Not ranked: Ohio State and Purdue - The defending Champ and a Purdue team that I would hope for pride of the Big Ten, with a B1G defense, will compete at Marshall today. Mark May is picking VA Tech and another run through the B1G.
Game of Week 1 - OSU @ VA Tech
It is an early season, so upsets do happen (see Stanford). However, Penn State has issues more than a Tempe upset. Nebraska and Wisconsin have new coaches. Utah is a good program, but Michigan has a new coach, as well. Often adjustments are necessary, see Bob Stoops or Nick Saban, at OU and Alabama, Year 1 vs. Year 2.
I would not be surprised to see the Big Ten get two more wins to close out Week 1.
1. Michigan State (1-0) - The 2013 champs became a success story at Kinnick Stadium, in the game that signaled QB Connor Cook was the guy. This was coming off a 17-13 loss at Notre Dame. Are the Spartans for real, after 37-24 win over WVU? Western Michigan isn't likely a good enough test. MSU beat WMU 26-13 last season, so better game at WMU. However, WMU was only 8-5 last year, lost 38-24 to Air Force in the Idaho Potato Bowl.
GAME of Week 2 - Oregon (1-0) at Michigan State (1-0) - but, will the Ducks have a QB?
Give me Kirk Ferentz before the sizzle of P.J. Fleck ... sorry Hawk fans (I lived through the Steve Alford era; Fleck is no Alford) ...
2. Northwestern (1-0) - Great win, 16-6 over a ranked Stanford team at home, lead by defense and QB Clayton Thorson, a redshirt freshman version of C.J. Beathard? Iowa recruited Thorson; the Wildcats may be a team to watch; back to back 5-7 teams, but Pat Fitzgerald has been recruiting well. He is as conservative as Jim Tressel, which is saying something. Minnesota and Iowa are first two B1G West opponents in Evanston, with a road trip to Michigan ahead of HC w/ Iowa. BTW - I hope Jake Rudock leads Wolverines to a win over PatF.
3. We played FCS programs and we won ...
5. Illinois (1-0) - Thunderstorm delayed the Bill Cubit era's kickoff, by one day. Game was televised on BTN2Go, then after the Iowa win on BTN ... 52-3 against a poor, Kent State team. Illinois is in better hands today, then a month ago. They beat both Minnesota and Penn State in '14.
5. Wisconsin (0-1) - Herbie said Badgers will likely be favored now, in final 11 games under hometown boy Paul Chryst, during the final moments, as Alabama rolled 35-17. They do have as favorable of schedule over the final 11 games compared to Iowa. The rest of the OOC games are not at Iowa State, Pitt and North Texas (former assistant), like Iowa. The Badgers will get Miami-OH, Troy, and Hawaii. Who will be better prepared heading into the game at Madison?
7. Minnesota (0-1) - #2 TCU beat the Golden Gophers 23-17. QB Mitch Leidner is dangerous ahead of the chains and when he doesn't have to beat anyone with his arm. The defense lost Top 2 tacklers, Top S and Top LB. They have some good players, but depth and inexperience can be found. Next up: at Colorado State, so could we be saying 0-2 Gophers?
8. Nebraska (0-1) - Hail Mary BYU 33-28 ...
Welcome to Lincoln, Mr. Mike Riley, a guy who is a cross between Hayden Fry (offensive QB) and Kirk Ferentz (NFL guy) ... the anti-Bo! Iowa enjoyed three near misses in the opening season under Fry. There will be a likely transition between Mike Riley's style of play and discipline (defense) and the past 7 years.
9. Michigan (0-1) - Jake Rudock threw five interceptions at Iowa in '14. He threw three in opener at Utah for new coach Jim Harbaugh. Rudock is a better QB than Shane Morris. Look at Penn State, a QB needs blocking, rushing game and complementing players. The Utes sadly don't play BYU anymore, but Michigan does, in Week 4 ... next up Gary Anderson's Oregon State (1-0) team in Ann Arbor in Week 2.
10. Penn State - what happened to the Nittany Lions, losing to Temple for the first time, since 1941. It wasn't a simple upset win, there are questions lost in transition from the O'Brien era into the James Franklin era. Temple had a sound 27-10 win.
The Pac 12 opened 7-5 in Week 1. The Big Ten is 7-5, with 2 B1G games left today and Labor Day!
peace
Game of Week 1 - OSU @ VA Tech
It is an early season, so upsets do happen (see Stanford). However, Penn State has issues more than a Tempe upset. Nebraska and Wisconsin have new coaches. Utah is a good program, but Michigan has a new coach, as well. Often adjustments are necessary, see Bob Stoops or Nick Saban, at OU and Alabama, Year 1 vs. Year 2.
I would not be surprised to see the Big Ten get two more wins to close out Week 1.
1. Michigan State (1-0) - The 2013 champs became a success story at Kinnick Stadium, in the game that signaled QB Connor Cook was the guy. This was coming off a 17-13 loss at Notre Dame. Are the Spartans for real, after 37-24 win over WVU? Western Michigan isn't likely a good enough test. MSU beat WMU 26-13 last season, so better game at WMU. However, WMU was only 8-5 last year, lost 38-24 to Air Force in the Idaho Potato Bowl.
GAME of Week 2 - Oregon (1-0) at Michigan State (1-0) - but, will the Ducks have a QB?
Give me Kirk Ferentz before the sizzle of P.J. Fleck ... sorry Hawk fans (I lived through the Steve Alford era; Fleck is no Alford) ...
2. Northwestern (1-0) - Great win, 16-6 over a ranked Stanford team at home, lead by defense and QB Clayton Thorson, a redshirt freshman version of C.J. Beathard? Iowa recruited Thorson; the Wildcats may be a team to watch; back to back 5-7 teams, but Pat Fitzgerald has been recruiting well. He is as conservative as Jim Tressel, which is saying something. Minnesota and Iowa are first two B1G West opponents in Evanston, with a road trip to Michigan ahead of HC w/ Iowa. BTW - I hope Jake Rudock leads Wolverines to a win over PatF.
3. We played FCS programs and we won ...
- Indiana (1-0) - needed a stopped 2 point conversion on last series, to defeat Southern Illinois 48-47, ugh! However, this a program that won at Missouri last year, after losing at Bowling Green, so any given Saturday
- Maryland (1-0) - Well, Nile Kinnick's punt return record falls, as Terps beat Richmond 50-21 to kickoff 2015 ...
- Rutgers (1-0) - 63-13 win over Norfolk State, when suspended players came back for second half. Five players were dismissed prior to game for the Scarlet Knights
5. Illinois (1-0) - Thunderstorm delayed the Bill Cubit era's kickoff, by one day. Game was televised on BTN2Go, then after the Iowa win on BTN ... 52-3 against a poor, Kent State team. Illinois is in better hands today, then a month ago. They beat both Minnesota and Penn State in '14.
5. Wisconsin (0-1) - Herbie said Badgers will likely be favored now, in final 11 games under hometown boy Paul Chryst, during the final moments, as Alabama rolled 35-17. They do have as favorable of schedule over the final 11 games compared to Iowa. The rest of the OOC games are not at Iowa State, Pitt and North Texas (former assistant), like Iowa. The Badgers will get Miami-OH, Troy, and Hawaii. Who will be better prepared heading into the game at Madison?
7. Minnesota (0-1) - #2 TCU beat the Golden Gophers 23-17. QB Mitch Leidner is dangerous ahead of the chains and when he doesn't have to beat anyone with his arm. The defense lost Top 2 tacklers, Top S and Top LB. They have some good players, but depth and inexperience can be found. Next up: at Colorado State, so could we be saying 0-2 Gophers?
8. Nebraska (0-1) - Hail Mary BYU 33-28 ...
Welcome to Lincoln, Mr. Mike Riley, a guy who is a cross between Hayden Fry (offensive QB) and Kirk Ferentz (NFL guy) ... the anti-Bo! Iowa enjoyed three near misses in the opening season under Fry. There will be a likely transition between Mike Riley's style of play and discipline (defense) and the past 7 years.
9. Michigan (0-1) - Jake Rudock threw five interceptions at Iowa in '14. He threw three in opener at Utah for new coach Jim Harbaugh. Rudock is a better QB than Shane Morris. Look at Penn State, a QB needs blocking, rushing game and complementing players. The Utes sadly don't play BYU anymore, but Michigan does, in Week 4 ... next up Gary Anderson's Oregon State (1-0) team in Ann Arbor in Week 2.
10. Penn State - what happened to the Nittany Lions, losing to Temple for the first time, since 1941. It wasn't a simple upset win, there are questions lost in transition from the O'Brien era into the James Franklin era. Temple had a sound 27-10 win.
The Pac 12 opened 7-5 in Week 1. The Big Ten is 7-5, with 2 B1G games left today and Labor Day!
peace
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