Well after a very exciting opening week of the season – capped by the two back and forth games featuring Purdue and Illinois, we hit another wonderful slate of games, including a renewed rivalry out in Boulder, four additional power conference showdowns – including El Assico 2023 – and some 0-1 squads really, really needing a win. All times are central.
Game of the Week:
- Illinois at Kansas
After a very shaky win over Toledo, Illinois looks to improve against a tricky Kansas squad. With Jalon Daniels expected to start after missing week one, the high-flying Jayhawk offense looks to be pretty formidable for an Illinois defense that struggled with the Rockets. Offensively the UI line struggled for much of that game, so yeah, there’s a lot to work out…but, its the GOTW because these are two well-coached and hungry squads. Both went bowling last year and want that to be a tradition, not a one-off year of success. That lends itself to some exciting football.
- Friday, 6:30 PM, ESPN 2
Sleeper:
- Nebraska at Colorado
The Husker defense was stout against Minnesota while the offense did next to nothing. Colorado’s debut against TCU was the exact opposite: the D couldn’t stop a nose bleed but it moved the ball and scored with ease. Obviously this was one of the nastiest rivalries of the late 1980s and into the 1990s but we also get the added bonus of the Coach Prime experience. The game very well could turn ugly if NU’s offense can’t show signs of life, but there is plenty of intriguing and could become the GOTW by the end of the day – classic sleeper game.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, Fox
Don’t Forget:
- Iowa at Iowa State
El Assico time!!! After jumping out to a 14-0 start against Utah State, the offense reverted back to Bri-ball as the play-calling and execution was dreadful. That won’t cut it in a rivalry game, even if ISU is shorthanded after all the gambling investigation stuff. If poorly played offense, questionable coaching, and world-class D is your favorite type of football, boy will you enjoy this one!
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, Fox
Snoozer:
Indiana State at Indiana – The Sycamores looked awful against Eastern Illinois and they are in that Pioneer Football Conference where they don’t give scholarships. Hoosiers should blow ’em out.
- Friday, 6:00 PM, BTN. – Don’t you have the game of the week to watch during that same time slot??
Upset Alert:
- Wisconsin at Washington State
Badgers are a five point road favorite but the game is at a fellow power-conference school, the road trip is long, it’s the first roadie of the year, Big Ten teams historically have some hiccups traveling west in the non-con, WSU beat them last year in Camp Randall, and of course – UW is breaking in all those pieces on offense. They looked…fine against Buffalo, but this is a big step up in competition.
- Saturday, 6:30 PM, ABC
Elsewhere (Alphabetical Order):
Charlotte at Maryland – The 49ers didn’t look completely inept in their 24-3 win over South Carolina State but this is a huge step up in competition. UM’s dangerous offense should put up plenty of big plays to easily carry the day.
- Saturday, 6:30 PM, NBC
Delaware at Penn State – Well, Joe Flacco ain’t walking through that door for the Hens. The consistently solid FCS squad – and perhaps soon-to-be FBS program based on rumors – is here to collect some money before focusing on their real goal: making the FCS playoffs. Penn State should cruise.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, Peacock
Eastern Michigan at Minnesota – Eastern is a team that I think can do some damage in the MAC – but they had a pretty mixed effort in their opener against Howard. Yes they put up 33 points, but 14 of that came from kick returns being housed. I’m not sure their offense is equipped to go up against the Gophers, based on how UM’s D looked in the opener against Nebraska.
- Saturday, 6:30, BTN
Purdue at Virginia Tech – Tech is coming off one of the worst years in school history while Purdue is in their own rebuilding mode, especially on defense. Big opportunity for the Boilers to even up their record because the Hokies are probably the third-worst team in the ACC; just slightly better than Boston College and Virginia. Outside of having to make the road trip, this is a good spot for Purdue.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, ESPN 3
Richmond at Michigan State – FCS Richmond struggled to score against fellow FCS Morgan State in week one and now takes on a Big Ten squad…uh-oh. Sparty should be able to clear the benches and get a lot of players deep on the depth chart into the game.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, BTN
Temple at Rutgers – The Owls have a solid QB in E.J. Warner but I’m not sure they have the skill position players or the OL to protect him well enough to make much hay against RU. That means RU’s offense just can’t blow the game and the Knights should pick up win number two to start the year.
- Saturday, 6:30 PM, BTN
UNLV at Michigan – I mean, UM enters as 38 point favorites, what can I say? UNLV has a new coach and is rebuilding so this is basically a glorified scrimmage for Big Blue.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, CBS
UTEP at Northwestern – Over on Illegal Motion (the podcast I co-host), I thought the Miners could be a little frisky in C-USA but they looked so disorganized in their week zero loss to Jacksonville State that now I think NU should be able to cook against them and pick up a good win for the interim regime.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, BTN
Youngstown State at Ohio State – We all know the stat, no team from the state of Ohio has beaten OSU since 1638, or something like that. The Penguins face a pretty daunting task as OSU looks to work out some of their offensive kinks from week one.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, BTN
Bye Week:
No One
Random Musing:
This will be the 72nd meeting between Colorado and Nebraska and despite NU having about 30 more wins in the series, this was one of the best rivalries back in the day. From my birth year of 1986 until the 2004 game where neither squad was ranked, all 18 games featured at least one ranked squad and TEN times they were both ranked – in those match-ups, five times was it a top-ten showdown. Neither Nebraska nor Colorado are top ten squads right now, but it feels right to have these two squaring off again. It’s been far too long.
Big Ten and Counting 