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Well, well, well, I guess the B1G isn’t quite as top-heavy as we all thought, is it? Take THAT, pundits.
The B1G was criticized heavily this past week for having four of its pregame spreads from Vegas exceed three or more scores. Only one line was predicted to be within one touchdown. And what happened? Four B1G games were decided by a touchdown or less, with the only two blowouts being Ohio State-Northwestern (52-3) and Minnesota-Rutgers (42-7). Who would’ve guessed?
And, to build on that, Illinois knocked off No. 6 Wisconsin for the biggest upset in college football to date. So, I guess there is a little bit of depth there, huh?
Now that I’ve made that point, here are the 10 things I’m overreacting to after Week 8 in the B1G:
In what language does “Harbaugh” mean “finger pointer?”
For the second time in his career, Jim Harbaugh is blaming the officiating for a loss. He didn’t directly come out and say it, but there were some not-so-subtle comments he made that essentially eluded to that conclusion. Harbaugh might’ve had a case, but he’s also lost these games far too often. He doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt here (not that he was, anyway).
Great Scott, the Indiana running back has returned!
After rushing for over 1,100 yards as a freshman last season, Scott has been a non-factor in a lot of games for the Hoosiers. That has changed the last two weeks, accounting for 272 yards and two touchdowns the last two weeks. IU’s got its run game back. Well, it was Rutgers and Maryland, so maybe we should cool it for now.
So, about that onside kick, Purdue…
I know Jeff Brohm tried to explain that decision in the postgame presser, but it still doesn’t make sense to me. Not considering how well Purdue’s defense played. Not considering how poorly Iowa’s offense has been. Just a bad coaching decision.
Lovie Smith is making some IlliNOISE
This one is for you, guy who pronounces Illinois with the “s” on the end. Lovie Smith finally got a signature win, beating No. 6 Wisconsin. It’s been a long time since there’s been that much noise in Champaign. Now there’s not as much noise about his job being in jeopardy…at least for now.
Putting the “bad” in Badgers
Speaking of the upset, that was bad, Wisconsin. Really bad. For the first time since he took over, I actually questioned what Paul Chryst was doing. I guess once every five years ain’t bad. Still, this one is going to hurt for a few weeks.
Welcome to the NCAA Transfer Portal. Population: Michigan State
Do you guys think the transfer portal is actually located on some building on Michigan State’s campus? Six players have already entered, three of which jumped in over the last week. The calendar isn’t even to November! This isn’t exactly the kind of thing you want to see out of a “premier” program.
Does RTB actually stand for Run The Ball?
Has P.J Fleck just had us fooled this whole time, insisting that RTB stands for Row the Boat and not Run the Ball? Minnesota has rushed for 852 yards and nine touchdowns with a 5.84 yards per carry average. Maybe they should change their name from Gophers to “Ground”hogs. (Do you get it?)
Don’t look now, Penn State, but Michigan State is up next
Michigan State has been the thorn in the side of Penn State for the last two years. Despite the Nittany Lions having a better team, they’ve dropped two straight to the Spartans. MSU is coming out of an off week. This should be interesting.
Your B1G leading passer is…
Nate Stanley. This is not a drill. Now, to be clear, this is based purely on total yardage and no other statistic. Still, it’s weird to see the Iowa quarterback leading the way in that department through seven games. He’s thrown for 1,771 yards, by the way.
Give me Liberty or give me the points
Liberty is a 4-point favorite against Rutgers on Saturday. Believe it or not, the Scarlet Knights have reached a new program low. Who thought it was possible?
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB