Each week continues to be filled with new and intriguing storylines in the Big Ten. The Big Ten is as deep and competitive as it's ever been. New teams are rising and having success, while USC showed last week that not much has changed. The Trojans get to right their wrongs this week against Oregon.
Here is what we learned following Week 3 in the Big Ten:
Oregon's offense is still elite
No matter the opponent, putting up 84 points in a football game is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. The Ducks can score with the best of them, and their offense showed what their ceiling is last week. Oregon can dominate through the air and the ground. Dante Moore, when he is clicking on all cylinders, is nearly impossible to defend. The Trojans will have their hands full this week against
Oregon.
Penn State will be a problem this season
Penn State had high expectations with their light schedule, and so far, to start the season, they have been very impressive. They have their first test in the Big Ten with Wisconsin this week, but Penn State, with how the offense has been playing, should be able to handle the Badgers. The Nittany Lions going undefeated is not out of the realm of possibilities.
The Big Ten is deeper than just top two teams
Ohio State and Indiana, as of late, have been the two consensus top teams in the conference. This season, the Big Ten is deeper, and there are more teams in contention for postseason success this year. Any top team has a shot at the Big Ten title this year and potentially coming out of the conference. That will make for an exciting finish to the season.
Indiana should be ranked higher
The Hoosiers are undefeated as things stand, and the defending title winner is being overlooked. They should be one of the top teams ranked instead of being ranked at 5. They will get their shot to prove themselves worthy of the top spot when they face Ohio State and Michigan. This team, however, has not fallen off in any regard. Curt Cignetti has the right team to defend last year's title.
UCLA is a huge dark horse in this conference
UCLA's success in starting the season should not be looked at as a fluke. This is a different football team, and the Big Ten should be cautious. Bob Chesney has everyone bought in, and the offense is looking as good as it has been recently. The run game is extremely effective, and Nico Iamaleava is playing with an immense amount of confidence. This team is very scary, and they could knock off USC.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: 5 key takeaways from Big Ten football after Week 3
