Why is it so difficult for most college QBs to throw intermediate passes over the middle?

Because it’s hard.

Because most college QBs aren't particularly good at reading defenses and defenders can't come from the sideline making reads easier.

Because this isn't playstation or Xbox, it is real life.

I dunno, if you tried throwing it in the middle of the field against me on NCAA 04 I’d take yo shite.

Because there are folks in between the QB and receiver, and there is not enough distance to allow the QB to loft it over those folks.

The challenges of throwing between the hashes and under the safeties begins with the ability of the QB to see through the LOS, read the flow of the LBs and trust your receivers to find the throwing windows and not drift into danger zones.

Zone blitzes complicate things in the middle too.

It's all mental. You're born with it or you aren't. Burrow had it. That's why he was the number 1 pick in the NFL draft. It's the single biggest difference between the haves and have-nots.

Because: (1) In high school most of them were so much better than their competition they could just push down the field with ease (2) They haven't seen real defense until college and it's a new experience (3) They've never actually been taught how to throw that throw or read a real defense until college, and many just don't have that ability (it's pretty rare), (4) Many of them even in college don't get particularly good coaching, so if it's a flaw in their game, it remains, and (5) If they can do that well, then it's a clear path to the NFL, and how many kids does that really apply to?

In other words, its hard.

Because:

1. The call must be right,

2. The pass must be very accurate,

3. The timing is very precise

And that just takes reps and experience. As an example, take our own Joe Burrow (without question, 2019 Joe Burrow is very likely the greatest college QB we will ever see), he just wasn't as sharp and crisp in 2018 (although there were flashes). He was a 5th year senior in 2019, with lots of reps under his belt with his receivers and backs. All of that showed (plus the innate talent in that group, as well).