Following Week 8 of the college football season, analyst Tim Brando took some time to recognize what it meant for the sport to have the Big Ten back in action.

“Week 8 of the college football season was all about the return of the Big Ten, and boy are we glad to have you,” Brando said. “College football is a game to be celebrated. And even though we’ve made it to the halfway mark, the Big Ten’s emergence probably crystallized that celebration factor.”

The Big Ten’s first slate of games included several marquee matchups, including Indiana’s thrilling and controversial 36-35 victory over Penn State.

National Championship contender Ohio State also burst onto the scene, winning 52-17 vs. Nebraska.

Brando gave credit to players like Buckeye quarterback Justin Fields for making the Big Ten season a reality.

“The kids themselves wanted to play football,” he said. “And they convinced the adults and got a little help from science enabling testing to take place on a regular basis.

“You could make a case Justin Fields had more to lose by playing than gain. His place behind Trevor Lawrence as a top pick in the draft coming up was already cemented whether Ohio State played football or not. But he led the charge. It was his voice along with others, that forced the groundswell of support for football to come.”

Here’s Brando’s full thoughts on Week 8 of the college football season: