Week 1 of the college football season is in the books for the Big Ten, as every team in the conference has now played at least one game. The conference appears to be loaded once again at the top as the Big Ten looks to extend its National Championship streak to 4 games. The first week of the season went differently for just about every team.
Teams like Ohio State and Indiana blew opponents out while Michigan and Oregon struggled with unranked opponents at home. Most of the teams played weaker non-conference opponents, but as the games get tougher, the hierarchy in the Big Ten will start to become clearer.
Power Ranking the Big Ten after the chaos of Week 1
18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
If there was any hope left that Greg Schiano could turn around Rutgers, it vanished on Thursday night as the Scarlet Knights fell to UMass in a stunning loss. Quarterback Dylan Lonergan clearly isn't the answer, as he threw 3 interceptions, wasting an absurd performance from KJ Duff, who caught 9 passes for 196 yards and 3 touchdowns. The new-look defense let UMass do whatever it wanted, as it's clear this team is going to get demolished in Big Ten play.
17. Purdue Boilermakers
Barry Odom and Purdue were able to open the season against Indiana State, allowing the Boilermakers a chance to pick up what could be a rare win. Ryan Browne put together one of his best starts at Purdue, passing for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns to power the offense. The defense was stellar, allowing just 6 points before the backups came in, but the games will only get tougher as it's Power 4 opponents the rest of the way.
16. Maryland Terrapins
Mike Locksley and the Maryland Terrapins got to kick off the season with a 62-0 win over Hampton. Malik Washington's lack of efficiency in passing should be a concern, but the Terps picked up 365 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. The defense was encouraging, pitching a shutout while recording 5 sacks in the win.
15. Michigan State Spartans
After jumping out to a 19-7 1st half lead over Toledo, Michigan State found itself trailing in the 4th quarter before the team pulled out a gutsy 30-20 win. The run game, only averaging 3.1 yards per carry against a MAC school, is the biggest concern on offense as Alessio Milivojevic played a clean game. Escaping with a win allows Michigan State to continue working through some issues for one more week against Eastern Michigan before a daunting game against Notre Dame.
14. Northwestern Wildcats
Through 3 quarters, Northwestern was locked in a battle with FCS South Dakota State before the Wildcats pulled away. The pairing of Chip Kelly and Aidan Chiles still has a ton of room to improve, but he played a clean game, allowing the rushing attack to lead the way. The secondary is going to need to play tighter coverage in league play, but it was a solid first game of the season.
13. Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin hung around with Notre Dame until the Irish took over, but an early controversial fumble call certainly changed the game. Colton Joseph will certainly be a step above Fickell's other quarterbacks, but he also can't throw a pick 6 in the other big games. The defense was flying around to start the game, and has a ton of potential in league play.
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers
PJ Fleck continued his run of blowout victories, handing Eastern Illinois a 59-7 loss to open the season. Javon Tracy was electric with 2 punt return touchdowns while Darius Taylor rushed for 3 scores. Next weekend will be a big test as the Golden Gophers face Mississippi State, but this team has the weapons to be a dark horse in the Big Ten.
11. Illinois Fighting Illini
UAB was battling Illinois early, but a Hail Mary to end the 1st half gave the Illini breathing room, and it proved to be the spark they needed. Katin Houser played a clean game in his Illinois debut, passing for 3 touchdowns with just 4 incompletions, while the rushing attack averaged 5.8 yards per carry. The Illini are going to need to tighten up the defense before Big Ten play, but there was plenty to like on Thursday Night.
It wasn't pretty early for Nebraska as Ohio wouldn't go away, but the Huskers eventually flexed their muscles, winning 49-21. Anthony Colandrea played a clean game with 3 touchdowns, but will need to be more efficient, especially when the games get tougher. The good news for the Huskers is that it appears that the duo of Jamal Rule and Mekhi Nelson can power this offense, combining for 186 yards and 3 scores.
Read Also: Predicting the AP Top 25: Oregon survives, Lane Kiffin arrives, and Michigan wins in controversy
9. UCLA Bruins
Bob Chesney's UCLA debut came against a Cal team that many were excited about, yet the Bruins were able to pick up a commanding win. Nico Iamaleava didn't have a stellar day passing, but Anthony Woods and Wayne Knight were electric in the run game, combining for 189 yards and 5 touchdowns. The defense has to clean some things up, but they recorded 3 turnovers, which is always a great sign.
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
Kirk Ferentz is still working through Iowa's quarterback battle, but the Hawkeyes cruised to a 40-0 win over Northern Illinois. Kamari Moulton was electric running the ball with 183 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but the QB battle doesn't look any closer to being solved. The defense and special teams, as expected, were dominant with 6 sacks, and a punt return touchdown in the win.
7. Michigan Wolverines
One of the most controversial calls we've seen in a long time gave Michigan 1 extra second, allowing the Wolverines to escape an upset with a Hail Mary. The Wolverines have serious issues if Bryce Underwood doesn't start showing he can be a better passer, as the games are only going to get tougher. Next week Oklahoma comes to the Big House, and it may end up being an elite defensive showdown.
6. Washington Huskies
Jedd Fisch and the Huskies were pushed by Washington State in the Apple Cup, but ended up holding off a late WAZZU rally to secure the win. Demond Williams Jr took care of the ball passing for 268 yards and rushing for 61 yards with a pair of touchdowns. The Huskies' defense forced 3 turnovers, holding Kirby Moore's offense to 10 points to secure the win.
5. Penn State Nittany Lions
Matt Campbell couldn't have asked for a better debut as Penn State picked up a 45-0 win over Marshall. While all the transfers have been the big story, returnee Koby Howard caught 6 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in his breakout game. The Nittany Lions have two more dress rehearsals before facing Wisconsin to open Big Ten play.
4. USC Trojans
Lincoln Riley reached 2-0 before most schools even played their first game with a pair of tune-up games. The Trojans have put their freshman class on display to start the season, with Trent Mosley, Mark Bowman, and Luke Wafle are emerging as stars. Given the way the schedule lines up, USC should cruise to a 4-0 start before the showdown against Oregon.
3. Oregon Ducks
Oregon quickly found itself in a battle against Boise State on Saturday, as it took until the very last second for the Ducks to fully put the Broncos away. Dante Moore played a clean game, lifting the offense, while Jeremiah McClellan looks like he's ready to take a major leap. The Ducks' defense has a ton to clean up, but the talent is clearly there at each level.
2. Indiana Hoosiers
Curt Cignetti was able to show the entire country in Week 1 that the Hoosiers are fully reloaded and ready to go on a run for another National Championship. Josh Hoover's face was bloodied, but that did not stop him as he passed for 231 yards and 4 touchdowns while Turbo Richard and Nick Marsh had strong debuts as well. Indiana is going to use this weak non-conference schedule as a runway into Big Ten play, and they should post absurd numbers each week.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
It was business as usual for the Buckeyes in the season opener as Ohio State cruised to a 56-3 win over Ball State. Julian Sayin threw for 3 touchdowns while Jeremiah Smith clearly saw Malachi Toney strike the Heisman pose, and answered with 151 yards and a pair of scores himself. The Buckeyes used this game as a tune up, as next week brings a major challenge on the road against Texas.
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