10 Things in the Big Ten: Week 3

1. Track Star of the Week 🏃🏼⭐️

Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. hit 20.6 MPH on his way to earning my Track Star of the Week #ReelSpeed. As a high school track and field athlete, Cooper Jr. was a 23-foot long jumper in the state of Indiana.

2. Bruin’s Bust

The entire UCLA saga has been so fascinating to me. The Bruins came to Happy Valley at the end of last year, and while they weren’t great, they had some playmakers, and I thought much like other B10 fans that they were on the rise. Even through the offseason, the addition of Nico Iamaleava was seemingly huge for the program. Whether it’s an issue in the program or just what happens when your portal QB is a bust, DeShaun Foster was the first firing of the year in college football, and I can’t say I’m shocked.

3. It’s Hard Being a Penn State Fan

We hate fall weddings around here, but on Saturday I had one, so I couldn’t attend the Penn State vs. Villanova game, and to be honest with you, I’m glad I didn’t. Sure, Penn State won 52-6 and blew out their FCS opponent, but they really didn’t look good doing it. Despite all the stats on how well Penn State is doing and despite who they played the first three weeks of the season, they’re not passing the eye test for me. Do I think any team in the country looks elite right now? No, not really. While I still think we’re a national championship-level team, I’m jumping on the bandwagon that Penn State doesn’t look as good as they should. I’ll probably be eating my words in two weeks when Oregon comes to town, but for now I’m really praying that these first three games don’t actually matter and don’t play a role in who makes it to the national championship (as long as you win all these games).

4. Ducks & Bucks: Why So Sluggish?

In general, I think being a sports fan means you’re gonna freak out and overreact to how your team does no matter what. But watching scores on Saturday, I was sitting there thinking, “How is Ohio State in the third quarter and only up a touchdown on Ohio?” And then I watched Northwestern give Oregon a closer game than it should’ve been. As a college football fan and an expert in the Big Ten, it’s definitely weird to see teams put up 70+ points one week and then struggle against lesser opponents the next. The same goes for the Buckeyes and the Ducks as it does for my Nittany Lions. I don’t think these games matter—as long as you can win and stay healthy, the score ultimately doesn’t affect the outcome of your season, even if your fan base is gonna get lit up on Twitter for barely beating someone you should have crushed by 50+.

5. 100-Yard House Call

Saturday’s defensive action was highlighted by Maryland DB La’khi Roland, who returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown during the Terrapins’ 44-17 win over Towson. It was Maryland’s first 100-yard interception return since Tom Brown accomplished the feat in 1962.

6. Weirdest TD of the Week

I don’t think, in all my years of watching college football, I’ve seen a play this strange. To make things even weirder, the Purdue touchdown below kept them in the game with USC.

7. Badgers & Gophers Both Bite It

Both Minnesota and Wisconsin lost out-of-conference games. For Wisconsin, they were without their quarterback, Billy Edwards Jr., and had to play at Alabama. Definitely a tough matchup, even if they had their quarterback, and not having him just made this one unwinnable for the Badgers. As for Minnesota, they lost a tough game to Cal. When you lose your lead back, Darius Taylor, and your identity to pound the rock, you’re going to struggle.

8. Ferentz 206: The Big Ten’s New Win King

One of the more important but surprising news pieces out of the Big Ten this week is that Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is now the B10’s all-time wins leader. Ferentz now tops a list of head coaches that includes Hayes (205), Amos Alonzo Stagg (199), Bo Schembechler (194), Joe Paterno (162), Hayden Fry (143), Henry Williams (136), Robert Zuppke (131), Lloyd Carr (122), and Barry Alvarez (118).

9. USC Thicc Six

Who doesn’t love a big man touchdown? The 6-5, 360-pound tackle, Jah Jarrett, hit 19 MPH on his way to becoming the first Trojan DT to score a touchdown off an interception since 1999.

10. The Week Ahead; Playoff Prove-It

First off, College GameDay should’ve picked Illinois vs. Indiana, but we’ll forgive them if they choose Oregon vs. Penn State on the 27th. Getting to the game, for Illinois, if they want to make the College Football Playoff, this is a must win. They’ll still have to play Ohio State, and I’m not saying they can’t win that one, but we might as well pencil it in as a loss. I don’t see a two loss Illinois team getting in over a two loss Notre Dame or a two loss SEC team.

For Indiana, this game really comes down to proving that last year was not a fluke. We get a great quarterback battle between these two teams, and the outcome will help set the stage for the rest of the Big Ten season.