There are dramatic shakeups in the Big Ten power ranking. After Ohio State’s loss to Penn State, nobody in college football, except for Alabama, is safe.
It was a busy week in the Big Ten with all 14 teams in action. But just like the 2014 season, when Ohio State played Penn State in the White Out, it was the best game of the year, with a result that we won’t soon forget.
Ohio State’s loss shakes up the Big Ten hierarchy, as well as the College Football Playoff picture. But writing off the Buckeyes is a bad idea. We saw them bounce back in 2014 after losing to Virginia Tech, while Michigan State rebounded from a conference loss to Nebraska last year to eventually make the playoff.
No college football team, except for Alabama, is safe from chaos. The Buckeyes learned that the hard way, but they can rebound if they win out. They have a tough schedule remaining though, which means there can be no margin for error.
As crazy as it might sound, though, there are six other games to talk about, so let’s see how the Big Ten stacks up after Week 8.
Another week, another Rutgers loss, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. With Chris Laviano getting off to another putrid start, Chris Ash named Gio Rescigno their starter the rest of the way. The Scarlet Knights have everything to gain and nothing to lose by making this change. If Rescigno was hoping to repay his coach’s trust in him, he succeeded by throwing 220 passing yards and three touchdowns while nearly leading a comeback from 21-3 down on the road.
Talk about getting thrown to the wolves. With both Wes Lunt and Chayce Crouch sidelined, Jeff George Jr. made his first ever start against the Wolverines on the road. Their pass rush ate him alive, as he finished 4-for-15, even going the whole first half without a completion. The Illini finally snapped Michigan’s shutout streak, but their touchdown came from a short field after Jim Harbaugh ran a fake punt while his team was up by 34 – what a maniac.
It’s starting to look like beating Notre Dame is the kiss of death. Since they beat them, Texas are 2-4, NC State missed a game-winning field goal against Clemson the very next week, and Stanford followed up their win with a 10-5 loss to Colorado. But it’s Michigan State who have suffered the most since beating them, as they are currently mired in a five-game losing streak, and probably won’t be bowl-eligible.
There’s no other way to describe the Spartans other than mediocre. You could use disappointing since a lot more was expected of them, but their record is one loss shy of matching Rutgers. Their problems can be found everywhere on the field from their non-existent pass rush, inconsistent running game, and their current quarterback controversy.
While this year has been a painful one for Spartans fans, next year could be even worse if they decide to take the rebuilding approach. However, the question remains how long will it be before they make a change to their coaching staff.