Starting this year, I begin a new section for fans of the largest alumni community in the country -- the Big Ten. Each week I will analyze the performance of the twelve teams in the conference. Normally this section will appear after the Top 25, but I have no Top 25 this week, so I've included it before the picks for this week's games.
Big Ten Report
The MAC was the source of much of the competition, but we still learned some interesting things about the teams. There were a few who did better than I expected, and showed great promise. Purdue clearly stood out. I wasn't sure if the Boilermakers were ready to contend for the division title, but that might have been a underestimation. Purdue stared down Eastern Kentucky, a talented FCS team, and slaughtered them. This week against Notre Dame will truly show how strong the Boilermakers are.
I was most impressed with Ohio State. I thought the Buckeyes would sputter after the repercussions of "tattoo gate", and that they'd have to rely on their defense to win until they figured out Urban Meyer's offense. Instead, the Buckeyes ran up 59 points against Miami Ohio. I'd say Ohio State has that offense figured out.
Illinois performed as expected. Their defense was tough, and the offense found a foothold. This week will be a test, as Arizona State gave them problems last year at home. Illinois held on to win, but only by intercepting the Sun Devil quarterback late in the fourth quarter. We'll see if Illinois can prevail in Tempe.
As expected, the scandal-ravaged Nittany Lions had a tough game. They actually started better than I expected, but their depleted defense couldn't hold back a second half charge, and their offense sputtered. Minnesota was somewhat the opposite. They sputtered early, but showed life in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Their rejuvenation extended into overtime, where an interception in the third overtime sealed the victory. Nebraska also looked like they had it together.
Some teams kept things a bit too close for comfort, despite victories. Northwestern put up some points, but their defense had trouble stopping Syracuse. Yes, you read that correctly. Traditional Big East doormat Syracuse gave Northwestern everything they could handle. Iowa also won by a single point, but they were facing Northern Illinois, who is supposed to have a good season. The Hawkeyes may do well this season. Indiana engineered a win, too, but a single score victory against FCS Indiana State is not great. Of course, Indiana was projected to sit near the bottom of the conference, so it may fit fine.
Now we get to the disappointments, and they were the anticipated three top teams in the conference. Although Wisconsin won, their offense was slow, and their defense let Iowa State score three touchdowns. Perhaps the Badgers had first-week jitters, but if they don't get themselves together quickly, their lock on the Leaders division is in question. The same can be said for Michigan State's lock on the Legends division. The Spartans offense looked pathetic without Kurt Cousins. Fortunately their defense took care of an offensively-stripped Boise State team, but Michigan State needs to get their offense working quickly.
Michigan was the biggest disappointment. Granted, I didn't expect them to win, but the offense was pathetic. While they suffered from two "non-calls" in the first half, including a pass interference call before the interception where Denard Robinson hurt his shoulder, it was still a poor showing for Michigan. Perhaps Iowa has a chance to win this division after all.
Let's look at last week's upset before we examine this week's games. Most of the upsets came from FCS or just-recent FCS teams. McNeese State defeated Middle Tennessee State and Texas State (San Marcos) slaughtered a highly-touted Houston team. Duke, who is not a football power, bitch-slapped Florida International, proving the Golden Panthers' claws have been dulled and Duke may have a good year. Alabama slaughtered Michigan, which was unexpected, and Vandy gave South Carolina real problems, and the Gamecocks offense was anemic. Tennessee rolled over NC State, giving Vols fans hope that the bowl drought is over. The biggest upset, though, was probably located in Pittsburgh, as Youngstown State came to town and thoroughly embarrassed the hometown Panthers. Pitt nearly lead, and they ended up down by two scores. Things look bleak in Pittsburgh.
Games:
Thursday, Sept 6: Pittsburgh Panthers at Cincinnati Bearcats: I just said how bad Pitt looked. Would I pick them in this game? Not a chance. Cincy looks strong, and becomes an early favorite in the Big East. CINCY by fifteen
Friday, Sept 7: Utah Utes at Utah State Aggies: Utah had trouble with their Pac-12 debut last season, but they've rarely had difficulties with their in-state rival. Utah will roll. UTAH by 24
Big Ten
Central Florida Golden Knights at Ohio State Buckeyes: It looks like Ohio State is a force, which should concern both Wisconsin and Illinois. Since the Buckeyes can't compete for the conference title, though, the runner-up in the Leaders division might go to the conference title game. In the meanwhile, let's watch Ohio State wipe up opponents. OHIO STATE by 23
New Hampshire Wildcats (FCS) at Minnesota Golden Gophers: New Hampshire is a good FCS team, but if Minnesota can continue the momentum began in last week's fourth quarter, the Gophers can keep pace here. MINNESOTA by eight
Penn State Nittany Lions at Virginia Cavaliers: The Cavs are a decent team, and Penn State is definitely depleted, but the first half of last week gives some hope for Happy Valley fans. I think Penn State will gain take an early lead, and this time a restructured defense will hold it -- barely. PENN STATE by two
Purdue Boilermakers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Purdue was impressive last week, but the Irish were more so. This will be a close game, a Purdue frequently plays Notre Dame tough, and if the game was played in Lafayette I'd pick Purdue. However, I'll give the Irish a slight edge at home. NOTRE DAME by three
Michigan State Spartans at Central Michigan Chippewas: If this was played against Western Michigan, I might pick Michigan State to lose. However, Central Michigan isn't as strong, and won't test Michigan State as much. The Spartans defense is solid, which will stymie the Chippewas. They may not score until the fourth quarter. MICHIGAN STATE by 14
Iowa State Cyclones at Iowa Hawkeyes: Prior to last week, I would have picked Iowa State. Iowa looked good, though. The Cyclones were solid against Tulsa, but I'll give a slight edge to the Hawkeyes. IOWA by two
Air Force Falcons at Michigan Wolverines: Michigan stumbled badly last week, so they have something to prove. Rival Michigan State may have further inspired them by flinging insults across Twitter. Air Force won easily against Idaho State, but most teams do. MICHIGAN by six
Indiana Hoosiers at UMass Minutemen: UMass didn't have a great welcome to FBS, shut out by UConn. I think UMass will score this week, but they will still be looking for their first win. INDIANA by ten
Wisconsin Badgers at Oregon State Beavers: Oregon State had a bye last week, so we don't yet know what they are capable of doing. Wisconsin was pedestrian last week, but that might as a wake-up call to them. Expect Wisconsin to racquet it up for this game. WISCONSIN by ten
Nebraska Cornhuskers at UCLA Bruins: The Bruins slaughtered Rice last week, but Nebraska showed too much power. UCLA's defense isn't strong enough to stop Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers have too many tools for UCLA to beat them score-for-score. NEBRASKA by twelve
Vanderbilt Commodores at Northwestern Wildcats: In my Big Ten preview, I figured this would be an easy win for Northwestern. After last week, I've switched my pick. Vandy proved tenacious against South Carolina, and Northwestern barely eked out a one-point win over conference-trailing Syracuse. Vandy looks to have a strong team this year, and they'll prove it (if they didn't already last week) now. VANDY by six
Illinois Fighting Illini at Arizona State Sun Devils: Illinois barely won last year, and they played in Memorial Stadium. While Illinois looked good last week, the loss of A.J. Jenkins and Whitney Mercilus, both key players in last year's victory, will make it tougher. I'll pick the Illini, but don't be surprised if the Sun Devils win. ILLINOIS by three
Other Games of Interest:
Miami Hurricanes at Kansas State Wildcats: This will be quite a battle. Miami certainly had a tougher opponent last week as a warm-up, but Kansas State may have more energy because they faced an easy opponent. Either team really could win this game. With Miami's defense lined up against K-State's powerful offense, it may come down to Miami's offense to win this game. I'm still not impressed by that squad, so I have to give a nod to the home team. KANSAS STATE by two
Auburn Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs: Auburn lost to Clemson, but they played hard. The Tigers offense showed some life, and the defense has improved. I have to favor them against the Bulldogs, who trounced FCS Jackson State as a warm-up to this game. AUBURN by six
East Carolina Pirates at South Carolina Gamecocks: The Pirates will likely be down this season, yet I think they could still win this game. Vandy is having a good season, but South Carolina make too many mistakes last week to fill me with faith. Steve Spurrier may fix some of the mental mistakes that affected on-field performance, but they are still issues to address. I'll pick South Carolina, simply because they have more talent, but this is another potential upset. SOUTH CAROLINA by three
Ball State Cardinals at Clemson Tigers: After four close games predicted, this one won't be that close. Ball State looked good in the spring, and looked good last week, but Clemson is a power. CLEMSON by 14
Austin Peay Governors (FCS) at Virginia Tech Hokies: Austin Peay plays their second FBS team in a row, and the result will be the same. In fact, Austin Peay may lose by even more. VIRGINIA TECH by a ridiculous amount
USC Trojans at Syracuse Orange: Despite a loss, Syracuse has to be feeling good about themselves. That feeling should evaporate fast once play begins. USC wants to slaughter them to try to regain their Number One slot in national polls, so this game won't be pretty. USC by 31
Fresno State Bulldogs at Oregon Ducks: Fresno's dismantling of FCS Weber State didn't really show what they could do. This game won't exactly be a good measure, either, as they are clearly overmatched. Oregon's offense will embarrass the defense. I'll be watching how well Fresno's offense can perform. OREGON by 35
Washington Huskies at LSU Tigers: The Huskies beat San Jose State last week, but that was poor preparation for this game. LSU showed they have power, and they'll use it against Washington. Don't expect LSU to pull their starters after they get a big lead -- that's not their style. LSU by 27
Louisiana-Monroe Indians at Arkansas Razorbacks: You know why the SEC looks good? They play teams like the Indians before conference play. It's the same reason K-State looks good, at least until they get into the heart of Big XII play. Alabama earned their stripes by beating a good (or, at least, expected to be good) Michigan team. Play that type of opponent and you get kudos. Arkansas will win this game easily, but I don't think they'll be in my first Top 25. ARKANSAS by 27
Florida A&M Rattlers (FCS) at Oklahoma Sooners: Another wipeout when a strong FBS team faces a mediocre FCS team. OKLAHOMA by a bunch
FCS Game of the Week: Montana Grizzlies at Appalachian State Mountaineers: Two tough teams battle it out. This game could go either way, but I favor Montana, who showed more power and talent last week. MONTANA by six
GAME OF THE WEEK: Florida Gators at Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies start SEC play against a Florida team who offense hasn't been the same since Tim Tebow left. Their offense wasn't impressive last week against Bowling Green, and their win was supported by mistakes committed by the Falcons. A&M didn't get to warm up for this game, thanks to Hurricane Isaac, but I'm sure they're ready. Their defense is used to facing teams like Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech, so Florida's reduced offense will face a solid defense. The Gators have a decent defense also, and the wildcard in this game is the Aggies offense. It's supposed to be good, though, so I'll give an edge to the home team. Welcome to the SEC, Aggies! TEXAS A&M by three
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