College Football Rewind - Big 10 - Week 2
Let’s take a look at everything that happened on the field in the Big Ten in Week 2 and look ahead to Week 3!
Week 2 Results
Indiana State 7 @ Indiana 41
Illinois 23 @ Kansas 34
UNLV 7 @ Michigan 35
Youngstown St. 7 @ Ohio St. 35
Delaware 7 @ Penn St. 63
Wisconsin 22 @ Washington St. 31
Nebraska 14 @ Colorado 36
Purdue 24 @ Virginia Tech 17
Iowa 20 @ Iowa St. 13
Richmond 14 @ Michigan St. 45
UTEP 7 @ Northwestern 38
Charlotte 20 @ Maryland 38
Eastern Michigan 6 @ Minnesota 25
Temple 7 @ Rutgers 36
Top 3 Notable Games of Week 2
3) Wisconsin 22 @ Washington St. 31
A tough road performance for the Badgers. They showed signs of life in the 3rd quarter, but this is still a team that’s adjusting to a new offensive scheme and the loss of DC Jim Leonhard.
2) Iowa 20 @ Iowa St. 13
Iowa’s offense, or lack thereof, has been the talk of college football for a while now. This game did nothing to put an end to that as once again the defense had to save them, but anytime you can win a rivalry game it’s hard to complain too much.
1) Youngstown St. 7 @ Ohio St. 35
Ohio St.’s offense looked sluggish in the first game of the season but was vastly improved in game 2. Kyle McCord got on the same page with his talented receiving corp and RB TreVeyon Henderson found the endzone a couple of times himself.
Week 2 Summary
Overall, the conference didn’t fare well in its matchups with other big-time programs. However, the tune-up games went according to plan and the top teams look like they are on track for good seasons through 2 weeks.
Top Individual Performances of Week 2
Passing:
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan - 22/25 278 yards 2 TDs vs. UNLV
Rushing:
Darius Taylor. Minnesota - 33 carries/193 yards/1 rushing TD
Receiving:
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio St. - 7 rec/160 yards/2 TDs
Defense:
Xander Mueller, Northwestern - 7 tackles/1 sack/ 1 INT
Power Rankings After Week 2
Michigan
Penn St.
Ohio St.
Maryland
Iowa
Rutgers
Michigan St.
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Purdue
Indiana
Northwestern
Illinois
Nebraska
While Ohio St.’s offense looked better this week, it was still not enough to overcome Penn St. in the rankings thanks to an especially sharp start by the Nittany Lions. Michigan once again looked impressive despite Head Coach Jim Harbaugh missing a 2nd game due to a self-imposed suspension. The program to watch is Michigan State after news broke Sunday that Head Coach Mel Tucker may have coached his final game at the school as a result of a sexual harassment case.
Week 3 Games To Watch
3) Minnesota @ #20 North Carolina: The Golden Gophers are 2-0, but it’s hard to get a good read on them based on how they’ve looked so far. That changes this week as they match up with a solid North Carolina team out of the ACC.
2) Virginia Tech @ Rutgers: Look at that! Another 2-0 Big Ten team matching up with an ACC squad. Virginia Tech isn’t quite the opponent that North Carolina is, but it will be a good test for the Scarlet Knights. Expect a close, defensive battle.
1) Syracuse @ Purdue: Let’s go 3 for 3 with ACC/Big Ten matchups! Syracuse is somewhere between North Carolina and Virginia Tech, and the Boilermakers will have their hands full with the explosive Orange offense. Good preparation for a very tough conference schedule for Purdue that includes both Michigan and Ohio St.