Good ol’ Week Three is now in the books. Some big upsets around the country this week and a few thrillers, but the Big Ten “Big Tenned.” Here’s how the 18 Big Ten teams did this week:
Friday
FCS Indiana State 0 @ No. 22 Indiana 73
70 points alert! No surprise here as Indiana destroyed an inferior opponent on Friday night. Fernando Mendoza threw for 270 yards and five touchdowns as the Hoosiers shellacked the Sycamores. Not much else to say other than pure dominance.
New Mexico 35 @ UCLA 10
UCLA is now 0-3.
New Mexico did put up a fight against Michigan, but the Bruins had higher expectations than this. It’s so bad, in fact, that UCLA has fired head coach DeShaun Foster in just Week Three. Nico Iamaleava has done the same thing in all three of his UCLA starts: one touchdown pass and one interception. The Bruins have a bye week to try and recoup before traveling to Evanston to take on the Wildcats with a new coach (and possibly some players gone because of the 30-day transfer window following a coach firing).
Saturday
No. 4 Oregon 34 @ Northwestern 14
Northwestern covered the spread in this one. The rushing offense for the ‘Cats looked solid throughout, but Oregon is on another level. The Ducks are still one of the biggest contenders in college football right now, as they have a rivalry matchup against Oregon State next week, followed by a trip to Beaver Stadium to take on Penn State in a Big Ten Championship rematch.
Wisconsin 14 @ No. 19 Alabama 38
Alabama was too much for Wisconsin to handle as a trip to Tuscaloosa ended in a loss. The Crimson Tide held the Badgers to just 209 total yards while the Badgers allowed 454 total. Danny O’Neil’s two interceptions didn’t help either, but a tough game early in the season for Wisconsin as Maryland is up next on the schedule.
Central Michigan 3 @ No. 23 Michigan 63
After a disappointing showing against one of the nation’s best in Oklahoma, Michigan bounced back in a big way. A get-right game at a perfect time allowed Bryce Underwood to showcase what he can do when the playbook is opened up more. He threw for 235 yards and a touchdown, but the bigger story was his 114 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Justice Haynes had 104 of his own on the ground as the Wolverines looked sharp after a bad showing in Week Two. They head to Lincoln to take on Nebraska next.
FCS Houston Christian 7 @ Nebraska 59
Apart from the close game in Week One, Nebraska has looked dominant (against two inferior opponents, but still). Dylan Raiola has looked the part so far, but he faces his biggest test yet as the Cornhuskers host Michigan next week.
FCS Towson 17 @ Maryland 44
Malik Washington continues to impress as a true freshman quarterback. Yes, he faced an FCS team this week, but he still threw for over 250 yards and a touchdown while punching one in on the ground as well. Sheleak Knotts continues to look to be the go-to guy for Washington, as he had 79 yards and a touchdown on four catches. The Terrapins face their first real test as they travel to Madison and Camp Randall to face Wisconsin.
FCS Villanova 6 @ No. 2 Penn State 52
The biggest story of this game was how it ended in garbage time. The Nittany Lions defense was dominant the whole way through, but a late Villanova touchdown led to the worst nightmares for those who bet the Penn State spread. The line was Penn State -47.5, and it would have been covered if not for the last-second touchdown for the Wildcats as time expired. Nonetheless, the Nittany Lions are still looking elite as they approach a date with Oregon following the bye week.
USC 33 @ Purdue 17
Jayden Maiava may just be the real deal. In all of the FBS, Maiava is fifth in passing yards with 989, while his Trojans are leading the country in yards per game with 604.0. Waymond Jordan continues to stand out on the ground as the featured back for USC. Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon are no doubt one of the best wide receiver duos in the country, and Eric Gentry had two of the Trojans’ five sacks. USC begins its gauntlet of a schedule with a battle against Michigan State next on the docket, followed by a trip to Illinois. Purdue hung in it as best as it could with a strong showing from Ryan Browne, who threw for just over 300 yards. However, the Trojans may have found a way to put it all together for the first time in a while.
FCS Norfolk State 10 @ Rutgers 60
Rutgers did it all against an FCS team. Hanging 60, no matter the opponent, is always a good thing to see. Athan Kaliakmanis threw for over 300 yards for the first time this season after throwing for over 250 in both the previous weeks. The Scarlet Knights host Iowa next week in their first Big Ten matchup of the season.
FCS Youngstown State 24 @ Michigan State 41
Maybe it’s a little more than Michigan State wanted to allow, but the Spartans still got the job done at home behind the arm and legs of Aidan Chiles to put them at 3-0. Nick Marsh continues to show why he’s one of the best receivers in the Big Ten, while Chiles led the Spartans on the ground with 76 rushing yards to go along with his 270 passing yards and one touchdown pass. MSU will face a tough test as a trip to Los Angeles to take on now-No. 25 USC is next up on the schedule.
Ohio 9 @ No. 1 Ohio State 37
Despite looking competitive in Week One against Rutgers and upsetting West Virginia in Week Two, Ohio State proved to be a different beast for Ohio. True freshman running back Bo Jackson has continued to impress on the ground for the Buckeyes, rushing for 108 yards and 109 yards the past two weeks, averaging 12.1 yards per carry overall. Jeremiah Smith had another big game; he had nine catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. The OSU defense brought down Parker Navarro and Nick Poulos a combined four times as well. Next up for the Buckeyes is a bye week before a trip to take on the Washington Huskies.
Western Michigan 0 @ No. 9 Illinois 38
Illinois continues to stand on business. The Fighting Illini face their toughest test yet this upcoming week as they head to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers, but so far, it’s been all they could want. Hank Beatty was once again the leading receiver for the Illini, while Kaden Feagin rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown. Luke Altmyer was solid in this one as well as Illinois sits at 3-0 right now.
Massachusetts 7 @ Iowa 47
Iowa scored 47? Iowa scored 47! Yeah, it was against UMass, but it’s still a positive sign. Mark Gronowski threw for over 100 yards for the first time as a Hawkeye, along with two touchdown passes and a rushing score. Next up: a Big Ten clash in Piscataway against Rutgers.
Minnesota 14 @ California 27
I know Cal isn’t in the Big Ten, but there’s nothing NOT to like about this team. True freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has quickly become a star in college football, as he has the Golden Bears sitting at 3-0 now. He carved up the Golden Gophers defense, throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Minnesota was missing running back Darius Taylor in this one, as it was Fame Ijeboi and Cam Davis each seeing double-digit carries. Drake Lindsey played solidly, throwing for 205 yards and a touchdown (he did throw an interception). La’Meke Brockington had his first career 100-yard receiving game, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done on the road.
