Big Ten Power Rankings, Week 1: OSU, Michigan roll; Wisconsin stuns LSU

Ohio State only returned six starters, the lowest number in the country, but was still the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the preseason AP poll. They proved why that was the case in their 77-10 trouncing of Bowling Green.

DeShaun Watson came into this season as the quarterback with the best odds to win the Heisman trophy. But J.T. Barrett’s record-setting performance could very well tilt the balance in his favor. He threw a pick on his first drive, which Bowling Green returned for a touchdown, but recovered to put on a dominant performance.

Barrett went 21-for-31, threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns, and distributed the ball to six different players. He added a score on the ground, making him responsible for seven touchdowns (although technically, he was responsible for eight).

Curtis Samuel, the running back turned wide receiver, established himself as the go-to option for Barrett when he finished with three touchdowns. With any luck, he can fill the void Michael Thomas left behind. Samuel also added 84 yards on the ground on 13 carries, while starting running back Mike Weber had a positive showing with 136 yards on 19 carries. All of that translated to 776 total yards of offense, shattering a school record.

Despite how good they were, the defense got overlooked in this contest. Malik Hooker recorded the first two interceptions of his college career, the first of which made him look like the defensive equivalent of Odell Beckham Jr. And while it took four quarters, little bro Nick Bosa got his first sack – there’s sure to be more where that came from.

If there’s one person who wasn’t ecstatic over this win, it was head coach Urban Meyer, whose post-game comments were Bill Belichick-esque:

"It’s one game. Let’s chat in about four weeks and see how we’re doing."

But since Meyer’s arrival at Ohio State, he has made them a consistent powerhouse, one that is always the preseason favorite of the Big Ten. If this game proved anything, it’s that they don’t rebuild, they reload.

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While Ohio State will be fully focused on Tulsa, they know that a huge showdown with Oklahoma looms large. Even though Oklahoma just lost their opener, they know they can’t afford to lose if they want any chance of making the College Football Playoff, so there will be a lot on the line.

If they can get through that game, as well as some of the tougher games on the conference schedule, then Ohio State should be a favorite to get back to the College Football Playoff.