11. Washington State (preseason: 23rd)
Main starter: Connor Halliday
Buzz: Halliday is a great fit in coach Mike Leach's "Air Raid" attack and is on pace to throw for almost 5,800 yards. Halliday has thrown for 3,344 yards and 28 TDs in seven games. But he also has tossed eight picks, giving him 47 in his career.
12. Marshall (preseason: 7th)
Main starter: Rakeem Cato
Buzz: Marshall appears well on its way to an unbeaten regular season, but Cato hasn't been quite as prolific as expected. He has thrown 15 TD passes and is averaging 283.0 yards per game. And when numbers like those aren't as prolific as expected, that's saying something. Cato, a senior, also has five rushing TDs; he had seven in his career before this season.
13. Arizona (preseason: 86th)
Main starter: Anu Solomon
Buzz: Solomon, a redshirt freshman, was the surprise winner of a camp quarterback battle, and he has played at a high level. He has thrown 15 TD passes and is third nationally in total offense at 382.7 yards per game.
14. Arizona State (preseason: 9th)
Main starter: Taylor Kelly
Buzz: Kelly has missed the past two games with a foot injury, but before he was hurt, he had accounted for eight TDs and zero turnovers. In his stead, Mike Bercovici has played at a high level: 998 passing yards, with eight TDs. When Kelly is healthy, he will get his job back.
15. Texas A&M (preseason: 58th)
Main starter: Kenny Hill
Buzz: Hill, a sophomore, was given the giant task of replacing Johnny Manziel, and he has done quite well. He is fourth nationally in total offense at 382.6 yards per game and has thrown 23 TD passes. But he also has thrown five picks in the past two weeks, against the only tough defenses he has seen thus far (Mississippi and Mississippi State).
16. TCU (preseason: 82nd)
Main starter: Trevone Boykin
Buzz: Boykin started nine games at quarterback last season, but struggled. TCU coach Gary Patterson hired two new offensive assistants (Sonny Cumbie from Texas Tech and Doug Meachem from Houston), and they have transformed Boykin's game -- and the Horned Frogs' offense. Boykin accounted for 14 TDs last season; he already has accounted for 15 this season and is seventh nationally in total offense at 353.6 yards per game.
17. Michigan State (preseason: 12th)
Main starter: Connor Cook
Buzz: Cook threw for 2,755 yards and 22 TDs in 14 games last season, his first as the starter. This season, he already has thrown 13 TD passes in six games and is on a pace for 2,618 yards in 12 games. Cook also has rushed for two TDs
18. Auburn (preseason: 13th)
Main starter: Nick Marshall
Buzz: Marshall, a senior, never is going to be anything close to an elite passer, but he is an elite athlete who fits nicely into coach Gus Malzahn's spread-option scheme. Marshall has thrown 10 TD passes and also has rushed for 492 yards and four scores.
19. Ohio State (preseason: 80th)
Main starter: J.T. Barrett
Buzz: Braxton who? OK, there's some hyperbole there, but Barrett has played well in Brxaton Miller's absence. Barrett has accounted for 19 TDs, including 17 TD passes (Miller's single-season high is 24 TD passes), and is completing almost two-thirds of his passes (66.2 percent).
20. Colorado State (preseason: 18th)
Main starter: Garrett Grayson
Buzz: Grayson remains one of the more underrated quarterbacks nationally. He has thrown 16 TD passes and is averaging 303.8 passing yards per game for an offense that ranks 21st overall at 490.8 yards per game.
Follow Mike Huguenin on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
