Week 2 of the college football slate was nothing short of amazing. Let’s dive into all things B1G to recap the weekend and get you ready for week 3 of CFB.
- Mel Tucker – Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker has been suspended amid an investigation into reported accusations of sexual harassment. First, the reports said he was fired, but now he’s just suspended, and I don’t think anyone has a real understanding of what’s going on. Nevertheless, the memes are hilarious, and this could get very ugly for Michigan State and Mel Tucker. What’s going on with these B1G schools?
- Northwestern celebrates win – Speaking of scandals, Northwestern might have had their only chance at celebrating a win this season after dominating UTEP.
- Wisconsin upset by Washington, State – I was on the money with my upset of the week pick. I knew Washington State would give the Badgers a good fight, but I didn’t think the score would be as lopsided. Wisconsin has a lot to figure out, but they can still win the B1G West if Luke Fickell can put the pieces together.
- PSU’s Defense is underwhelming to start 2023 – Maybe I’m just being picky, but Penn State’s defense isn’t off to the start I thought they’d have so far in 2023. Yes, they’ve only allowed two touchdowns with their starters on the field, BUT with the eye test, they just don’t look like the defense from last year, specifically against the run. They let Delaware score on a 60+ yard rushing touchdown and struggled in week one against WVU’s rushing attack. They have a lot to clean up before they host Michigan and their deadly rushing attack in November, but if they want any chance to win the B1G, they need to figure out how to dominate against the run.
- Marvin Harrison Jr. is a Dawg – The son of Hall of Fame WR Marvin Harrison showed why he’s the best WR in the nation after putting up some big plays on Saturday. While he did face off against FCS opponent Youngstown State, he’s just that good. He put up 122 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first quarter, including a 71-yard house call.
Week 2 Power Rankings:
- 1. Michigan 2-0 ↔️
- Ohio State 2-0 ↔️
- Penn State 2-0 ↔️
- Iowa 2-0 ⬆️
- Maryland 2-0 ⬆️
- Michigan State 2-0 ⬆️
- Minnesota 2-0 ⬆️
- Rutgers 2-0 ⬆️
- Wisconsin 1-1 ⬇️
- Illinois 1-1 ⬇️
- Purdue 1-1 ↔️
- Indiana 1-1 ⬆️
- Northwestern 1-1 ⬆️
- Nebraska 0-2 ⬇️
B1G Player of the Week: Jai Patel
Let’s show some special teams love this week! Rutgers Sophomore Kicker Jai Patel was 3-3 on field goals for the day, including a 51-yarder, as well as 3-3 on extra points. He scored 12 of Rutgers’ 36 points against Temple. #ForTheBrand
Week 3 Preview:
Game of the week: Michigan State at Washington
Week 3 of the CFB season is pretty lackluster with not a ton of marquee matchups, but Michigan State going on the road to face Washington has the best storyline in the B1G this week. Michigan State now has bigger issues going on than winning a road game, and Washington SHOULD win this one by 2+ touchdowns. But maybe Michigan State plays their hearts out for their new interim head coach. Either way, I’m excited to see Michael Penix Jr. light up the Michigan State defense.
Upset of the week: Penn State at Illinois
To be honest, there aren’t any games on the week 3 schedule that scream “upset.” BUT because I have PTSD from the last time Penn State played Illinois (8 OT game), I’ve put this one as my upset of the week. Illinois certainly doesn’t have the talent they did in previous years, but PSU will get their first road test of the year, and while I expect PSU to win this one pretty easily, you never know what could happen. I can’t see a world in which PSU loses this game, but the rest of the B1G games in week 3 don’t have upset potential.
B1G Heisman Race:
Marvin Harrison Jr.: He’s the best WR in college football and continues to look the part. Week 2 against Youngstown State helped pad his stats.
JJ McCarthy: Near-perfect week 2 performance. Can he continue to put up perfect numbers as the year continues and they play real defenses?
Drew Allar: Continues to excel in his first year as a starter. Excited to see how his game develops as they open up the playbook and start B1G play.
