Welp it was a horrible week in the B1G. One team got a win because the referees helped them win and another team took a loss because the referees cost them a win. In the heralded PAC 12 vs B1G match up the B1G looked well disgusting to say the least. Lets see how things break down this week.
1.) Ohio State (3-0)- Won 52-34 over CAL. Ohio State went on the road for the first time this year and blew out the Golden Bears in what was effectively a home game for the Buckeyes with at least 75% of the fans there being OSU fans. The defense gave up too many yards and points but the offense was unstoppable under back up QB Kenny Guiton. A great road win for the best team in the B1G.
2.) Northwestern (3-0)- Beat Western Michigan 38-17. Northwestern is good…. maybe even really good. We will know for sure in a couple weeks when they host Ohio State.
3.) Wisconsin (2-1)- Lost to Arizona State 32-30. Wisconsin should be 3-0 but another horrible referee mistake ruined their chances. The PAC 12 apologized but didn’t offer to give them the win they deserved.
4.) Michigan (3-0)- Beat Akron 28-24. Honestly I nearly moved them to 12th. Akron is a horrible team and they needed a fix job from the referee to beat a HORRIBLE Akron. Devin Gardner is proving to make way to many mental mistakes and the defense is having all kinds of trouble. The running game is pathetic at best. Another performance like that and they will drop to 12th.
5.) Michigan State (3-0)- Beat Youngstown State 55-17. The offense finally came alive. Is it because of the competition or has the Spartans finally found their offensive identity?
6.) Minnesota (3-0)- Won 29-12 over Western Illinois. Coach Kill went down again with a seizure. The team regrouped and went on to win again for their coach.
7.) Iowa (2-1)- Won 27-21 over rival Iowa State. I don’t care how bad the Cyclones are beating your in-state rival is always tough and a great win. Don’t expect them to stay this high up though all year.
8.) Penn State (2-1)- Lost 34-31 to Central Florida. The offense was really good. The defense showed signs of depleted depth. They will be up and down all year IMO.
9.) Indiana (2-1)- Won 42-10 over Bowling Green. Indiana is your avg. Jeckyll and Hyde team. Losing to a mediocre Navy and blowing out a pretty good Bowling Green. They need a signature win to move up.
10.) Illinois (2-1)- Lost to Washington 34-24. Illinois even in defeat showed some promise. Washington is a pretty good team. I think Illinois is still 2 years away from being a good team.
11.) Nebraska (2-1)- Lost to UCLA 41-21. After taking an early 21-3 lead over UCLA the train derailed and Nebraska embarrassed the entire B1G with their horrific defense once again. This team is close to giving up on Pelini and you can just smell the complete meltdown coming.
12.) Purdue (1-2)- Lost to Notre Dame 31-24. Purdue showed a lot of growth in their 3rd game with a lead over ND in the 2nd half of the game. I nearly ranked them 11th this week.
Let me know your thoughts it is always appreciated.
Agree with Ohio State, NW, and WI as being the top 3 teams in the B1G. Would actually rank MSU over TTUN, as MSU has a strong defense. TTUN cannot seem to run the ball effectively. So far, B1G teams have not impressed on a national scale, with the exception of Ohio State, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.
This weekend, Purdue @ WI marks the beginning of B1G conf play. I like WI to rebound against Purdue after such a debacle out in Arizona, due to the incompetence of the PAC-12 officiating crew.
MSU @ ND – can MSU’s strong defense keep them in the game, despite their sputtering offense?
Two out of conference games I will also keep an eye upon ~ Clemson @ NC State on Thurs night, and Auburn @ LSU. Both Clemson and LSU are harboring national championship hopes, and these games could impact the race.