Big Ten Week 3 Breakdown
Week two in the Big Ten was a great week of football. Wisconsin looked strong, drumming Oregon State 35-0, Nebraska used a dominant fourth quarter to sweep away Fresno State 42-29, Michigan scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to cap a 35-31 win over Notre Dame in the first game at the Big House under the lights, and Illinois throttled South Dakota State 56-3. That was the good news for the Big Ten, but there was some ugly as well. Both Iowa and Purdue lost on the road, and Ohio State did not dominate Toledo AT HOME, escaping with a 27-22 victory. Now week three kicks off with a great slate of games as we draw ever closer to the conference battles.
Lock of the Week: Eastern Michigan at Michigan
The Wolverines are looking good under Brady Hoke, who has jump started this program to a 2-0 record. Last week Michigan ousted Notre Dame, winning a 35-31 thriller. The Wolverines started slowly, needing a 28 point fourth quarter to win the game. This week against Eastern Michigan, again at home, Michigan will look to keep their momentum from the 4th quarter going. The biggest thing to watch in this game, as always, is Heisman hopeful, Denard Robinson. Look for him to protect the football better this time. His stat line of 338 yards and four touchdowns through the air and 16 carries for 108 and a score may look nice at first, but then when you see he completed only 11 of his 24 passes and was intercepted three times, you start to shake your head. He simply needs to do a better job protecting the football if Michigan wants to be a serious threat to any team this year. I would expect Robinson to have a good rebound game, as I am sure Coach Hoke will harp on him all week about protecting the ball, and playing the lesser talented Eastern Michigan squad helps too.
Michigan 45 Eastern Michigan 24
Offensive Explosion: Arizona State at Illinois
Illinois has been impressive this season and are off to a quick 2-0 start as they hung 56 on South Dakota State last week. Their offense has been outstanding so far with Nathan Scheelhaase, a standout sophomore quarterback, being the leading force. Last week he showcased his dual threat ability carrying the ball nine times for 93 yards and two touchdowns. He then added six completions, on just eight attempts for 102 yards. The rest of Illinois offense has been equally as impressive. Donovonn Young, a big freshman tailback scored two touchdowns and averaged 9.3 yards per carry last week. Troy Pollard, a senior running back, had eight carries for 101 yards and a score. Add running back Jason Ford and this makes the nucleus of the Fighting Illini offense, which they will rely heavily on against Arizona State if they want to come away with a victory. Arizona State, the 16th ranked team in the nation, is coming off of a great overtime win against Missouri. Now they will put their ranking on the line against Illinois on the road. This game should be full of offense, as Arizona State boosts a great aerial assault led by junior quarterback Brock Osweiler. He tossed three scores and collected 353 yards while completing over 75 percent of his passes. This game is a battle of a team that will want to slow the game down and pound the rock and a team that loves to chuck the ball around. Illinois may be at home, but Arizona State will take this game.
Arizona State 38 Illinois 30
Upset Alert! Michigan State at Notre Dame
This is the third straight week that the Fighting Irish find themselves on upset alert. But unlike the last two weeks, where they were the ranked team that could fall, this time they are on for an upset they could pull. Notre Dame is 0-2 under Brain Kelly so far this season so you know the pressure is mounting on him and the rest of the team to get a victory. This is a home game for Notre Dame, so that helps them out as well. The Spartans are lead by one of the best game mangers in all of college football in senior quarterback Kirk Cousins. They also have a two headed rushing attack in Junior Edwin Baker and sophomore Le’Veon Bell. Bell is a big bruiser who has scored three touchdowns this year. He will likely see a big load against Notre Dame, as Michigan State will likely pound the rock and grind out the clock to seek their third win of the season. Expect both running backs to be workhorses this week, and as always, expect Cousins to be effective and efficient in leading the Spartans.
Game of the Week! Ohio State at Miami
When OSU and the Hurricanes announced this series many college football fans got extremely excited, expecting some great non-conference action between two national powerhouses. Those expectations have fallen short as Miami has yet to regain the power they once had. And now with the NCAA breathing down their backs over a giant scandal that has rumors of the death penalty, the chances are slimming. Ohio State also had a major scandal that resulted in Jim Tressel losing this job. Now Ohio State seems to be diminishing as a national power as well although they still maintain a national ranking of 13 this week. They eked out a victory at home against Toledo. Sometimes a good team needs a wakeup call, so this might be the spark that Ohio State needed. They are lucky they were able to get it, while still getting a win, so they should be thankful for that. Now they travel to face a Miami team who is also looking to fix their season and get back on track. Al Golden is searching for a way to instill faith in “the U” and this would be a great way to do so. Ohio State turned to senior quarterback Joe Bauserman last week and he performed mediocre at best. He needs to improve if Ohio State wants to win this game. With injuries and suspensions, sophomore Carlos Hyde has been getting the bulk of the carries and has done a solid job as the number one tailback. He ran for 76 yards and scored twice on 20 carries a week ago. He will get his opportunity again this week as Ohio State will trump Miami, in the battle of the scandals, with a balanced offensive attack.
Ohio State 31 Miami 17
Best of the Rest:
Wisconsin at Northern Illinois
The Badgers have been extremely dominant this year, but both of their games were in the friendly confines of Camp Randall Stadium. This will be the first road test for the Badgers as they face a decent Northern Illinois team. Last week the defense pitched a shutout for Wisconsin, which was a big improvement from the week before. That has to be an encouraging sign for all of Badger nation. Russell Wilson shined again last week, completing 17 of his 21 passing attempts for 189 yards and three scores. The offensive line, led by senior center Peter Konz , is one of the nation’s best and will pave the way for the Badgers rushing tandem, Montee Ball and James White. Expect the Badgers to continue to be a balanced offense, but still relaying more on the ground and pound than the aerial assault. The Badgers will walk into Solider Field and roll over Northern Illinois.
Wisconsin 45 Northern Illinois 17
Washington at Nebraska:
Washington and Nebraska squared off twice last season, as many college football fans will remember. Nebraska annihilated Washington 56-21 on the road in their first meeting. However, in the second meeting in the Holiday Bowl, Washington exacted their revenge, humiliating the heavily favored Cornhuskers 19-7. This year is a new chapter for both programs, but I would expect a similar result to the first time they squared off last season. Nebraska is too powerful to lose this game. Taylor Martinez has been the focal point of the offense, mainly with his legs. I would expect that trend to continue, but Nebraska will be looking to improve the completion percentage of Martinez, which will certainly help them win more football games. Nebraska knows they need to continue to improve each and every week if they want to make a run for the Rose Bowl, and helping the young Martinez grow as a passer should be their main focus.
Nebraska 45 Washington 23
Pittsburgh at Iowa
Iowa is coming off a triple overtime thriller that resulted in a loss to in-state rival Iowa State. The Hawkeyes will certainly be looking for revenge as they host Pittsburgh on their home turf. Although junior signal caller James Vandenberg has yet to turn the ball over, he has not been too impressive either. He has completed only 59.2 percent of his passes, which would not be bad, although still not good, if he was playing the level of competition in the Big Ten or the SEC. But in the non conference games that Iowa has played, you should be looking for a completion percentage about ten points higher. It is important to note that these are just the first two games he has started, so there is a ton of upside here. This will be a big test for the Hawkeyes and how Vandenberg plays will certainly have a major affect on the outcome and on how people view Iowa as we move closer to Big Ten play. So far Marvin McNutt has been the go-to wide out, reeling in ten balls and two scores so far this year. McNutt is a big and physically imposing senior measuring out at 6’4 and weighing 215 pounds. He is a player to keep an eye on, not only in this game but in the future as well. Another interesting story line to watch is how Iowa runs the ball. Their top back, sophomore Marcus Coker is averaging 3.9 yards per carry and has only crossed the goal line twice this year. This could be a game where they try to get him involved more. I am expecting big things out of Iowa in the bounce back victory this week.
Iowa 31 Pittsburgh 27
Penn State at Temple
Penn State lost the clash of the titans last week, falling to Alabama 27-11. Now they take their talents on the road to face Temple. This will be a much better game for Penn State fans. After watching one of the best teams in the nation take them to the woodshed, the Nittany Lions are looking to return the favor to another team. Penn State will roll over Temple, despite being on the road. However the early parts of the game could be close. Don’t be overly surprised if Temple is within striking distance come half time. But as the game wears on, Silas Redd and the offensive line will take over and dominate the game.
Penn State 31 Temple 13
Southeast Missouri State at Purdue
Purdue suffered a painful and embarrassing loss to Rice last week. The week before, they barely escaped with a victory against another subpar team. Because of that, this game becomes almost interesting. However I would not expect the same results. First Purdue is at home, so they will manage to come away with the W. Secondly, in case game one was not enough of a wakeup call for the Boilermakers, week two’s loss to Rice definitely was. This is a must win rebound game for Purdue, and they will look to blow out Southeast Missouri State. Junior running back Ralph Bolden has continued to impress, but this offense still only managed 22 points last week. They absolutely need to improve on that if they plan on winning any games in the Big Ten. QB Caleb TerBush is having a mediocre year, completing 57.8 percent of his passes for three scores and one INT. There is still much to be improved on in Boilermaker nation, and it starts this week by flexing their muscles against a much weaker opponent.
Purdue 31 Southeast Missouri State 10
South Carolina State at Indiana
The Hoosier’s put up a good fight and showed heart as they fell just short of beating Virginia last week in attempting to pick up their first W of the year. This game appears to be very winnable for Indiana and I would expect them, especially at home, to lay down the law. Edward Wright-Baker is still young and has shown strides from week to week. This will need to be another big stride as the Hoosiers must humiliate South Carolina State at home. Kevin Wilson should achieve his first career victory in this game.
Indiana 34 South Carolina State 14
Miami (OH) at Minnesota
The Golden Gophers fell to New Mexico State last week, but the biggest news was not the loss. First year head coach, Jerry Kill, was hospitalized with a seizure just before the game was concluded. He is said to be recovering well and could be back on the sideline this week. However the football world does not stop for anyone or anything. This game provides a great chance for Minnesota to pick up their first victory and you have to admit most people are probably pulling for them and coach Kill. Minnesota has not been good at protecting the football, having two interceptions thrown in as many games. This will likely be the vocal point of practice, as the coaching staff tries to improve the play of Junior Marquesis Gray. He is also their leading rusher so keep a careful eye on him as he tries to will his team to victory this week.
Minnesota 34 Miami (OH) 17
Northwestern at Army:
Northwestern has enjoyed a 2-0 start and is looking to improve to 3-0. Kain Colter continues to do a stellar job playing for the injured Dan Persa. Colter has completed 73 percent of his passes and is also the team’s leading rusher. He will prove too much for Army to contain as he leads the Wildcats to victory this week. Sophomore running back Adonis Smith is also a guy to keep an eye on as he is averaging just under four yards per carry so far this year and is the feature back for Northwestern. Expect the Wildcats to continue to use the dual threat ability of Colter and spread the ball around using short to medium pass plays as they put on a beat down of Army.
Northwestern 41 Army 10
Lock of the Week 2-0
Game of the Week 2-0
Football Week 3 Breakdown Page
