Ranking Best Big Ten Football Matchups of Week 2
The Big Ten made a strong opening statement on the first week of the college football season, going an impressive 12-2 across the board.
Big Ten East Division favorites Ohio State and Michigan posted enormous victories against overmatched foes as the Buckeyes beat Bowling Green by 67 and the Wolverines pounded Hawaii by 60.
Contenders Iowa and Penn State handled a pair of MAC opponents, while Michigan State (facing FCS Furman) and Minnesota (playing Oregon State) got stiffer tests than they were expecting.
But without question, Wisconsin was the big winner of the weekend after registering the upset of the week with a 16-14 win over No. 5 LSU.
Looking ahead to Week 2, the conference has a relatively quiet week before a monstrous slate of games in Week 3. A pair of nonconference rivalries headline this week's Big Ten action.
No. 5: Wyoming @ Nebraska
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Nebraska's marquee nonconference showdown of the year won't come until Week 3, when Mark Helfrich and the Oregon Ducks invade Lincoln, but this week's matchup against Wyoming still has plenty of intrigue.
The Cowboys had a disastrous 2015 season, winning just two games in head coach Craig Bohl's second season. But they bounced back and had an impressive performance in the season opener, beating Northern Illinois—which was expected to be Western Michigan's toughest competition in the MAC—40-34 in triple overtime.
The Cornhuskers are fresh off an emotional victory of their own. The matchup wasn't close, as Nebraska scored 29 unanswered points in a runaway 43-10 victory over Fresno State. But Nebraska paid tribute to Sam Foltz, who lost his life in a tragic car accident over the summer, during the game with a missing-man formation.
At the beginning of the season, the Wyoming game looked like a gimme/warm-up ahead of the big showdown with Oregon. But after the Cowboys' performance in the season opener, this week's game looks more intriguing.
No. 4: North Carolina @ Illinois
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New head coach Lovie Smith made a strong first impression in the season opener as Illinois blasted FCS Murray State 52-3 on Saturday. The defense was dominant, allowing just 175 passing yards and forcing two interceptions while also pushing the Racers back for minus-10 yards on 26 carries.
Wes Lunt was nearly perfect, completing 15-of-21 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns against no interceptions. The Illini rushed for an impressive 287 yards and four touchdowns on just 40 carries in the 49-point rout.
But things will get much tougher this Saturday when North Carolina comes to Memorial Stadium.
The Tar Heels entered the season ranked 22nd and had No. 18 Georgia on the ropes in the season opener. They led the Bulldogs 24-14 midway through the third quarter but surrendered a 19-point run before falling 33-24.
Larry Fedora's squad will travel to Champaign, Illinois, angry, and they opened as a touchdown favorite over the Illini, according to Odds Shark. But if Smith and Illinois pull the upset, it would not only be a huge boost to the program, but it would be a big win for the conference as well.
No. 3: Tulsa @ Ohio State
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Ohio State spent the entire offseason listening to questions about the offensive firepower it lost and how it would struggle replace guys such as running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Michael Thomas.
On Saturday against Bowling Green, the Buckeyes took out their frustration, setting the school record for total offense in a single game in a 77-10 rout of the reigning MAC champion.
This week, however, Urban Meyer's squad will be facing a team that's much better suited to put points on the board.
Tulsa will come to Columbus on the heels of a 45-10 rout of San Jose State. The Golden Hurricane bulldozed their way over the Spartans, running for 305 yards on their way to the easy win. It was so easy, in fact, that they hardly utilized quarterback Dane Evans, who ranked seventh nationally a season ago with 333 passing yards per game.
Will Evans and Tulsa be able to keep pace with J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes? Vegas doesn't think so, as Ohio State opened as a four-touchdown favorite over the Golden Hurricane, according to Odds Shark.
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No. 2: Iowa State @ Iowa
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Iowa extended its regular-season win streak to 13 with a 45-21 win over Miami (OH) on Saturday despite looking sloppy down the stretch.
With the RedHawks dispatched, the Hawkeyes can turn their full attention to nonconference rival Iowa State.
The Cyclones didn't have similar luck on opening weekend. They hosted FCS opponent Northern Iowa and held a 13-7 lead late in the second quarter, but things fell apart after Iowa State gave up a safety. The teams went back and forth late into the fourth quarter, but Northern Iowa took the lead for good when J'Veyon Browning punched in a one-yard touchdown with less than three minutes left.
The Hawkeyes are the superior team. The line reflects that, as they opened as 18-point favorites, via Odds Shark. But Iowa's superiority hasn't mattered much in this rivalry, as the two teams have split the last four meetings.
No.1: Penn State @ Pitt
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The Big Ten's game of the week will see a rivalry renewed after a 15-year hiatus when Penn State travels 150 miles west for a showdown with Pitt.
The Nittany Lions and the Panthers used to face off annually and have met 96 times, with Penn State holding a 52-40-4 advantage. Conference realignment disrupted the rivalry, though, as the two schools drifted apart in the early aughts.
That changed last year when the schools announced a two-year home-and-home series revival. And even though neither team is ranked or projected to seriously contend for a conference championship this year, the matchup is one of the most highly anticipated showdowns of Week 2.
Penn State's new-look offense will attack a strong Pitt defense with Saquon Barkley, who ran for 105 yards and a touchdown in a 33-13 Week 1 victory over Kent State. The Panthers got two touchdowns from running back James Conner in a 28-7 victory over Villanova.
The noon ET kickoff will be broadcasted nationally by ESPN.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
