10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to in the Big Ten after Week 6
Week 6 has come and gone in the Big Ten and we don’t know a lot more this morning than we did the day before, but it was still an entertaining Saturday.
Here are 10 things I am absolutely overreacting to after Week 6:
1. Ohio State has a big day on the field …
Ohio State dispensed of Indiana on Saturday, but it wasn’t without the usual fight from the Hoosiers, who always seem to get up for the Buckeyes and find a way to score against them. Ohio State won to go to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. No one expected an Indiana upset, but it’s still nice to move forward with another Big Ten East victory. Dwayne Haskins was spectacular, going 33-for-44 passing for an amazing 455 yards and six touchdowns. That’s really, really good.
2. … And a bigger day off the field
As the frontrunners in the Big Ten, looking for an elusive Playoff spot is also on Ohio State’s agenda. Winning the Big Ten wasn’t enough last year for the Buckeyes, so paying attention to the rest of the college football landscape is important. Ohio State got some help from a few friends Saturday when Texas coach Tom Herman beat undefeated Oklahoma and former quarterback Joe Burrow struggled in LSU’s first loss. Losing unbeatens is a good thing for the Buckeyes.
3. That ‘Upset Alert’ guy had Michigan State figured out
Boasting is not my style, but when I was doing my “Upset Alert” piece on Friday, it seemed obvious to me for a lot of reasons that Northwestern had a good chance to beat Michigan State. They did just that, winning 29-19. Michigan State just isn’t the team we thought they’d be this year. They were a preseason No. 11, but they have played just one good game (Indiana) so far all season. They are 3-2 now with a brutal schedule ahead of them. That early Playoff talk is now going to switch to seeing if the Spartans can get bowl eligible.
4. Michigan does its thing again, the right way
After a weather delay, Michigan got to business and beat Maryland convincingly, winning 42-21. The Wolverines defense help Maryland to only 73 yards passing and 14 of those 21 points came in the fourth quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt. The offense looked crisp too, with Karan Higdon rushing for 103 yards and Shea Patterson passing for 282. Michigan is won five games in a row now but the competition gets ratcheted up a notch next week when Wisconsin visits. I’m still on the hook for picking Michigan to win the Big Ten, so I’m not backing down yet. I think we’ll know a lot more by this time next week.
5. Iowa’s road win worthy of bacon for breakfast
Winning the Floyd of Rosedale is always fun, and Iowa has beaten Minnesota four times in a row now after winning 48-31 Saturday in Minneapolis. It was a nice road win for the Hawkeyes, who seemed to do a nice job putting the disappointing loss to Wisconsin behind them. The Hawkeyes have another road test next week at Indiana, so they better be careful. A major bowl game is still a goal, as is still winning the Big Ten West if Wisconsin stumbles a time or two.
6. Nate Stanley keeps getting better every week
It was really nice to see Iowa’s offense humming along on Saturday. This group was really struggling earlier this season and had some very ugly halves the first weeks. Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley was crisp Saturday, completing 23 of 29 passes for 314 yards and four touchdown passes. He makes the difference between Iowa being good and being great. What are they? That’s still to be determined.
7. Is Nebraska freshman Adrian Martinez the best QB?
Nebraska is now, shockingly, 0-5 after a 41-27 loss to Wisconsin Saturday, but the one bright spot continues to be freshman Adrian Martinez, who’s been sensational. He threw for 384 yards against what is supposed to be a very good Wisconsin defense, and was also the Cornhuskers’ leading rusher with 57 yards. It’s probably wrong to say that he’s a one-man team right now, but it’s not far off. He’s the perfect piece to build around, and a big recruiting class could turn this around in a hurry.
8. Wisconsin sets the stage for big showdown
Wisconsin’s win sets the stage for a huge showdown with Michigan next Saturday in Ann Arbor. It’s the next huge game on the Big Ten national stage, and the winner will get to keep chasing their Playoff dreams with hopes of still winning the conference. The loser gets tagged with a second defeat, so that makes this one huge. It’s a primetime game (7:30 p.m. ET; TV: ABC), so get the popcorn ready.
9. Rutgers is clearly No. 14 in Big Ten power rankings
The two worst teams in the Big Ten got together Saturday, with Illinois going on the road to get a win at Rutgers. Rutgers is 1-5 now and, looking at its schedule, there’s a pretty good chance they are going to finish 1-11. This was supposed to be a year where Rutgers would look a little more competitive, but that hasn’t happened. Will there be changes?
10. Urban Meyer scares us, or was it nothing?
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer went down to one knee on the sidelines and needed medical attention. He dismissed it all in the post-game, but given his past medical history, we should probably at least register some concern. He says we shouldn’t worry, but it’s still always a scary thing.