win at Ryan Field in Evanston. The Wildcats were trailing 17-7 after Hawkeyes’ quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw two touchdown passes early in the third quarter. But Brian Peters picked off Stanzi near the goal line in the fourth quarter and the Northwestern comeback was on.

Dan Persa found Jeremy Ebert on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 6:21 remaining in the game to cut Iowa’s lead to 17-14, then Persa threw up a jump ball that Demetrius Fields snagged for another score with just 1:22 on the clock. Stanzi drove the Hawkeyes into Northwestern territory, but a 4th-and-16 Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete with six seconds left and the Wildcats hung on for the win.

Outside of Ohio State, Northwestern is the only other team that Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz has a losing record against. Without a chance to win the Big Ten, Iowa will try to ruin Ohio State’s chances next week at home at 3:30PM ET.

Here’s a quick and dirty look at how I see things playing out in the Big Eleven this season:

#1 Ohio State
Some believe the Buckeyes’ offense might be close to catching up to their defense in terms of dominance, which is saying something with the way OSU’s D played a year ago. The Buckeyes return all three leading rushers from 2009 in Brandon Saine, Dan Herron and quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who some believe has become a more committed teammate over the offseason. The key to OSU becoming a national title threat is Pryor, or more specifically, whether or not he’ll make opponents respect his passing game. The good thing for him and the Buckeyes on a whole is that they return four starters to a veteran offensive line that will open up plenty of holes for a deep and talented group of running backs. Defensively, OSU was a top five unit last season and could be once again this year assuming they can generate a pass-rush and the safeties can hold up in coverage. Cameron Heyward is one of the nation’s best defensive ends and Ross Homan is a playmaker at the outside linebacker spot. The secondary isn’t flashy, but cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence are solid. From a schedule standpoint, if they can beat Miami in Columbus in the second week of the season, they should be 6-0 heading into Madison on October 16. From there, they’ll be tested by Wisconsin, Penn State and Iowa, but this is your clear favorite to win the Big Ten.

#2 Iowa
The Hawkeyes lost a couple of studs from their offensive line in tackles Bryan Bulaga and Kyle Calloway, as well as guard Dace Richardson and center Rafael Eubanks. But with players like Riley Reiff ready to step in, Iowa should repopulate their O-line and not miss a beat this season. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi took plenty of heat last year for his spotty play, but the bottom line is the guy won. Assuming they don’t choke early in the season against an inferior opponent (which almost happened on multiple occasions last season), the Hawkeyes should challenge the Buckeyes for a conference title. It helps that they play Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin at home this year. That November 20th battle in Iowa City against the Buckeyes could determine the Big Ten champion.

#3 Wisconsin
John Clay, Montee Bell and Zach Brown – talk about an elite group of runners. That trio could potentially give the Badgers the best rushing game in the nation by season’s end and will only serve to help quarterback Scott Tolzien and the passing game. While the defensive tackle and secondary positions are question marks heading into the season, there’s no reason to think that Wisconsin couldn’t challenge Ohio State and Iowa for the conference title. They certainly have enough talent to do so, although they have a grueling two-game stretch at the end of October to worry about. The back-to-back games against Ohio State (home) and Iowa (away) will determine how good this Wisconsin team is and don’t discount the trip to West Lafayette either. If the Badgers were able to knock off the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, the game against Purdue in early November has letdown written all over it.

#4 Penn State
I don’t blame you if you hate Penn State’s chances this year. After all, they have to replace their starting quarterback, plus all three linebackers and also have to play Alabama, Iowa and Ohio State on the road. But toss out the ‘Bama game for a second and realize that if they beat either Iowa or OSU, then the Nittany Lions could challenge for the Big Ten title. If they lose both, however, they’re likely done because two losses (especially against the top 2 teams in the conference) probably won’t cut it this year. Evan Royster is an absolute stud, but the fear is that PSU will become too one-dimensional unless quarterbacks Kevin Newsome or Matt McGloin step up. That’s not a good sign considering the front sevens that Ohio State and Iowa have, which is why I have the Lions ranked where I do. That said, this team can still contend with the teams listed above. I’m just not that crazy about them doing so.

#5 Michigan
It’s now or never for Rich Rodriguez. Another disastrous season could cost him his job and actually, another bowl-less season could just as easily lead to him getting the boot in Ann Arbor. He needs to decide between Tate Forcier or Denard Robinson and then the winner of said quarterback competition needs to be more consistent this season than they were in 2009. Even though the Wolverines lost both of their leading rushers from a season ago, the interior of the offensive line looks strong with guard Stephen Schilling and center David Molk returning. The defense has some talented playmakers and the 3-3-5 alignment plays well for the depth that UM has in its secondary. The key is how this team plays in the second half, with home meetings with Iowa and Wisconsin, as well as road tests against Penn State and Ohio State. A fast start and a bad finish will do nothing to help Rich Rod keep his job.

#6 Michigan State
The Spartans have a slew of playmakers and plenty of depth on both sides of the ball, but like most years, the concern is that they’ll drop a game or two that they shouldn’t have. They luck out by not having to face Ohio State this year, but losses against Wisconsin, Iowa or Penn State will push them out of contention and games against Michigan, Northwestern and Purdue are gimmies. Sparty has plenty of offensive firepower thanks to Larry Caper, Edwin Baker, Keith Nicol and Mark Dell, but the key is whether or not this team can replace three starters on an offensive line that allowed only 14 sacks last season. Defensively, linebacker Greg Jones might be the best defender in the nation, but the secondary remains the unit’s weak link.

#7 Northwestern
It’s easy to get excited about the Wildcats this season. Quarterback Dan Persa is a dual threat from under center, the linebacker trio of Quentin Davie, Vince Browne and Nate Williams is solid and Kevin Watt is a talented pass-rusher. That said, this is a team that struggled to run the football last year and if the offensive line can’t open up holes for the slew of running backs that are expected to get carries this season, then Persa could get eaten alive. Also, the defense gave up too many big plays last season and that’s a concern considering they have to replace three of the four starters in the secondary. The Wildcats should be fun to watch again this year, but it’s hard envisioning them knocking off one of the top teams in the conference like they did last year in Iowa City.

#8 Purdue
The Boilermakers will rest their hopes on former Miami Hurricane quarterback Robert Marve, who has impressed the coaching staff this year with the way he can both pass and run. That said, Caleb TerBush could see snaps if Marve struggles early, so Purdue has options. Whoever is under center this year will benefit from the ultra-productive Keith Smith, who finished with 1,100 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season. Running back Al-Terek McBurse is also very talented, although the offensive line returns just two starters and will be inexperienced as a whole. The defense has a solid front seven, but the secondary is highly inexperienced and the run defense wasn’t very good last season. This team won’t have to play Iowa or Penn State this year, so they could wind up making some noise. But I can’t see them beating either Wisconsin or Ohio State in order to emerge as a true sleeper.

#9 Illinois
The Illini lost their top two playmakers from a season ago in receiver Arrelious Benn and quarterback Juice Williams, but they should be able to run the ball effectively with Mike LeShore, Jason Ford and dual-threat quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. The defense will likely be more aggressive than it was a year ago, but if the unit can’t force more turnovers then it’ll likely struggle again. This is an intriguing team to keep an eye on, but there’s just too much unproven talent at key positions to think U of I will make any noise this year.

#10 Indiana
Thanks to quarterback Ben Chappell, running back Darius Willis, and receivers Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher and Terrance Turner, the Hoosiers will score plenty of points in 2010. It’s just a matter of if they’ll stop anybody. The defense only returns four starters from last year and there are plenty of question marks surrounding the seven new replacements. That said, with Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron and Arkansas State on their non-conference schedule this year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Indiana will snag two conference wins and head to a bowl game this year, which would be a nice accomplishment.

#11 Minnesota
Too many questions surround the Gophers this year to ignore. They have potential issues at every level of their defense and if they can’t run the ball more effectively than they did in 2009, then talented quarterback Adam Weber and the rest of the passing game will suffer. Considering they have a solid group of freshman coming in this year, there’s reason for hope in Minnesota but chances are this team will sink to the bottom of the conference.

Check out other 2010 College Football Conference Previews: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12

No. 1 in the ACC will take on No. 2 in the Big Ten when No. 9 Georgia Tech battles No. 10 Iowa in the Orange Bowl on January 5. As part of our 2010 BCS Bowl Preview, here are five things to watch for in the 2010 Orange Bowl.

1. GA Tech’s spread option attack vs. Iowa’s stiff run defense
Thanks to a three-headed monster in Jonathan Dwyer, Josh Nesbitt and Anthony Allen, the Yellow Jackets had the second best rushing attack in the nation this season. They averaged 307.15 yards per game, 35.31 points per game and 442.69 total yards of offense per game. There was only one time this season where Tech didn’t rush for over 200 yards on the ground, which came in a 33-17 loss to Miami in mid September. There’s no doubt Iowa has watched countless film on how the Hurricanes attacked the Jackets’ triple-option, remarkably holding them to just 97 yards on the ground. The Hawkeyes rank 11th in the nation in total defense and eighth in pass defense, but it’ll be their run defense (ranked 33rd in the country) that will be tested in the Orange Bowl. Miami succeed because it had the athletes in the front seven to penetrate the gaps and consistently wreck havoc in Tech’s backfield. Led by linebackers Pat Angerer and Jeremiha Hunter, the Hawkeyes have the tools to slow down Tech’s rushing attack. But will they execute come January 5?

2. Does Iowa have any late season magic?
Even though they would have rather won in less dramatic fashion, the Hawkeyes were kings of the comeback early in the season. They needed two blocked field goals to beat Northern Iowa in Week 1, a 16-point forth quarter to beat Penn State on the road, an interception in the final minutes to defeat Michigan at home, a come-from-behind second half win over Wisconsin and a last-second, fourth-down miracle to beat Michigan State in East Lansing. While some may point out that Iowa had a little luck running through its veins this season, there’s no doubt the Hawkeyes had some magic sprinkled in there too. It wasn’t until quarterback Ricky Stanzi got knocked out of a game against Northwestern in early November that things started to go wrong. Back to back losses against Northwestern and Ohio State knocked Iowa out of national title contention, but a 12-0 win over Minnesota in their final game of the season helped the Hawkeyes reach a BCS bowl. Did they save any magic for Georgia Tech?

3. Can Stanzi overcome the long layoff and quiet his critics?
For all intents and purposes, Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi wasn’t statistically great over the course of the season, which is why many fans criticized him mercifully earlier in the year. It wasn’t until he got hurt in a loss to Northwestern in November that fans realized what they had in Stanzi: A winner. While subbing for Stanzi, freshman James Vandenberg struggled mightily against the Wildcats and while he played much better against Ohio State the following week, his three interceptions aided in a 27-24 Buckeyes’ victory. Stanzi says his ankle has healed and that he’ll play against Georgia Tech. But by the time he steps on the field for the Orange Bowl, it’ll be 59 days since his last snap against Northwestern. While he’ll certainly have enough preparation time for the game, can he shake off the rust? Can he re-establish the chemistry he had with his offense? With his 17-4 record as a starter, there’s no doubt that Stanzi gives the Hawkeyes the best chance to win on January 5. But questions linger about whether or not he can overcome the obstacles that are before him and lead Iowa to a BCS bowl victory.

4. Can the Yellow Jackets’ run defense hold up?
All the focus of this game will be rightfully paid to the matchup between Georgia Tech’s offense and Iowa’s defense, but there’s another matchup brewing under the surface that could help the Hawkeyes earn a victory. Georgia Tech ranks 67th against the run, allowing over 150 yards per game on the ground this season. Iowa’s running game has not been great (they rank No. 103 in that category, averaging just 109.42 YPG on the ground), but freshman running back Adam Robinson is back to full strength, which will give the Hawkeyes a big boost. He rushed for 3.7 YPC against a very good Ohio State defense on November 14, and 6.0 YPC against Minnesota in the season finale. The extra time off should help him get back to 100% and if Iowa’s offensive line can help open holes for Robinson and company, then the Hawkeyes might be able to seize control and keep GA Tech’s triple-option on the sidelines.

5. That said, the Yellow Jacket defense is no pushover
Statistically, Georgia Tech hasn’t been great against the run this year, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a good unit as a whole. The Yellow Jackets use a base 4-3 defense, but they also utilized a 3-4 front to help them beat Clemson in the ACC title game. Their pass-rush is led by defensive end Derrick Morgan, who totaled 18 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 13 games this season. If Iowa can’t get Morgan blocked, he’s the type of game-changer that can help produce three-and-outs for the Jackets in order to get their triple-option onto the field as much as possible. The Hawkeyes need to run the football in order to stay balanced and keep the Jackets’ on their heels or else it could be a long night for Stanzi.

2010 Orange Bowl Game Information:
Matchup: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Kickoff: 8:00PM ET
TV: FOX
Odds: Georgia Tech -4

Talk trash about the Orange Bowl on our official smack talk thread.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Georgia Tech and their high-powered option attack will invade Land Shark Stadium to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at the 2010 Orange Bowl in Miami.

2010 Orange Bowl Game Information:
Matchup: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Venue: Land Shark Stadium
Kickoff: 8:00PM ET
TV: FOX
Odds: Georgia Tech –3.5

Key Stats:
The Yellow Jackets enter this game with the second best rushing attack in the nation thanks to a backfield trio of running backs Jonathan Dwyer and Anthony Allen, as well as quarterback Josh Nesbitt. Tech has averaged over 307 rushing yards per game this season and has the 11th best scoring offense in the country (35.31 PPG). Defensively, the Jackets rank 54th overall, 67th against the run and 47th against the pass.

Iowa’s strength relies on its defense, which ranks 11th in the country and eighth against the pass and 33rd against the run. Senior linebacker Pat Angerer ranks fifth in average tackles per game at 11.25, while junior defensive lineman has racked up nine sacks this season. The Hawkeyes expect running back Adam Robinson and quarterback Ricky Stanzi to be at full speed come January. Both players missed time due to injuries, but have had time to recover and are now practicing again. Iowa is ranked 54th in passing offense, 86th in scoring and 93rd in total offense.

The Bottom Line:
Tech’s spread option offense has virtually been unstoppable this season, but Iowa’s front seven is one of its strengths. The Hawkeyes’ interior defense is solid and the key to stopping the Jackets’ triple option. If this game turns out to be a back and forth shootout (uh, a rushing shootout, that is), then Iowa might have a tough time keeping up. But if the game is ugly, then no team has won uglier this season than the Hawkeyes.

Let the smack talk begin:

Ohio State edged Iowa 27-24 in overtime to win at least a share of their fifth consecutive Big Ten title and essentially book a trip to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl. It’ll be the Buckeyes first appearance in the Rose Bowl since 1997.

I’ll be honest, I expected more out of the Buckeyes today, who were 17-point favorites over a depleted Hawkeyes team. I figured OSU’s stingy defense would harass freshman quarterback James Vandenberg, who struggled mightily last week when Ricky Stanzi suffered an injury in Iowa’s loss to Northwestern.

But give credit to Vandenberg, who was awfully impressive while completing 20 of his 33 pass attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He found Marvin McNutt for a 10-yard touchdown pass with less than three minutes remaining to tie the game at 24-24 and force overtime.

The problem is that Vandenberg also made a ton of freshman mistakes, which led to three Ohio State interceptions. The Buckeyes actually picked him off a fourth time and returned it for a defensive score midway through the fourth, but OSU was called for offsides and the touchdown came off the board. Vandenberg was also lucky another one of his passes wasn’t intercepted on Iowa’s game-tying touchdown drive, as the ball was deflected into the air around multiple OSU defenders but a Hawkeye receiver caught it for a first down.

Vandeberg’s counterpart, Terrelle Pryor, wasn’t asked to do much in the passing game. He completed 14 of his 17 pass attempts for only 93 yards and no scores. Jim Tressel played things ultra-conservative and allowed Brandon Saine and the running game to take over. Saine finished with 103 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns.

Iowa was the No. 4 team in the country heading into last weekend’s action, had the inside track to win the Big Ten title and at the very least, had a trip to the Rose Bowl almost locked up. After today, they’ll be lucky to be ranked in the top 15 when the new polls are released on Sunday and will likely head to the WhoCares.com Bowl.

On the flip side, everyone was ready to write Ohio State off after they lost to Purdue last month and now it looks like they’ll be crowned Big Ten champs again. It’s amazing how quickly things can change in college football from week to week.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
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Along with a complete list of point spreads for the top 25 action in college football, here is a quick-hit look at some of the marquee matchups in Week 11.

No. 25 West Virginia at No. 5 Cincinnati, Friday, November 13
This is the first of three important games left on the Bearcats’ schedule. After playing the Mountaineers on Friday night, Brian Kelly’s squad will take on Big Ten foe Illinois on November 27 and then have a marquee Big East showdown with No. 12 PITT on December 5. Kelly won’t have starting quarterback Tony Pike again this week as the senior continues to nurse a forearm injury. That means impressive sophomore Zach Collaros will once again be counted on to keep Cincinnati’s BCS hopes alive. After ratting off four straight wins to get to 6-1 on the season, West Virginia has struggled the past two weeks. They were defeated by South Florida two weeks ago and then struggled generating offense against a below-average Louisville team last Saturday. Will Collaros and the rest of Cincy’s backfield be too much for the Mountaineers to handle?
Odds: Cincinnati –9.

No. 16 Utah at No. 4 TCU, 7:30PM ET, Saturday
Now that the Horned Frogs have leapt into the No. 4 spot in the rankings, they have one more hurdle to overcome on their schedule before they let fate take the wheel for the rest of the season. Utah will do everything in its power to knock off its Mountain West foe and gain the inside edge for a second straight conference title. But the Utes’ task is a daunting one. TCU has the sixth best rushing attack in the nation and are ranked eighth in total offense. They also rank third in total defense and fifth in scoring defense. The Frogs look like a small-school juggernaut right now but if they will be challenged this weekend in Fort Worth.
Odds: TCU –19.5.

No. 10 Iowa at No. 11 Ohio State, 3:30PM ET, Saturday
In the blink of an eye, the Hawkeyes saw their national title hopes and quarterback go down in one fall swoop last Saturday as Northwestern shocked them at home. Now Iowa can only hope for a Big Ten title, but even that looks dim considering it has to go into Columbus this week in attempts to beat a confident Ohio State team. The Buckeyes knocked off Penn State last Saturday in Happy Valley and now has the inside track to winning the Big Ten again this season. The Hawkeyes will start redshirt freshman James Vanderberg, who struggled last week after Ricky Stanzi suffered an injury in the first half. Asking a redshirt freshman to beat the Buckeyes in Columbus is no small order and it appears that Iowa’s magical 2009 season won’t have a fairytale ending.
Odds: Ohio State –17.

Top 25 Point Spreads:

Thursday, November 12
No. 24 South Florida -1
Rutgers +1

Friday, November 13
No. 25 West Virginia +9
No. 5 Cincinnati -9

No. 1 Florida –15.5
South Carolina +15.5

No. 2 Alabama –12.5
Mississippi State +12.5

No. 3 Texas -24
Baylor +24

No. 16 Utah +19.5
No. 4 TCU –19.5

Idaho +31
No. 6 Boise State -31

No. 7 Georgia Tech –12.5
Duke +12.5

Louisiana Tech +24.5
No. 8 LSU –24.5

Stanford +10.5
No. 9 USC –11.5

No. 10 Iowa +17
No. 11 Ohio State -17

Notre Dame +7
No. 12 Pittsburgh -7

Arizona State +17
No. 13 Oregon -17

No. 14 Miami -3
North Carolina +3

No. 15 Houston –4.5
Central Florida +4.5

No. 17 Arizona +1
California -1

Indiana +25.5
No. 18 Penn State –25.5

Texas Tech +4
No. 19 Oklahoma State -4

Michigan +8.5
No. 20 Wisconsin –8.5

No. 21 Virginia Tech –17.5
Maryland +17.5

No. 22 BYU –26.5
New Mexico +26.5

Washington +12
No. 23 Oregon State -12

For expert picks and daily free picks, visit HSI Sports!

Photo from fOTOGLIF
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