Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10

Ohio State junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor entered the month as either the Heisman favorite or No. 2 candidate on just about every list out there. Pryor, the Buckeyes’ leading rusher (and, of course, passer) a year ago did just fine in the Buckeyes’ 45-7 defeat of Marshall. He threw the longest touchdown pass (65 yards, to Dane Sanzenbacher) of the week in the Big Ten and completed 17 of 25 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns.

Still, at least on the season’s opening weekend, a few Big Ten quarterbacks who were making their first starts were more impressive. Michigan‘s Denard Robinson was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a school-record (for a QB) 197 yards and completing 19 of 22 passes for 186 yards. Northwestern‘s Dan Persa had an even higher completion percentage, hitting on 19 of 21 (90.5%) and throwing three touchdown passes as the Wildcats outlasted Vanderbilt in the SAT Bowl in Nashville. Persa, like Robinson, led his team in rushing with 82 yards.

And then there was Purdue‘s Robert Marve. While his numbers at Notre Dame were not as impressive (32 of 41 for 220 yards, with two interceptions), Marve warmed up in the second half. The Miami transfer, who sat out last season, showed off his cannon arm, twice launching catchable 55-plus yard missiles (if Golden Tate were his receiver, at least one of them would’ve been caught). He also scored the Boilermakers’ only touchdown, keeping the ball on a 4th-and-1 read option and going 23 yards untouched into the end zone.

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