By Hawkeye Matt
Ohio State
What happened: Ohio State rolls 35-7 after about half of a quarter that might have concerned fans.
What it means: Ohio State looks a bit like 2021 Ohio State. Their high-profile non-conference game is in Week 4 as opposed to Week 2 (vs. Oregon in 2021), so it gives them a bit more time to gel. This is still Ohio State, and they are still very good.
What’s Next: At home vs. Western Kentucky next week
Michigan
What happened: Michigan, with a nearly perfect game from JJ McCarthy, plows through UNLV 35-7.
What it means: Michigan is expected to be a top-four team, and they still look like they are one. Not much can really be concluded against their first few opponents.
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What’s Next: At home vs. Bowling Green next week
Penn State
What happened: Penn State demolishes Delaware 63-7
What it means: It seems like, as many Penn State fans have stated, they finally have their elite quarterback. Unfortunately, for people like me who do not root for Penn State, this is not an overreaction. Allar is that guy.
What’s Next: At Illinois next week
Michigan State
What happened: Michigan State beats Richmond with ease, 45-14
What it means The game itself doesn’t mean a whole lot. The situation with Mel Tucker being suspended indefinitely, however, means a lot. This is a tough situation, but with Dantonio potentially returning in the interim, Michigan State will be fine.
What’s Next: At home vs. Washington next week
Maryland
What happened: A slow start leads to a comeback win over Charlotte 38-20
What it means: Maryland is still one of the better Big Ten teams. They are unlikely to be favored against any of the Big Three (Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State), but they should be comfortably bowl eligible. The game showed that while they do have flaws that can cause a big hole, they are more than capable of coming back.
What’s Next: Friday game at home vs Virginia next week
Rutgers
What happened: Rutgers easily takes down Temple 36-7
What it means: It is possible that Rutgers may be closer to a 6-win team than a 3-win team. They have a solid defense and an anemic offense, a problem I understand too well, but they should have enough to win 3-4 more games.
What’s Next: At home vs. Virginia Tech next week
Indiana
What happened: 41-7 route vs. Indiana State in a Friday night game
What it means: Not much of anything. Indiana did what it was supposed to do against a team with fewer scholarship players (FCS schools have 63 scholarship players, while FBS teams are allowed 85)
What’s Next: At home vs. Louisville next week
Iowa
What happened: A 20-13 slugfest on the road vs. Iowa State
What it means: Usually, a win against Iowa State simply means that Iowa is good enough to win at least 7. That is pretty much all you can conclude from this game, as the Hawkeyes nearly gave up a 17-0 lead.
What’s Next: At home vs. Western Michigan next week
Wisconsin
What happened: A 31-22 upset loss at Washington State
What it means: It means that Wisconsin is not a top 25 team this week. The defense did not look like a Wisconsin defense. In contrast, this Wisconsin offense is also a lot different and better than iterations in the past. After going down 24-6, Wisconsin was a few missed calls away from pulling off a comeback that Badger fans are not used to seeing.
What’s Next: At home vs. Georgia Southern next week
Minnesota
What happened: A 25-6 win against Eastern Michigan
What it means: Right now, it seems to mean that Minnesota is a defense-based team. This game showed that they have a solid running back, but it may not be the guy most fans expected it to be.
What’s Next: At UNC next week
Illinois
What happened: Loss at Kansas 34-23
What it means: It means that my prediction of Illinois winning the Big Ten West does not look very good right this second. The loss vs. Kansas was not as close as the score indicates and Illinois seemed to lack the speed to keep up with Kansas (as odd as that is to say out loud). This has no bearing in the conference, so Illinois still can win the West, but much improvement is needed for that to happen.
What’s Next: At home vs. Penn State next week
Nebraska
What happened: 36-14 loss at Colorado
What it means: It means that this probably isn’t Nebraska’s year. With Matt Rhule being a ‘culture changer,’ this should not be as much of a surprise as it is.
What’s Next: At home vs. Northern Illinois next week
Purdue
What happened: 24-17 win at Virginia Tech
What it means: It means that Purdue is not the worst Power 5 team in the country. It also means that there is a path to bowl eligibility for the Boilermakers.
What’s Next: At home vs. Syracuse next week
Northwestern
What happened: 38-7 win vs. UTEP
What it means: It means that Northwestern is, at worst, equal to what they were last year. Because they also play Howard this year, it is probable that Northwestern will double their win total from 2022. They play in the Big Ten West, so it is not outside of the realm of possibility for Northwestern to steal a conference game or two, as well.
What’s Next: At Duke next week
Follow me on Twitter @hawkguymatt
