Each week, Saturday Tradition managing editor Dustin Schutte offers his spin on what matters most in the B1G.

Frost vs. Harbaugh: Criticism in store for one head coach next week

Often, nothing of importance is said in the on-field pregame meetings between opposing head coaches on a Saturday in the fall. Maybe that should change for Scott Frost and Jim Harbaugh this weekend in Lincoln.

Following the traditional, “Hey, how’s the family doin’?” conversation should be a brainstorming session on how the losing coach will handle the fiery criticism that will spark when the final second ticks off the clock at Memorial Stadium.

It really doesn’t matter what the game looks like, the guy on the wrong side of the scoreboard is going to face a week of hell.

A Nebraska loss drops the team to below .500 again at 3-4. The Huskers’ 3 wins have come against an FCS program (Fordham) and Buffalo and Northwestern teams that have a combined 4-6 record. Frost would still be searching his “signature win” in Lincoln.

Opportunities to get to the all-important 6-win mark will be dwindling.

If Michigan falls to an unranked, 3-3 Nebraska team, Harbaugh will again carry the “fraud” label. The Wolverines will no longer be viewed as a legitimate contender in the B1G East. Suddenly, wins over Washington, Rutgers and Wisconsin don’t look nearly as impressive.

Harbaugh will be given a zero percent chance to beat Ohio State.

Twenty years ago, the winner of a Michigan-Nebraska matchup would be the team featured in every headline, magazine cover and sports segment in the country. In a weird way, the loser is probably going to garner most of the attention this year.

Should that be the case? After all, somebody has to lose Saturday.

While it’s way too early to be calling for the job of either coach, the criticism Sunday morning will be incredibly fair. It’s essentially written out in the job description, right?

The other aspect of this comes from the side of opportunity. Frost and Harbaugh have had numerous chances to prove the skeptics and critics wrong. So far, neither has.

Frost has yet to secure a winning season or lead Nebraska to a bowl game. The Huskers are 5-15 in 1-possession games since 2018. Penalties, turnovers and special teams woes have been a consistent theme for the program.

Harbaugh is in Year 7 and still doesn’t have a win over Ohio State. There have been no trips to the B1G Championship Game. Michigan hasn’t come close to sniffing the College Football Playoff.

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It’s fair to say that neither coach — at this point — has lived up to the expectations.

Saturday’s game has plenty of implications, even if Nebraska and Michigan aren’t in the same conversations right now. Sunday morning, either Frost or Harbaugh will be able to take a deep breath and relax for 1 day after a win.

The guy on the wrong side of the scoreboard in Lincoln? Good luck.

The worst take on Iowa’s defense yet

ESPN College GameDay analyst David Pollack didn’t need 12 hours to dismiss Iowa’s 51-14 win over Maryland last Friday night. He took a big swing at the Hawkeyes’ defense during last week’s airing of the popular pregame show.

Pollack whiffed.

Hours after Phil Parker’s unit forced 7 turnovers and cruised to a 37-point road victory in College Park, Pollack was quick to point out that offensive production for Iowa’s opponents is down. That’s why the defense has been so successful.

To say that comment didn’t go over well in Iowa City would be a massive understatement. It was also an unpopular take across the B1G, which felt somewhat attacked by the notion that, in no way was it possible Kirk Ferentz fields a Top 5 squad.

Pollack’s comments might be valid in some years. This is not one of them.

Iowa leads the country in forced turnovers (16), interceptions (12) and turnover margin (+12). The Hawkeyes have played in 27 straight games in which the opponent has not scored more than 24 points. They’re riding a B1G-best 11-game winning streak.

There’s some merit to that, right? Right?!

A lot of silly things are said throughout the course of a college football season. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Except for the idea that Iowa’s defense has only been good because offenses aren’t as explosive as we expected.

Ferentz, Parker and the 11 Hawkeyes on the field might have something to do with that success.

B1G division realignment?

Discussing division changes in 2021 sounds awfully fitting, doesn’t it? We’ve already seen changes to the transfer portal, the adoption of new name, image and likeness legislation and a new wave of conference realignment.

Why not throw division realignment into the mix?

This week, Penn State head coach James Franklin was asked if it was time for the B1G to consider mixing up its divisional format. Franklin, who’s always fairly candid, provided an interesting answer.

“It’s interesting because I’ve been told many times, historically it all kinds of evens out. I don’t know if that’s necessarily true. We’re not the only conference that has this challenge. I was in another conference that has a similar challenge.

“I think that’s the right thing for the conference. If we’re trying to get as many teams into the Playoff as possible, that’s in the conference’s best interest, as well.”

So, without actually muttering the word, Franklin says “yes.” And, quite frankly, it probably is time to reconsider the direction of the league. This coming from someone who believes the divisional alignment has been just fine to this point.

For those still unsettled on the idea, some quick data points:

  • B1G East record: 28-7; B1G West record: 19-17
  • 4 or 5 B1G ranked teams are in the East
  • 3 of 4 undefeated teams are in the East
  • B1G East is 7-0 in B1G Championship Game

Change is inevitable. The B1G has stuck to its guns on holding true to this divisional alignment long enough. When one side has such a sizable advantage over the other, it’s time to make some sort of shift.

It sounds like Franklin is more than willing to lead the charge.

Quick draws

Maryland at No. 7 Ohio State: Can Maryland’s offense recover after 7 turnovers a week ago against Iowa? Is Taulia Tagovailoa capable of throwing the ball against a still-unproven Buckeyes defense? Those are the two biggest questions for Maryland. There’s really no evidence that the Terrapins have the horses on defense to slow down a Buckeyes offense leading the B1G in scoring through 5 games.

No. 11 Michigan State at Rutgers: The loss to Ohio State was really the first time Rutgers looked … bad. Michigan State doesn’t have the same talent as the Buckeyes, but the Spartans do have explosive playmakers in Kenneth Walker III and Jayden Reed. The key for Michigan State is hanging onto the football. If Rutgers can force some turnovers, Greg Schiano’s team will have a chance.

Wisconsin at Illinois: The battle of the inept red-zone offenses. These teams rank at the bottom of the B1G in red-zone scoring and touchdown percentage. Taking advantage of those opportunities is key. An added element of intrigue: Paul Chryst was Bret Bielema’s offensive coordinator at Wisconsin. It should be an interesting chess match between those two familiar faces.

No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa: Iowa sits atop the B1G in scoring defense. Penn State is No. 2. Both teams are averaging 30 points or more per game. Quarterback play from Spencer Petras and Sean Clifford has improved dramatically from last season. This is a simplistic answer, but this game comes down to turnovers. As Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin would say, “Get your popcorn ready!”

No. 9 Michigan at Nebraska: Winning these kind of games has not been Nebraska’s forte. The Huskers are coming off an impressive 56-7 victory over Northwestern, but they’ve lost to ranked opponents Oklahoma and Michigan State in devastating fashion. Michigan showed that it can have success through the air with Cade McNamara stepping up in a big way last week. Maybe the Wolverines can have a more balanced offensive attitude than we thought.

Safety

Maryland at Ohio State (-20.5)

Ohio State appears to be hitting its stride. Maryland is coming off a blowout loss to Iowa and is without top receiver Dontay Demus Jr. for the rest of the season. While there’s no doubt Mike Locksley’s team is drastically improved from the previous 2 seasons, history does tend to repeat itself.

The Buckeyes own a 6-0 series lead. They’re not just winning, they’re dominating. The average margin of victory for Ohio State is an impressive 36 points per game. Eliminate the 52-51 decision in 2018 and it shoots up to 43.

So call me crazy for betting the farm on Ohio State to cover a 20.5-point spread.

If history between Ohio State and Maryland isn’t enough for you, how about Ohio State’s results this season? In 3 of the Buckeyes’ 4 wins this season, they’ve won by 21 points or more. The Terrapins might be able to score some points, but they won’t be able to keep it close.