There was big talk when the college football season started. This was going to be the year of the Big Ten with increasing talent in teams like Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State, but there have been some big disappointments in the league with games that should have been blowouts being a lot closer, and some embarrassing losses. This weekend, the Big Ten looks to rebound as conference play begins.
The Gophers are the wildcard of the Big Ten. While the team is undefeated, its opponents have been anything but impressive. Nonetheless, the Gophers' schedule of playing Purdue, Illinois and Northwestern provide the team with the opportunity to be 7-0 when they face Michigan State on the road.
However, Minnesota is a young team, playing only three seniors consistently and the inexperience could lead to difficulties when the team faces tougher opponents later down the road.
One of the top ranked teams in the NCAA, the No. 6 Buckeyes host Indiana Saturday. Eyes will undoubtedly be on freshman tailback Maurice Clarett, who didn't play in the close game against Cincinnati. Ohio is looking for an easy win against a lackluster Indiana in their conference opener.
No. 12 Penn State has been this year's surprise team. Starting the Big Ten season undefeated, the Nittany Lions have been routing opponents like Louisiana Tech (49-17) and Nebraska (40-7) but face a determined Iowa team this weekend.
Using history and the momentum the team has been building, the Hawkeyes head into a match-up against Penn State, still hoping for a share of the Big Ten title. Iowa has beaten the Nittany Lions during its last two match-ups.
The No. 14 Wolverine's offense has been lackluster in the last two games against Utah and Notre Dame. An even bigger concern is the team's kicking, which has a poor 3 for 11 success rate. Nonetheless, the Wolverines are getting the ball down the field, it's just getting the ball into the endzone that's a problem. Michigan starts the season on the road at Big Ten rival, Illinois.
\We've been very inconsistent,"" Head Coach Llyod Carr said. ""Any time you lose opportunities to put points on the board, it's a concern.""
The Hoosiers come off a great win against Central Michigan, but will more than have their work cut out for them this weekend against Ohio State where Indiana seems to be outmatched.
The Spartans have yet to completely live up to the hype that surrounded the team and its star players, notably junior quarterback Jeff Smoker and junior wideout Charles Rogers. At 2-2, with losses against Notre Dame, 21-17, and California 46-22, Michigan State faces Northwestern this weekend, which, if they hope to bounce back to be a viable contender in the Big Ten, this will be the weekend to start back on the right track.
""We need to focus on our team; what we need to do to be successful because we haven't done those things consistently,"" Head Coach Bobby Williams said. ""This game is very important.""
While the offensive line isn't extremely strong, it is certainly better than the Wildcats' defense, which allowed for 678 yards against Navy last weekend. Despite an easy nonconference schedule, the Wildcats didn't perform all that well to begin with. It seems obvious that the Wildcats will be mismatched against MSU.
Fumbles have been the problem for Purdue, who has dropped 10 balls in their last few games. Neither quarterback has played extremely well, and junior defensive end Kevin Nesfield is unlikely to play this weekend when Purdue faces the undefeated Gophers.
The Illini have suffered a team breakdown since last season, especially with the loss of former quarterback Kurt Kittner. This year, Illinois has struggled on the field, including losses against San Jose State and Southern Mississippi. The team will need to be playing a lot better in order to challenge Michigan.
