A nearly full slate of non-conference games (Illinois and Penn State the one exception) as contenders look to fine-tune a few things, mid level teams hope to boost bowl odds before the league slog begins, and the bottom dwellers hope to back on track after a rough start to the season. Like all previews, times are listed in central.
Game of the Week:
- Virginia Tech at Rutgers
This week is a little bit more of a “weak” than a “week” if you catch my drift but the Scarlet Knights have an awesome match-up. Sitting at 2-0 and giving up just seven points per game so far, the defense looks to key RU to a third straight victory. Virginia Tech’s program has become identity-less as Brent Pry is watching a rudderless ship struggle in surging seas. This is a great opportunity for Rutgers to take care of business against a struggling power-league team, notch their third victory, and be a in a great position for a bowl since they still have Wagner, MSU, and Indiana on the schedule as winnable as well as offensively-challenged Iowa and a good – but flawed – Maryland team as well. Knocking off the Hokies will be a big plus in any bowl push. I think Rutgers responds to this golden opportunity and gets the W.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, BTN
Sleeper:
- Syracuse at Purdue
1-1 Purdue has taken care of a sub-par power team (Virginia Tech) and lost to a fantastic group of five squad (Fresno State). They are the much more battle-tested squad than the Orange. Syracuse is 2-0 but they beat FCS Colgate and a struggling MAC team (Western Michigan). Will the tougher strength of schedule matter? Maybe. But what Purdue really needs to do is figure out a way to slow down the solid SU quarterback, Garrett Shrader. He has basically put the team on his back. If Purdue can get any pass rush going and make his day miserable, Purdue can win this game – and that would be a big help to any bowl hopes once league play comes.
- Saturday, 6:30 PM, NBC
Don’t Forget:
- Minnesota at North Carolina
Yeah, the Gophers probably don’t have a good enough offensive attack to win this, BUT, defense is portable and the Gopher D is really stinking good. If they can make Drake Maye’s life miserable (seeing a theme?), there is a puncher’s chance that UM can win this one ugly. And not for nothing, the Tar Heels are the only ranked team a Big Ten member is playing this week where there is a chance for an upset because there is no chance in hell Duke loses to Northwestern.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, ESPN
Snoozer:
- Washington at Michigan State
Alright, so let me get this straight, a team that was incompetent against the pass prepped this weak with Mel Tucker out, Mark Dantonio in-ish, all the distractions in the world AND is going up against Michael Penix Jr and one of the best passing games in the nation? Yeah, this will be over by halftime.
- Saturday, 4:00 PM, Peacock – Four? That’s like the perfect amount of time before the prime time games to go on another beer and snack run! No need to watch this stinker.
Upset Watch:
- Penn State at Illinois
None of the favored Big Ten teams should stumble this week, so I’ll go with the strongest underdog: Illinois. They are a 1-1 but pretty battle tested already: taking on MAC favorite Toledo and traveling to Kansas. Penn State on the other hand is 2-0 with both games at home. PSU’s opponents are a fairly weak P-5 team (West Virginia) and FCS Delaware. UI’s defense is nowhere as good as it was last year but they are a well coached team playing at home. I don’t think they will pull off the upset, but they seem more likely to than, say, Bowling Green against Michigan.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, Fox
Elsewhere (Alphabetical Order)
Bowling Green at Michigan – The Falcons are 1-1 thanks to knocking off FCS Eastern Illinois but struggled at Liberty. Michigan should make quick work of this MAC foe.
- Saturday, 6:30 PM, BTN
Georgia Southern at Wisconsin – The Eagles come in at 2-0 but their home games against the Citadel and UAB were not the stiffest of competition. The Badgers should be good and pissed about how poorly they played at Washington State last week. If the UW squad plays angry and up to their talent level, it could get ugly. Then again Clay Helton knows a thing or two about this whole coaching thing and could find a way to make the Badgers sweat it out.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, BTN
Louisville at Indiana – The neutral site battle (Indianapolis) is a big game for both. IU struggled to move the ball versus OSU and beating FCS Indiana State showed us nothing. UL is 2-0 but their shaky win over Georgia Tech and blowing out FCS Murray State also showed us very little. With the new Brohm regime at the Cardinals and Allen’s squad looking to improve over last year’s dismal finish, both have a lot on the line as they square off. Should be a fun one.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, BTN
Northern Illinois at Nebraska – After two offensively awful games against Minnesota and Colorado, the Huskers get their home opener against an NIU squad coming off a wretched 14-11 loss to FCS Southern Illinois. Of course they did beat Boston College in the opener so I guess that means SIU wouldn’t finish dead last in the ACC? Who knows.
- Saturday, 6:00 PM, FS1
Northwestern at Duke – The nationally ranked Blue Devils have given up just 14 points all season. With how much NU has struggled offensively, this looks to be a nearly impossible task of winning down at Wallace Wade Stadium.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, ACC Network
Western Kentucky at Ohio State – The Hilltoppers are 2-0 and have scored 93 points already. Their offense is quite potent and they will win a lot of C-USA games this year with that attack…but this is a paycheck game for a reason. OSU should have no trouble in the Shoe taking down WKU – that rhymed!
- Saturday, 3:00 PM, Fox
Western Michigan at Iowa – The most interesting thing about this game is Vegas made Iowa a 28-point favorite. Can they score 28 points? Iowa enjoys a vast talent edge over the Broncos so barring some absurd Bri-Ball fiasco, Iowa should win big.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, BTN
Virginia at Maryland – The Terps haven’t quite lived up to the offensive juggernaut status we expected just yet (averaging 38 points per game) but they are 2-0 and have played some really solid stretches in their first two games. Virginia is unfortunately off to a rough start and possibly the worst power-five team in the nation. Good chance for UM to start the season 3-0 if they take care of business against the struggling Cavs.
- Friday, 6:00 PM, FS1
Bye Week:
No One
Random Musing:
The Terps and Hoos have played each other nearly 80 times as fellow members of the ACC and SoCon in their histories. From the mid 1950s to mid 2000s, they played every single season. Maryland owns the overall record, the longest winning streak in the series, and based on every metric winsipedia uses, the better program. However, Virginia has more wins as a program and I’m sure will use that bragging right whenever they can. Fun to have this mid-Atlantic rivalry back this year and next. Hope it isn’t another decade between games.
Big Ten and Counting 