Several high-profile coaches in the Big Ten are facing pivotal seasons in 2020, perhaps none moreso than Scott Frost, whose third campaign at Nebraska must yield improvement. And a great deal of the Huskers' potential success falls on the shoulders of junior quarterback Adrian Martinez, who is anxious to turn the page on last year's struggles as a preseason Heisman candidate.

But with every missed projection, comes a proverbial diamond-in-the-rough as we saw during Tanner Morgan's emergence. Morgan led Minnesota to their first 11-win season in more than a century with 30 touchdown passes, light years better than his freshman numbers. Gophers coach P.J. Fleck says there will be a competition during the spring, but we know better.

Often known for its elite-level running backs and top-end defensive line talent, the Big Ten could be be carried by its quarterback play this fall, but that doesn't make trying to rank the league's best — from worst to first — any easier. There's starpower at the top of the conference, followed by a handful of candidates who may enjoy breakout seasons.

The following is how 247Sports national analyst Barton Simmons ranks the league's starting quarterbacks, from top to bottom, ahead of the 2020 season with insight on a few of the most notable: