Well that was fun.
This past Saturday looked like a dumpster fire in the early window for the Big Ten with nearly every national media type ready to declare the Big Ten an overhyped conference. But then the script flipped on the way to press — the Big Ten more than taking care of business in the national, prime-time spotlight games.
As such, we learned a lot about the conference this weekend, but here are five of the main nuggets to take to the water cooler this week:
5. Iowa is still Iowa
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There are some certainties in life like death, taxes, hardships, and never putting money on the Iowa Hawkeyes. This Iowa team will still be more than fine in 2016, but you could almost see the upset brewing before the ball was even kicked off Saturday, because we’ve seen the movie before — and read the book.
As good as the Hawkeyes can be, they always seem to pull an Axl Rose at some point in the season and forget to show up to the concert. The fact that it came right after a rivalry game and just before the start of Big Ten play should be no surprise. It was the perfect trap game against the more than capable five-time defending FCS national champs.
The Hawkeyes have been one of the best coached and most well-prepared teams in America under Kirk Ferentz, but the talent level on the roster isn’t anywhere near an Ohio State, Michigan, or Michigan State. They have to execute at a high level and not make too many mistakes. That didn’t happen Saturday.
4. Michigan is still on schedule
We thought there for a moment that the Wolverines were going to get ambushed at home by a much-improved Colorado squad. The Buffaloes raced out to a 21-7 lead late in the first quarter, and Michigan was struggling to find its groove.
But that all changed quickly once Michigan remembered who it was and started to make plays and execute. In fact, the Maize and Blue scored the last 21 points to put the game far out of Hail-Mary reach, to make sure there wasn’t a repeat of 1994.
Relax Wolverine fans, you still have an unblemished team destined for bigger games, and perhaps bigger prizes ahead.
3. Hey B1G, Look out for Nebraska!
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If this year were last year, would you have liked the ‘Huskers’ chances of pulling out a close win on Saturday? Didn’t think so …
Yeah, Nebraska was technically the favorite against the Oregon Ducks, but notching a win against a team that can put up points in bushels felt like a bigger stake in the ground than what Vegas says. Nike U has been near the top of college football universe since just before Chip Kelly got there, and frankly, Nebraska has been about as consistent as the weather in the Great Lakes during the fall.
But not so far this year.
Tommy Armstrong has cut down on the mistakes in early 2016, and has been dynamite in the big play category. Meanwhile, the defense has looked much, much better than the Cornhusker defenses we’ve seen since they joining the B1G.
The West division is wide open, and you’d be foolish to not these guys in the mix.
2. Can we all just quit counting the Spartans out?
Underdog? Pffft. That’s just the way Mark Dantonio likes it.
To be fair, the Spartans looked like a blind-folded limbo contestant in week one against Furman, so who could blame the national media for picking the Irish to upend the Spartans in South Bend? It does however, appear as though Michigan State is far better at this rebuilding thing than we originally thought.
The defense made significant strides from week one, and the offensive and both lines dominated the game and set the table for a balanced and effective day on offense. This Michigan State program isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
1. Ohio State is really good
Admit it. Part of you still wondered just how good this young, raw Buckeye team was. Well, we got a resounding answer Saturday night in Norman, as Ohio State did about anything it wanted in a hostile environment against a talented team.
You get the feeling when it’s all said and done, this win will look much bigger than it does now. There’s a lot of pieces back for this Oklahoma team that took part in the College Football Playoff last year, and don’t be surprised if the Sooners end up being the class of the Big Twelve.
But back to the Buckeyes.
The defense finally gave up a touchdown, but it bent more than it broke and continued to come up with big plays and turnovers against an offense that will make a lot of teams look silly throughout 2016. Offensively, JT Barrett is the point-guard of a cache of weapons that North Korea would be envious of. Oh, and Ohio State found its No. 1 receiver thanks to catches like this:
Ohio State is going to be a handful in the B1G and beyond.
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Phil Harrison is a frequent contributor to The Student Section. He is also a featured contributor to collegefootballews.com, and talking10.com. You can follow him on twitter @PhilHarrisonCFB or email him at pharrison28@gmail.com. If that doesn’t work, you can find him in the doghouse at home.
