Call it a bounce-back week for the Big Ten, but then again every team showing up to the actual game could be considered a bounce-back after what happened the week before. Now let’s congratulate Indiana on an SEC win and point and laugh at Michigan.
1. No. 9 Michigan State (2-1)
The Spartans registered the Big Ten’s biggest scoring margin Saturday, blowing out Eastern Michigan 73-14 (and EMU’s touchdowns came late). It was a complete performance, with nearly 500 Spartan yards on offense, only 135 total yards allowed on defense and a healthy return game.
For now, Michigan State seems lined up to have a mirror image of how Wisconsin’s season will likely play out, but with tougher competition. The Spartans lost to a premier nonconference opponent, and will now work in a weak Big Ten hoping they can be dominant enough to still impress voters.
2. No. 19 Wisconsin (2-1)
People are going to say “Oh, they just crushed another weak mid-major.” Wrong. Bowling Green is a real team. They won the MAC last year. They beat Indiana, who just took down a decent SEC team. Their coach is an Art Briles disciple, which should be scary. And Wisconsin, plain and simple, obliterated them.
There really shouldn’t be any question about this, Wisconsin is clearly going to play like the Wisconsin of old: a bulldozer of a rushing attack, enough deception to stay frisky and a strong defense prone to hiccups while defending the pass.
Tanner McEvoy needs to eventually show he can threaten with his arm; a one-dimensional offense is going to leave the Badgers vulnerable against real defenses.
3. No. 22 Ohio State (2-1)
I’m disappointed in Ohio State, they didn’t even show up to play last Saturday. Luckily for them, they were bailed out by having a bye week. The talent on their defensive line remains downright pornographic, and the rest of the team is pretty good. We like to hate on Urban Meyer, but the man can recruit and the man can coach.
The question marks over redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett will worry fans until he shows he can pass on a good defense or run enough to compensate. Basically, he’s in the same boat as McEvoy.
4. Penn State (4-0)
Same story as last week: they beat a bad team, this time Massachusetts, but you can’t blame them considering they had to schedule knowing their team depth would severely hinder them against multiple tough opponents. It probably does hinder them, we just aren’t going to see that until an Oct. 25th date against Ohio State.
So far, Christian Hackenberg has been a disappointment, a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year candidate that currently has more interceptions than touchdowns. Penn State is ranked this high on faith that he will find his old form. If not, the floor is low for this team.
5. No. 21 Nebraska (4-0)
Beating Miami is cool and all, it’s still just hard to get past that McNeese State took them into the final minutes. A win like that is not a win, good teams should destroy FCS teams.
Look back at the Wisconsin-Northern Iowa game that gave the Panthers a chance at a game-winning drive. That was a warning for the Badgers’ subsequent loss to Oregon State and weak (and very, very weird) season. Bet the likely and eerily consistent season outcome of four losses.
6. Indiana (2-1)
Here’s the big winner from Week 3, the Hoosiers. As of now, the Big Ten’s best out-of-conference win belongs in Indiana, thanks to a thrilling win at Missouri. Whoever predicted that is a darn liar.
The Hoosiers are making strides under Kevin Wilson. Their rushing attack challenges Wisconsin for best in the conference and the defense might be good enough to not allow 500 rushing yards to the Badgers again. Junior running back Tevin Coleman might be allowed to join the Melvin Gordon-Ameer Abdullah team of superhuman running backs after his hero game in Columbia, Mo.
7. Maryland (3-1)
8. Iowa (3-1)
9. Rutgers (2-1)
All three of these teams are pretty much the same story. Solid by Big Ten standards, won close-ish games against mediocre but by no means awful opponents. All three of the teams, Rutgers much less than the other two, have some really talented players like Stefon Diggs and Brandon Scherff, but Rutgers beat Washington State. Call this the “possible upset” region.
10. Michigan (2-2)
Remember that scene from the Dark Knight where the Joker walks into the meeting with all the mob bosses and goes “What happened? You guys used to run everything. Now you’re just scared of the Batman.” Visualize a similar scene in Ann Arbor.
They got dominated at home by Utah. Just inexcusable. Your Brady Hoke firing time betting line is the night after the Michigan State game.
11. Minnesota (3-1)
Senior David Cobb might be the conference’s most underrated player, but it’s still hard to get excited about this Gophers team. Being able to beat a disastrous Michigan team next week could be encouraging, but last year’s surprisingly good team might have been a peak for head coach and possible actual gopher Jerry Kill.
12. Illinois (2-2)
13. Purdue (2-2)
14. Northwestern (1-2)
Illinois, maybe don’t allow 475 total yards to a Sun Belt team. Purdue, you shouldn’t need repeated mistakes from Southern Illinois to pull away. Northwestern, you were held close at home by a team that was mediocre in the FCS last year, so you just depress me.
