Richard Tongohan
Guest
BIG 10 Week 1 Results
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
With Week 1 in the books, the College Football Season has gone underway and what a week it was! It also marks the beginning of the NFL Season for you pro football fans, but I will forever be more intrigued by what College Football has become. It is not a slight to the NFL, but the passion is something that will keep me coming back. The ferocity of rivalries, the pageantry and the intensity of the players and coaches cannot be beat. The fact that any school can beat another, even though they are highly ranked, it could happen. Home Field Advantage is also very real, but sometimes the home teams fall short. The competitiveness cannot be beat! It is second to none. And I haven’t even begun talking about the recruiting battles that wage on until National Signing Day. In my very humble opinion, it is the best thing on Earth!
During Week 1 we have already witnessed a few upsets. A lot of drama and anxiousness was laid to rest. A few teams romped the other and few have suffered and were dealt a big fat “L” on the opening weekend. Let us review how well or how poorly the BIG 10 had fared during opening week.
Ohio State Buckeyes:
Naturally I would like to start with the defending National Champs. Duh, I am a Buckeye fan after all! Anyway, the Buckeyes invaded Blacksburg looking to open the season with a resounding win to start off the season with an emphatic win. Coach Meyer and company did not disappoint either as the Buckeyes took care of business this week. With each repetition that Braxton Miller has he will only become more involved in the offense. You see the playmaking ability he had with the spin move that broke the internet and the nifty TD reception after beating the slot defender. He will only get better. The scary part about it is the Buckeyes did it without the stellar play of Joey Bosa on defense, the lightning quick return ability that both Jalin Marshall and Dontre’ Wilson bring to the team and without the experience or playmaking ability of Corey Smith. The Buckeyes are completely loaded from top to bottom, on both offense and defense. And with the addition of the four suspended players, they will be a force to be reckoned with for not only the home opener this weekend, but the entirety of the season. The Buckeyes dominated The Hokies and put their demons to rest, but the season isn’t over yet. Although I am still celebrating the revenge game this past Monday, I know we still have a long way until the end of the season. With high expectations and a ton of pressure, the journey as The Defending Champions is a long ways away. Needless to say, the Buckeyes got their first win of the season and they now will look toward the Hawaii matchup. The Buckeyes are going to be a tough match-up for Hawaii and as much I support fellow Pacific Islanders (born and raised in Guam), it won’t end up well for the Rainbow Warriors.
Michigan State:
Michigan State opened the season against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. While it wasn’t all that pretty from the start, the Spartans pulled out of their funk and finished the game with a double-digit win. The Spartans are normally known for their stingy defense, but Western Michigan was dead-set on shocking the world this weekend. Luckily for the Spartans, they put a normally potent offense on ice. Next week the Spartans will face the Oregon Ducks at East Lansing. They will need to prepare for the high-octane offense that the Ducks utilize and it surely will not be easy due to the departure of their former Defensive Coordinator, Pat Narduzzi. I will be rooting for you Michigan State, but I don’t like your chances.
Wisconsin:
The Badgers took on the Alabama Crimson Tide in a neutral field and the Tide showed the world that they aren’t done yet. With a ton of former five Star recruits and a few highly rated four stars, the only big question mark was who would become their starting Quarterback? Coker took the reins and guided the Tide to a victory. It isn’t all bad for the Badger, they put up a fight in the beginning, but the tide just imposed their will and dominated them throughout the game. The Badgers had a difficult time running through Alabama’s stout defense. Hopefully they can pick it up next week against the Miami (OH) Redhawks at home so, they should rebound accordingly.
Michigan:
The Wolverines took a trip to Utah and they began the Harbaugh Era with an upset loss to the Utes. Sure they were the better team on paper, but this is why I love the College Game so much, upsets happen. A lot. They were the victim of poor play at the Quarterback position they were almost destined to take this loss. This week the Wolverines will host the Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers lost their former head coach to Nebraska and I am interested to see how the new coaching staff at Oregon State runs their offense. You never know until game time so this may be another close and thrilling game while Harbaugh fine tunes his offense for the eventual showdown with Ohio State.
Minnesota:
The Golden Gophers almost came back at home against TCU, logging a seven point loss to a potent TCU offense. The Minnesota defense held the Horned Frogs to a pedestrian 24 points. The defense did a very good job shutting down the TCU offense and they were at home. When we barely escaped Minnesota with a win the critics were critical of our play, but now TCU struggles at Minnesota, where’s the backhanded comments? Or are the Horned Frogs still salty about being left out of last years Playoffs? Hangover? I don’t think so, but now we all know that it isn’t easy with Coach Kill at the helm at Minnesota. Next week the Golden Gophers will travel to Colorado State to take on the Rams. I think the Gophers will beat them handily.
Northwestern:
Another upset! I thought this would end up to be a blowout, but I was proven to be wrong. Stanford had a difficult time getting their offense into a rhythm the entire game. The Wildcats shocked the world with a less potent offense than what they are most know for while Siemian was their Quarterback, but they got it done. The rushing attack is still very much effective and it helped tremendously. Next week the Wildcats will host the Eastern Illinois Panthers, which should be a cakewalk after last weeks performance, but we will see.
Iowa:
The Hawkeyes faced Illinois State at home and notched a double-digit win against a FCS foe. Both Iowa’s passing and rushing attack showed that they are a force to be reckoned with. Recording 431 yards of total offense in the game. The momentum will be needed for the their upcoming game against hated rival, Iowa State. They will travel to Ames, Iowa which is always a tightly contested game for the Hawkeyes. Let’s see if the Hawkeyes can ignore the hostile crowd and beat the Cyclones for the coveted Cy-Hawk Trophy.
Rutgers:
The Scarlet Knights trounced the visiting Norfolk State Spartans. There is nothing else to it. The offense essentially destroyed any and all hopes of leaving Piscataway with a win. The offense clicked and the defense was dominant against a FCS school. Next week they face the Washington State Cougars at home which will make for an interesting game. With former Texas Tech Coach, Mike Leach it is almost guaranteed to become a shootout between PAC 12 and BIG 10 teams. This is a game that I would watch due to the potential for offensive fireworks. Another close one for the BIG 10.
Illinois:
Illinois has shown that they are benefiting from a coaching change. Now the players are responding to coaching staff that was held over and they blew out the visiting Golden Flashes. Kent State had no chance in Champagne. The pain in Champagne. We will see how the Illini progress during the season. It is still a work in progress and we will just have to wait and see. Next week the Fighting Illini face the visiting Western Illinois Leathernecks. Yes, I know that it is indeed another FCS team, but it could be used to build the momentum up for Illinois.
Nebraska:
Are you starting to get the theme here? Upset central. Another BIG team goes down. Needless to say that is the beauty of College Football. Especially seeing how the Cornhuskers lost the game. A Hail Mary for the win! It doesn’t get any exciting as a fan than that. We Buckeye fans have won a game recently with that very play (think Wisconsin). But anyway, the Cornhuskers will have to adjust to a different offensive scheme with Coach Riley. Riley ran a power running/spread type of offense and that is somewhat different from the spread that Bo Pelini used with Taylor Martinez and company. BYU is no slouch either, they have a stout defense and a potent offense and unfortunately Nebraska ran into a buzzsaw in their home opener. It is still early in the season and it isn’t like they lost to a scrub team. But boy, when I was stationed in Nebraska, there was nothing like going to Lincoln to see the sea of sad, pouty faces! They should rebound against a mediocre Southern Alabama team. Here’s to taking it out on the little guy.
Maryland:
Maryland trashed the Richmond Spiders in College Park. Sure the Spiders put 21 points on the board, the Terrapins dropped 50 on their heads. The recruiting battles that Maryland has won over the years and being able to fend off Powers Conference schools such as Ohio State, Michigan State and Alabama will pay dividends for them. I saw that they currently have a few of their top in-state recruits in the fold for last years and this years classes, which is good for them and the conference. This week they will host the Bowling Green Falcons. This should be another game to fine tune their offense before the conference schedule begins. This should be ugly.
Penn State:
The battle for Pennsylvania didn’t have that much fireworks seeing how Temple beat Penn State by double-digits. Sure the Nittany Lions were the away team, but they shouldn’t have been this sluggish because of the high praise Quarterback Christian Hackenburg was getting in the Pre-Season hype train. I am sure that he will pick it up eventually and I am not really worried about them. They are a rival after all. Next week they will be at home against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have an anemic offense as of late and this should be a blowout in favor of the Nittany Lions.
Indiana:
The Hoosiers almost lost one in a tightly contested game in Bloomington. They almost let down completely against a FCS team. Southern Illinois almost stole one, but luckily for Indiana they stopped them. This week Indiana is hoping to have a better game against FIU. The Golden Panthers will travel to Bloomington and the Hoosiers will look to have a better showing for their home crowd. This should be a walk in the park because I see no threats for the Hoosiers.
Purdue:
The Boilermakers just got steamrolled when they travelled to Marshall. They lost to a crummy team who hasn’t been good for a while. They’ve been decent but not spectacular. This loss looks like it may impact former Ohio State assistant Darrell Hazel’s job security at Purdue. He has had an ample amount of time to build a winning program, but at a school like Purdue, it was take a little while longer. Next week they will face a Indiana State team that won their last game in FCS play. Purdue should come out slinging the ball because they are at home. I expect a blowout once again just because they are coming off of a crushing loss to Marshall.
BIG 10 Record After Week 1: 8-6
It isn’t as bad as last years first few weeks of play, but it should have been better a better opening week, but that is College Football and that is life for you. Needless to say the BIG 10 is still a work in progress and they should show up just in time to become a more complete and competitive conference. I predict that the BIG 10 will go 10-4 this week due to the abundance of FCS teams scheduled. It could be 11-3, but lets see if the Spartans can take care of business. Go Bucks!!!
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Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
With Week 1 in the books, the College Football Season has gone underway and what a week it was! It also marks the beginning of the NFL Season for you pro football fans, but I will forever be more intrigued by what College Football has become. It is not a slight to the NFL, but the passion is something that will keep me coming back. The ferocity of rivalries, the pageantry and the intensity of the players and coaches cannot be beat. The fact that any school can beat another, even though they are highly ranked, it could happen. Home Field Advantage is also very real, but sometimes the home teams fall short. The competitiveness cannot be beat! It is second to none. And I haven’t even begun talking about the recruiting battles that wage on until National Signing Day. In my very humble opinion, it is the best thing on Earth!
During Week 1 we have already witnessed a few upsets. A lot of drama and anxiousness was laid to rest. A few teams romped the other and few have suffered and were dealt a big fat “L” on the opening weekend. Let us review how well or how poorly the BIG 10 had fared during opening week.
Ohio State Buckeyes:
Naturally I would like to start with the defending National Champs. Duh, I am a Buckeye fan after all! Anyway, the Buckeyes invaded Blacksburg looking to open the season with a resounding win to start off the season with an emphatic win. Coach Meyer and company did not disappoint either as the Buckeyes took care of business this week. With each repetition that Braxton Miller has he will only become more involved in the offense. You see the playmaking ability he had with the spin move that broke the internet and the nifty TD reception after beating the slot defender. He will only get better. The scary part about it is the Buckeyes did it without the stellar play of Joey Bosa on defense, the lightning quick return ability that both Jalin Marshall and Dontre’ Wilson bring to the team and without the experience or playmaking ability of Corey Smith. The Buckeyes are completely loaded from top to bottom, on both offense and defense. And with the addition of the four suspended players, they will be a force to be reckoned with for not only the home opener this weekend, but the entirety of the season. The Buckeyes dominated The Hokies and put their demons to rest, but the season isn’t over yet. Although I am still celebrating the revenge game this past Monday, I know we still have a long way until the end of the season. With high expectations and a ton of pressure, the journey as The Defending Champions is a long ways away. Needless to say, the Buckeyes got their first win of the season and they now will look toward the Hawaii matchup. The Buckeyes are going to be a tough match-up for Hawaii and as much I support fellow Pacific Islanders (born and raised in Guam), it won’t end up well for the Rainbow Warriors.
Michigan State:
Michigan State opened the season against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. While it wasn’t all that pretty from the start, the Spartans pulled out of their funk and finished the game with a double-digit win. The Spartans are normally known for their stingy defense, but Western Michigan was dead-set on shocking the world this weekend. Luckily for the Spartans, they put a normally potent offense on ice. Next week the Spartans will face the Oregon Ducks at East Lansing. They will need to prepare for the high-octane offense that the Ducks utilize and it surely will not be easy due to the departure of their former Defensive Coordinator, Pat Narduzzi. I will be rooting for you Michigan State, but I don’t like your chances.
Wisconsin:
The Badgers took on the Alabama Crimson Tide in a neutral field and the Tide showed the world that they aren’t done yet. With a ton of former five Star recruits and a few highly rated four stars, the only big question mark was who would become their starting Quarterback? Coker took the reins and guided the Tide to a victory. It isn’t all bad for the Badger, they put up a fight in the beginning, but the tide just imposed their will and dominated them throughout the game. The Badgers had a difficult time running through Alabama’s stout defense. Hopefully they can pick it up next week against the Miami (OH) Redhawks at home so, they should rebound accordingly.
Michigan:
The Wolverines took a trip to Utah and they began the Harbaugh Era with an upset loss to the Utes. Sure they were the better team on paper, but this is why I love the College Game so much, upsets happen. A lot. They were the victim of poor play at the Quarterback position they were almost destined to take this loss. This week the Wolverines will host the Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers lost their former head coach to Nebraska and I am interested to see how the new coaching staff at Oregon State runs their offense. You never know until game time so this may be another close and thrilling game while Harbaugh fine tunes his offense for the eventual showdown with Ohio State.
Minnesota:
The Golden Gophers almost came back at home against TCU, logging a seven point loss to a potent TCU offense. The Minnesota defense held the Horned Frogs to a pedestrian 24 points. The defense did a very good job shutting down the TCU offense and they were at home. When we barely escaped Minnesota with a win the critics were critical of our play, but now TCU struggles at Minnesota, where’s the backhanded comments? Or are the Horned Frogs still salty about being left out of last years Playoffs? Hangover? I don’t think so, but now we all know that it isn’t easy with Coach Kill at the helm at Minnesota. Next week the Golden Gophers will travel to Colorado State to take on the Rams. I think the Gophers will beat them handily.
Northwestern:
Another upset! I thought this would end up to be a blowout, but I was proven to be wrong. Stanford had a difficult time getting their offense into a rhythm the entire game. The Wildcats shocked the world with a less potent offense than what they are most know for while Siemian was their Quarterback, but they got it done. The rushing attack is still very much effective and it helped tremendously. Next week the Wildcats will host the Eastern Illinois Panthers, which should be a cakewalk after last weeks performance, but we will see.
Iowa:
The Hawkeyes faced Illinois State at home and notched a double-digit win against a FCS foe. Both Iowa’s passing and rushing attack showed that they are a force to be reckoned with. Recording 431 yards of total offense in the game. The momentum will be needed for the their upcoming game against hated rival, Iowa State. They will travel to Ames, Iowa which is always a tightly contested game for the Hawkeyes. Let’s see if the Hawkeyes can ignore the hostile crowd and beat the Cyclones for the coveted Cy-Hawk Trophy.
Rutgers:
The Scarlet Knights trounced the visiting Norfolk State Spartans. There is nothing else to it. The offense essentially destroyed any and all hopes of leaving Piscataway with a win. The offense clicked and the defense was dominant against a FCS school. Next week they face the Washington State Cougars at home which will make for an interesting game. With former Texas Tech Coach, Mike Leach it is almost guaranteed to become a shootout between PAC 12 and BIG 10 teams. This is a game that I would watch due to the potential for offensive fireworks. Another close one for the BIG 10.
Illinois:
Illinois has shown that they are benefiting from a coaching change. Now the players are responding to coaching staff that was held over and they blew out the visiting Golden Flashes. Kent State had no chance in Champagne. The pain in Champagne. We will see how the Illini progress during the season. It is still a work in progress and we will just have to wait and see. Next week the Fighting Illini face the visiting Western Illinois Leathernecks. Yes, I know that it is indeed another FCS team, but it could be used to build the momentum up for Illinois.
Nebraska:
Are you starting to get the theme here? Upset central. Another BIG team goes down. Needless to say that is the beauty of College Football. Especially seeing how the Cornhuskers lost the game. A Hail Mary for the win! It doesn’t get any exciting as a fan than that. We Buckeye fans have won a game recently with that very play (think Wisconsin). But anyway, the Cornhuskers will have to adjust to a different offensive scheme with Coach Riley. Riley ran a power running/spread type of offense and that is somewhat different from the spread that Bo Pelini used with Taylor Martinez and company. BYU is no slouch either, they have a stout defense and a potent offense and unfortunately Nebraska ran into a buzzsaw in their home opener. It is still early in the season and it isn’t like they lost to a scrub team. But boy, when I was stationed in Nebraska, there was nothing like going to Lincoln to see the sea of sad, pouty faces! They should rebound against a mediocre Southern Alabama team. Here’s to taking it out on the little guy.
Maryland:
Maryland trashed the Richmond Spiders in College Park. Sure the Spiders put 21 points on the board, the Terrapins dropped 50 on their heads. The recruiting battles that Maryland has won over the years and being able to fend off Powers Conference schools such as Ohio State, Michigan State and Alabama will pay dividends for them. I saw that they currently have a few of their top in-state recruits in the fold for last years and this years classes, which is good for them and the conference. This week they will host the Bowling Green Falcons. This should be another game to fine tune their offense before the conference schedule begins. This should be ugly.
Penn State:
The battle for Pennsylvania didn’t have that much fireworks seeing how Temple beat Penn State by double-digits. Sure the Nittany Lions were the away team, but they shouldn’t have been this sluggish because of the high praise Quarterback Christian Hackenburg was getting in the Pre-Season hype train. I am sure that he will pick it up eventually and I am not really worried about them. They are a rival after all. Next week they will be at home against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have an anemic offense as of late and this should be a blowout in favor of the Nittany Lions.
Indiana:
The Hoosiers almost lost one in a tightly contested game in Bloomington. They almost let down completely against a FCS team. Southern Illinois almost stole one, but luckily for Indiana they stopped them. This week Indiana is hoping to have a better game against FIU. The Golden Panthers will travel to Bloomington and the Hoosiers will look to have a better showing for their home crowd. This should be a walk in the park because I see no threats for the Hoosiers.
Purdue:
The Boilermakers just got steamrolled when they travelled to Marshall. They lost to a crummy team who hasn’t been good for a while. They’ve been decent but not spectacular. This loss looks like it may impact former Ohio State assistant Darrell Hazel’s job security at Purdue. He has had an ample amount of time to build a winning program, but at a school like Purdue, it was take a little while longer. Next week they will face a Indiana State team that won their last game in FCS play. Purdue should come out slinging the ball because they are at home. I expect a blowout once again just because they are coming off of a crushing loss to Marshall.
BIG 10 Record After Week 1: 8-6
It isn’t as bad as last years first few weeks of play, but it should have been better a better opening week, but that is College Football and that is life for you. Needless to say the BIG 10 is still a work in progress and they should show up just in time to become a more complete and competitive conference. I predict that the BIG 10 will go 10-4 this week due to the abundance of FCS teams scheduled. It could be 11-3, but lets see if the Spartans can take care of business. Go Bucks!!!
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