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Purdue is in a bit of a featured game this week. We start off against Ohio on Friday night at home as part of the new TV deal that gives the league a handful of Friday games. It is one of two games nationally Friday night, with the other game being Oklahoma State at South Alabama. This week in the Big Ten also has the big Oklahoma-Ohio State game as well as ¡EL ASSICO!
Friday
Ohio (1-0) at Purdue (0-1) 8pm, Fox Sports 1
Purdue looked a lot better than anyone had hoped against Louisville but I am an old Purdue fan. My guard is still up. This is about the time we suffer a crushing 35-17 loss to Ohio because, well, that's what Hope and Hazell would have done. Brohm seems different though. This is where we will learn a lot more about him because a good coach avoids a letdown here and actually builds on last week. If Purdue comes out and wins comfortably I will definitely be excited. Purdue 31, Ohio 24
Saturday
Cincinnati (1-0) at Michigan (1-0) Noon, ABC
Cincinnati plays proxy for Ohio State, as former Ohio State coach Luke Fickell brings the Bearcats into Ann Arbor. Unlike Michigan’s recent games with the Buckeyes, however, Michigan should be able to win this. For the second straight year Cincy opened by struggling a bit with an FCS team. Unlike last year, when it blasted a completely unprepared Purdue team, it plays a much better team in week 2. Michigan 31, Cincinnati 10
Florida Atlantic (0-1) at Wisconsin (1-0) Noon, BTN
The Badgers couldn’t have looked worse in the first half last week and couldn’t have looked better in the second half. Top linebackers Jack Cichy and Zack Baun have already been lost, but this week should be little trouble. FAU got run off the field by Navy last week and, quite frankly, has bigger concerns with a hurricane bearing down on their campus. Wisconsin 70, Florida Atlantic 14
Northwestern (1-0) at Duke (1-0) Noon, ESPNU
The Wildcats, who might be a dark horse in the west, struggled quite a bit with Nevada last week. It struggled on the offensive line and it just so happens that Duke has a pretty strong front 7 to throw against them. That could make for a long day in Durham. Duke is actually pretty good and they pushed Northwestern in Evanston last year. Duke 24, Northwestern 21
Iowa at Iowa State Noon, ESPN2
¡EL ASSICO! IS HERE! As always, this rivalry is explained thusly:
Because ¡El Assico! brings out the worst in both teams. They fumble. They punt. They punt some more. They play down to each other, or under each other, and sometimes rent heavy equipment and begin tunneling under the very surface of the earth to submarine even your lowest expectations. They do not score.
Last year was a massive blowout in favor of the Hawkeyes, but this year could be another Ferentz stumble against the team that foils him time and again. Iowa 19, Iowa State 12
Towson (1-0) at Maryland (1-0) Noon, BTN
Games against FCS opponents don’t deserve previews. Maryland 56, Towson 3
Pittsburgh (1-0) at Penn State (1-0) 3:30pm, ABC
I would pay a lot of money to have Pittsburgh ruin Penn State’s season again. Last year the Panthers rolled to a big lead and held on for the win that would eventually knock Penn state out of the playoff. The Nittany Lions are 21 point favorites, but if you factor in smug it is probably a 200 point spread. Pitt was pushed to overtime last week by Youngstown State and really might not be any good. Penn State 45, Pittsburgh 17
Indiana (0-1) at Virginia (1-0) 3:30pm, ESPNU
For a half at least Indiana looked really good last week. Simmie Cobbs looked unstoppable on the jump ball from Richard Lagow and it had me cursing the name of Hazell. Then Ohio State woke up and boatraced the Hoosiers. The fast-paced passing attack should be more than enough here, even if Indiana didn’t bother to run at all last week. Indiana 31, Virginia 21
Western Michigan (0-1) at Michigan State (1-0) 3:30pm, BTN
This game is really interesting after last week. Michigan State did not do a whole lot in beating bowling Green, while Western Michigan gave USC all kinds of fits in Los Angeles. Former Purdue QB coach Tim Lester has an impressive debut and could get his first career win with P.J. Fleck’s recruits that he left behind. Western Michigan ran for 263 yards on USC, so what will they do to Michigan State? I think we can flash the MAC upset alarm. Western Michigan 27, Michigan State 24
Eastern Michigan (1-0) at Rutgers (1-0) 3:30pm, BTN
Long time FBS doormat Eastern Michigan might be kind of now! Rutgers was not as bad against Washington as many expected! If Rutgers really is going to be a contender in a few big Ten games it needs to go out and win this game, much like Purdue against Ohio. It will probably be close, but I think Rutgers can get this done. If not, they are back to being Rutgers. Rutgers 28, Eastern Michigan 24
Nebraska (1-0) at Oregon (1-0) 4:30pm, FOX
Last season Nebraska beat the worst Oregon team in a long time. Last week Nebraska did not look very good against Arkansas State while Oregon ran up a ton of yards against a hapless FCS team. What does that mean for this game? Oregon should have an advantage, as they have turned things around. Let’s not forget how local wildfires and all the ash in the air may impact things. Oregon 41, Nebraska 31
Oklahoma (1-0) at Ohio State (1-0) 7:30pm, ABC
The Buckeyes certainly looked unbeatable after halftime last week against Indiana. Now they get to play at home against a team they beat last season in a game with very early playoff implications. This is clearly the game of the week in the Big Ten, but I trust an experienced J.T. Barrett at home. Ohio State figures out a way to get it done and has a nice chip in its back pocket for the playoff. Ohio State 28, Oklahoma 21
Western Kentucky (1-0) at Illinois (1-0) 8pm, BTN
Things could get ugly in Champaign early. Western Kentucky is still pretty good with the pieces coach Brohm left in place, specifically QB Mike White. The Illini were hardly inspiring last week with a 3-point win over Ball State. It is so bad that Western is already a touchdown favorite on the road at a Big Ten team. I have thought Illinois was going to be the worst team in the conference this year and Week 1 did not change that. Western Kentucky 45, Illinois 28
Minnesota (1-0) at Oregon State (1-1) 10pm, Fox Sports 1
Another team that did not look good last week was Minnesota, who didn’t have a lot of offense in a 17-7 win over Buffalo. Now they have a road game at a Pac-12 team. Oregon State avoided being upset by Portland State last week, but they have been one of the worst teams out west for a few years. They gave up 58 points to Colorado State and 32 points to Portland State. They really don’t have a defense and Minnesota really doesn’t have an offense. Minnesota 24, Oregon State 17