Week 3 in college football is a huge one for the Big Ten conference as three teams will face off against top 25 teams. It's not quite the reputation of the conference that is on the line but more of a statement weekend, plus Ohio State and Michigan State could all but eliminate College Football Playoff chances for their opponents. Here is a look at the conference rankings heading into this weekend.
1- Ohio State (2-0, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Tulsa 48-3
This week: @ Oklahoma
- Ohio State's offense had a tough go of things in the 1st half against Tulsa but that might be the wake up call the Buckeyes needed heading into Norman this weekend. Defense continues to play at a high level despite losing so much from last year.
2- Iowa (2-0, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Iowa State 42-3
This week: vs. North Dakota State
- The Hawkeyes just clobbered their rival which has been a challenge over the years. Not much to complain about in their thrashing of the Cyclones other than how bad ISU looks. This week could be an interesting test with the 5-time defending FCS national champion coming to town.
3- Michigan (2-0, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Central Florida 51-14
This week: vs. Colorado
- Hard to find holes in Michigan so far. Offense looked much more consistent against UCF and the defense is nasty. Still tough to get a true feel for this team especially in the non-conference portion of the schedule but the Wolverines look the part so far.
4- Wisconsin (2-0,0-0)
Last week: Defeated Akron 54-10
This week: vs. Georgia State
- Wisconsin was able to open things up offensively against a less than average Akron defense. There are a few injury concerns but the good news is they don't have much need to rush guys back this week.
5- Michigan State (1-0, 0-0)
Last week: Idle
This week: @ Notre Dame
- All eyes will be on the Spartans after a sloppy win to open the season. Will MSU's extra preparation for Notre Dame be beneficial? We will find out Saturday night in South Bend.
6- Nebraska (2-0, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Wyoming 52-17
This week: vs. Oregon
- Don't let the score fool you, Nebraska had some quarters of sloppy football. Defense has definitely been a bright spot so far for the Huskers. That will be tested in a big way this Saturday afternoon as the Ducks come to town.
7- Indiana (2-0, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Ball State 30-20
This week: Bye
- After two weeks Indiana looks to have an improved defense but still lacks some fire power on offense. They did get a scare late in this game so maybe a chance to re-group this week will help out the Hoosiers before their final tune up against Wake Forrest.
8- Minnesota (2-0, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Indiana State 58-28
This week: Bye
- As expected the Gophers were able to get out to a much quicker start but still had their moments of inconsistent defense. Still one of the more difficult teams to figure out. They will have a bye week in preparation for Colorado State before conference play gets started with Penn State and Iowa.
9- Penn State (1-1, 0-0)
Last week: Lost to Pittsburgh 42-39
This week: vs. Temple
- An uninspired start put PSU in a decent hole but they stormed back and nearly beat Pitt. There is no way the Nittany Lions will overlook Temple this week as the Owls upset Penn State last year. If that were to happen again, you can bet James Franklin will be feeling the heat.
10- Maryland (2-0, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Florida International 41-14
This week: @ Central Florida
- Maybe Terp fans are getting cautiously optimistic after a solid start. A win on the road against a decent UCF team could also be another step in the right direction.
11- Illinois (1-1, 0-0)
Last week: Lost to North Carolina 48-23
This Week: vs. Western Michigan
- The Illini got out to a fast start in front of a sellout crowd but reality set in. Illinois is just not a deep team. They will have their hands full against a solid Western Michigan team that already beat Northwestern.
12- Purdue (1-1, 0-0)
Last week: Lost to Cincinnati 38-20
This week: Bye
- What more can you say about Purdue. They just don't stack up against most teams on their schedule.
13- Rutgers (1-1, 0-0)
Last week: Defeated Howard 52-14
This week: vs. New Mexico
- Rutgers struggled against a team made up of several walk-ons. They cruised in the 2nd half but the Scarlet Knights have plenty of issues to work through before conference play begins.
14- Northwestern: (0-2, 0-0)
Last week: Lost to Illinois State 9-7
This week: vs. Duke
- Losing to Western Michigan was understandable. Losing to Illinois State and only scoring 7 points was unthinkable. The offense is a mess right now and Duke won't necessarily provide a favorable matchup.
