What a disaster of a week for the Big Ten Conference. Let’s pick our way through the carnage of Week 2.
1. IU (2-0, 0-0)
Well, here we are with the defending champs up to #1 again. Yeah, it’s Howard. Yeah, IU should hammer this team. And look at that – they did. They’re good again. It doesn’t ramp up for them until mid-October, so they could be in this position for awhile.
Week 3 – Western Kentucky (0-1)
2. USC (3-0, 0-0)
They aren’t the second-best team in the league, but they’re 3-0 and they won this weekend. They deserve a bump up. They’re also ranked in the top 12 now.
And hey – look at the crowd!
Week 3 – at Rutgers (0-2)
3. Ohio State (1-1, 0-0)
It’s not embarrassing at all to lose at Texas. They’re a great team and it was a road game. No embarrassment in that at all. BUT…we’ve got to talk about their inability to close these games out. Their inability to do so is embarrassing. 23-3 at the start of the 4th quarter and they lose? For a program as talented as this year-after-year, they blow games a lot. Clock management is a problem. Shaky kicking, all the time. It just doesn’t always add up for them, for some reason. Then there’s this stat.
Week 3 – Kent State (1-1)
4. Iowa (2-0, 0-0)
This game is now a rock fight every year, and Iowa came out on top in the Cy-Hawk game. The run game struggled and Iowa State gave Iowa fits, but the Hawkeyes come out on top. May we never speak of it again.
Week 3 – Northern Iowa (1-1)
5. Penn State (2-0, 0-0)
This was close for a half as the Nittany Lions were only up 10-3 at halftime against Temple. Matthew Campbell’s team did reel off a 24-0 run though, and they had this pretty well locked up immediately out of halftime. Temple added a late touchdown that made the game appear closer than it ended up being.
Week 3 – Buffalo (1-1)
6. Michigan (1-1 2-0, 0-0)
Am I doing this? Yeah, I am. After their Houdini escape Week 1, the Wolverines came out and got the job done against Oklahoma. John Mateer – what are you doing on that decisive pick? He misses a lot of throws. It wasn’t pretty for Michigan, but here they are at 2-0 and back in the rankings.
Week 3 – UTEP (1-1)
7. Nebraska (2-0, 0-0)
Nice night for the Cornhuskers as they smash Bowling Green, 56-7. Nebraska jumped them from the start. Bowling Green stinks and they’ll most likely get mauled by Iowa State on Saturday.
Week 3 – North Dakota (3-0)
8. Maryland (2-0, 0-0)
Another nice win here. Same sort of thing as Nebraska as the Terps beat UCONN, 38-14. I saw none of this but that’s a good win for the Terps. We’ll see if they can hold up. Usually they can’t but hey, good start to the season.
Week 3 – Virginia Tech (2-0)
9. Michigan State (2-0, 0-0)
Good win here, as well. 14-7 at halftime but then Michigan State put the clamps on Eastern Michigan. The teams that won, minus Ohio State, have to be up here.
Week 3 – at #3 Notre Dame
10. UCLA (2-0, 0-0)
Same as Maryland. With this game, I was too busy celebrating Iowa’s win. 2-0 is 2-0 so I have them slightly ahead of Wisconsin.
Week 3 – Purdue (1-1)
11. Wisconsin (1-1, 0-0)
Nice bounce back for Wisconsin after last week’s mini-disaster in Lambeau. Again, not an elite opponent at all, but Wisconsin got the run game going with Iowa State transfer Abu Sama, III.
Week – Eastern Michigan (1-2)
12. Washington (2-0, 0-0)
What’s going on here? This is a talented team but that’s now a tough Apple Cup game with Washington State (ok, fine, rivalry game, tough to win those as we just saw with Iowa-Iowa State.) But then to require a last-second stand against Utah State, knocking a Hail Mary out of the end zone for a pick? This shouldn’t have required a last-second stand.
Week 3 – Eastern Washington (1-2)
13. Northwestern (1-0, 0-0)
Didn’t lose this week. That’s better than the final group here.
Week 3 – Colorado (2-0)
14-15. Illinois (1-1. 0-0) and Purdue (1-1, 0-0)
This was a disaster for the league. Pure disaster. The Illini led by 10 on two separate occasions and couldn’t get the win. Purdue just…whatever. Still not the most embarrassing in the league, but, 1-1 and a loss to a power conference team. Also at home. Same as it ever was.
Week 3 – Southern Illinois (2-1) and UCLA (2-0)
T-16. Oregon (1-1, 0-0) and Minnesota (1-1, 0-0)
I can’t decide between Oregon and Minnesota for 16 and 17 so let’s put them in a tie. There are major, major worries for Oregon now. That’s back-to-back weeks with bad showings. They got away with it last week against Boise State, but didn’t in Week 2 with a stunning loss at Oklahoma State. A team they dropped 70 on last year. There was also this bit of, um, unsettling news if you’re a Duck.
Same thing happened to Oregon in the game with Indiana last year. Either IU was stealing signs – unlikely – or Oregon tips their pitches. Self-scouting is important, Ducks. Also a little more effort is required here.
Meanwhile, Minnesota got absolutely boat raced at home by a Mississippi State team that finished 1-7 in the SEC a year ago. 38-13 really flatters Minnesota, honestly. Mississippi State averaged 5.5 yards per carry and had nearly 500 yards of offense. This was also on CBS. Great exposure for the league.
Week 3 – Portland State (0-3; Friday) and Akron (1-1)
18. Rutgers (0-2, 0-0)
There’s the door. Please leave.
Week 3 – USC (3-0)
