In the first weekend of the College Football season, the Big Ten won the biggest game of the weekend as the Ohio State Buckeyes knocked off Texas, but in Week 2, the SEC got its revenge as Oklahoma knocked off Michigan. The second weekend of the season was a bit of a step back in excitement as most of the Big Ten played cupcake opponents.
As we're still a few weeks away from the start of league play in the Big Ten, it's still tough to rank the conference as no one has played common opponents. After two weeks however, we're starting to get data points that help everyone see how each of these teams are going to fare the rest of the season.
The Oregon Ducks' offensive showcase shakes up the picture in the Big Ten
After a Week 1 loss against Tulane, where nothing went right for Northwestern, it was great to see the team bounce back, even if it was against Western Illinois. Last weekend, Preston Stone threw three interceptions, and he flipped it this weekend with a trio of touchdowns. This season, it's going to be almost impossible to find wins on Northwestern unless they go out and shock teams.
In Week 1, Rutgers struggled against one MAC school in Ohio, and this weekend, they flipped the script with an impressive showing against Miami (OH). Next weekend, Rutgers will have one last chance to pick up an easy win against Mike Vick and Norfolk State but after that point, it's hard to find games Rutgers will even have a chance to win.
The Purdue Boilermakers are off to a 2-0 start to the season, and while the wins have come against Ball State and Southern Illinois, it's refreshing for the fanbase to pick up some wins. Devin Mockobee powered the offense, picking up 126 yards on the ground with a pair of touchdowns, while Ryan Browne passed for a pair of touchdowns. CJ Nunnally IV had a great game rushing the passer, picking up a pair of sacks,
While the Nico Iamaleava transfer was the story of the offseason, his name will hardly be mentioned this season unless it's in a negative light. This roster doesn't have nearly enough talent to go on a run, and when it flips to Big Ten play, it's only going to get tougher for UCLA to pick up any positive momentum.
The Maryland Terrapins handled their business on Friday Night as Mike Locksley's team picked up a 20-9 win over NIU. True Freshman Malik Washington wasn't efficient as a passer, but he didn't turn the ball over while scoring a pair of touchdowns for the Terps. Maryland is going to need to find a rushing attack that can make a difference, as they can't rely on the passing attack as much when they get into Big Ten play.
When Iowa went out and landed Mark Gronowski, it seemed as if the team finally had a quarterback who could make a difference. Through two games, including a game against Albany, Gronowski has only 127 yards passing, and this looks like the same Iowa team we've seen year after year. Around the Country, offenses can luck into a massive game on offense, yet it seems like Iowa can't figure out how to get it done.
The Michigan State Spartans and Boston College quietly played one of the best games of the weekend as the Spartans pulled out the victory in double overtime. Aidan Chiles was 19-29 for 231 yards and a touchdown, adding 39 yards and a 5th touchdown rushing. The defense stepped up in the second half after a rough first quarter, but they'll need to keep getting better if they're going to go on a run in the Big Ten.
The Wisconsin Badgers picked up a 42-10 victory without Billy Edwards Jr yet the fanbase isn't happy with the showing. The offense struggled against one of the worst teams in Conference USA until late in the second quarter, speaking to the fact that the offensive line and running back talent have dipped under Fickell. Next weekend against Alabama could be a disaster but, this team will have to prove itself in Big Ten play.
If there were a version of the NFL's Redzone Show, the Minnesota Golden Gophers would've dominated the broadcast as they scored 66 points on Northwestern State. The rushing attack was dominant as they picked up 258 yards and 5 touchdowns in a game where Darius Taylor only had 20 yards. PJ Fleck looks like he has a solid team once again but, we won't truly know until they face a real team.
This weekend, the Washington Huskies had a much easier job facing off against UC Davis, but they handled their business, hanging 70 points on the Aggies. Jonah Coleman is going to drive the offense, and in this game, he picked up 111 yards rushing with 5 touchdowns, with another 24 yards receiving. Next weekend, the Apple Cup will provide a bigger test before the Huskies head into Big Ten play.
When Michigan signed Bryce Underwood, the expectation was that they'd plug an incredibly talented quarterback into a team with Playoff talent around him. This weekend felt like an adjustment point for the expectations around the offense, as it was clear that Bryce Underwood needs some time to develop. The Wolverines' offense doesn't have the playmakers on the outside to make Underwood's job easier, and they may just be a year away from making a run in the Big Ten.
This weekend, the Nebraska Cornhuskers got to relax and have some fun after an intense game against Cincinnati. The offense exploded behind Dylan Raiola and Emmett Johnson as they scored 68 points against Akron. Matt Rhule's team is clearly improving year over year and should head into Big Ten play with a 3-0 record, while their game against Michigan looks easier after this weekend.
Curt Cignetti's Indiana Hoosiers put together yet another dominant performance; however, when they face a team like Kennesaw State, it's impossible to judge how good this team is. Fernando Mendoza was incredible, and he found Elijah Sarratt for three touchdowns as the star receiver was unstoppable. This team will get one last tune-up game before they face off against Illinois, when we'll finally be able to judge this group.
The USC Trojans haven't played the best of opponents yet, but Lincoln Riley looks like he has the most well-rounded team of his tenure at USC, and he earned some credit with the fanbase for demolishing Clay Helton. Jayden Maiava is clearly the man for the job, as he completed 75% of his passes for 412 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defense continues to improve but, we won't know how good this team truly is until they face Illinois in week 5.
The Penn State Nittany Lions picked up a 34-0 win over FIU but the final score doesn't tell the full story as FIU kept this game close until late in the 3rd quarter. Drew Allar struggled despite having a new receiving room, going just 19-33 passing for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a game where he should've been able to pad his stats. The defense was dominant, pitching a shutout with two takeaways in impressive fashion as FIU was under pressure all game. The Nittany Lions face Villanova next weekend, so they'll have one more dress rehearsal before facing Oregon.
Bret Bielema's team came into the season with College Football Playoff hopes as they returned a veteran core, and their first true test of the season came as they faced off against an impressive Duke team. This game was 14-13 at halftime before Illinois outscored Duke 31-6 in the second half in dominant fashion. Luke Altmyer was impressive all day, passing for three touchdowns, while the rushing attack had three themselves. The defense kept Darian Mensah under constant pressure and forced 5 turnovers in impressive fashion.
After the Oregon Ducks' Week 1 win over Montana State, everyone wanted to see this group do it against a Power 4 opponent. Dan Lanning's squad showed everyone just how dominant they could be as they demolished the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Dante Moore's arm talent was on full display as he looks like the 5-star recruit everyone wanted out of High School. The Ducks are unproven at their skill positions, but Will Stein has plenty of talent to work with, and it was on full display in this game as they unlocked freshman Dakorien Moore.
After winning with their defense against the Texas Longhorns, the Ohio State Buckeyes unleashed all of their weapons on Grambling State. Julian Sayin only played the first half, and he was dominant, going 18-19 for 306 yards and 4 touchdowns, while his lone incompletion was an interception. The defense was dominant as is expected in a game with this big of a talent mismatch but, getting Sayin an easy spot to put together a great showing will go a long way when the tougher games roll back around.