Big Ten Panic Meter: Who Should Be Worried After Week 1?
After an extended Week 1 of college football, fans across the country are already starting to overreact to what they witnessed from their favorite teams. It’s easy to forget that a team can look completely different from Week 1 to Week 2 as players settle in, coaches make adjustments, and programs begin to find their identity. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of teams that struggled in their season openers, and some performances were definitely concerning. However, we also can’t be too quick to judge a team based on just one game. College football is a long season, and teams will continue to develop and improve as the year progresses. With that being said, some programs showed legitimate warning signs in Week 1 that shouldn’t be ignored. While it may be too early to panic, these teams have some serious concerns to address if they want to get their seasons back on track.
The biggest concern around the country after Week 1 has to be the Big Ten Conference. Heading into the season, many people considered the Big Ten to be the best conference in college football. A lot of that reputation comes from the conference’s recent dominance in the College Football Playoff, where its top programs have found success on the biggest stage. Week 1 gave fans plenty of reasons to question the overall strength of the conference. It wasn’t just the middle and bottom-tier teams that struggled, as several of the Big Ten’s highly regarded programs also had disappointing performances. Those struggles have already sparked plenty of conversation on social media about whether the Big Ten should still be considered the best conference in college football.
Overreactions
Oregon Ducks
One of the Big Ten favorites and the preseason No. 2 team in the country, the Oregon Ducks struggled mightily in their season opener. Oregon needed a comeback and a late touchdown to escape with a win over Boise State despite entering the game as a 24.5-point favorite. The Ducks struggled throughout the first half and even found themselves trailing heading into the second half. The final statistics tell a slightly different story, as Oregon eventually took control and outgained Boise State by 223 total yards. The biggest concern for the Ducks was their inability to consistently convert on third down. With the amount of talent Oregon has on its roster, the offense should not struggle that much to sustain drives, especially against a team it was heavily favored to beat.
Many people around the country will be quick to overreact to this performance, but I believe the Ducks will be just fine moving forward. Most of their Week 1 issues appear to be fixable, especially considering the talent they have on both sides of the ball. Boise State also deserves plenty of credit for playing a great game and putting together a strong game plan for a potential road upset. Oregon didn’t make things any easier on itself either, as costly penalties gave the Broncos free yards and extended drives throughout the game. No need to panic on the Ducks quite yet.
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans had a lackluster performance against the Toledo Rockets, a team they should have been able to handle more comfortably. The first few drives of the game looked promising, but beyond that, the Spartans began to stall on both sides of the ball, allowing Toledo to work its way back into the game and make things much closer than expected. Big Ten fans understand that Michigan State entered the season near the bottom of the conference in terms of overall talent. Still, this wasn’t a very impressive victory to the general public, and performances like this only add fuel to the criticism surrounding the Big Ten after Week 1.
Despite the struggles, I’m not too worried about the Spartans given the current state of the program. Michigan State is working with a new-look roster, a new coaching staff, and several young players who are still adjusting to their roles. Growing pains should be expected, especially early in the season. If the Spartans can build off this victory and learn from their Week 1 mistakes, they have an opportunity to work their way into the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. That would be a major step forward for a program looking to regain some of the respect it has lost in recent years.
Serious Concerns
Michigan Wolverines
The most controversial game of the weekend came down to the ending of Western Michigan vs. Michigan. Many people around the country believe the Broncos were robbed of a major upset, but the controversial finish ultimately worked in Michigan’s favor, as the Wolverines escaped with a one-point victory on a last-second Hail Mary. Controversy aside, Michigan has some major issues to address coming out of Week 1. The biggest bright spot for the Wolverines was their defense, which was able to hold Western Michigan to field goals and give the offense an opportunity to win the game. It’s difficult to know how much stock to put into that performance considering the talent discrepancy between the two programs, but at the end of the day, the defense did its job.
The biggest concern for Michigan is the offense as a whole, particularly the running game. When was the last time we saw a Michigan team finish with just 59 rushing yards from its running backs? Establishing the run has been the Wolverines’ identity for years, and that was expected to remain a major part of the offense under Kyle Whittingham. Their inability to consistently move the ball on the ground against Western Michigan is a major concern heading into the rest of the season. Then there’s Bryce Underwood. Michigan has invested heavily in its quarterback, but I saw very little improvement from what we witnessed last season. Of course, it’s only Week 1, and there is plenty of time for him to develop, but this performance wasn’t an encouraging sign. Underwood missed some crucial throws, appeared rushed at times, and continued to show problems with his footwork. The biggest issue I’ve noticed with Underwood is how he responds when things aren’t going his way. When he faces consistent pressure or the offense begins to struggle, he has yet to show that he can overcome that adversity and take control of the game. Instead, the struggles seem to carry over, and the entire offense begins to shut down. We saw a similar pattern in Michigan’s losses last season, which makes seeing it again in Week 1 much more concerning. The rest of the season for the Wolverines’ looks even more daunting after that performance and they must bounce back Week 2 vs Oklahoma.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers started the Big Ten’s disastrous Week 1 on Thursday night with an embarrassing loss to UMass despite entering the game as a 30.5-point favorite. It wasn’t just the fact that the Scarlet Knights lost, it was how they lost. Rutgers were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game by a team they were expected to beat comfortably. This should go down as one of the most embarrassing losses for the Big Ten this season, although we all know it’s only Week 1 and college football always has a few shocking results waiting. Losing as a 30.5-point favorite to UMass is the type of performance that will follow Rutgers throughout the season.
The Scarlet Knights have struggled for years to earn respect within the Big Ten, and this performance certainly didn’t help their case. Rutgers has often been viewed as one of the weaker programs in the conference, and now it has given fans from around the country even more to question not only the program, but the overall depth of the Big Ten. For a conference that entered the season with an argument for being the best in college football, this is exactly the type of loss it needed to avoid. The pressure should also begin to build on head coach Greg Schiano. Rutgers was expected to have one of the more manageable Big Ten schedules this season, but that won’t matter if the Scarlet Knights can’t compete against supposedly inferior non-conference opponents. If this performance is any indication of what’s to come, Schiano could find himself coaching for his job as the season progresses. There really isn’t any way to sugarcoat this one: Rutgers embarrassed itself and the Big Ten in Week 1.
Final Thoughts
It’s important not to make season-long conclusions after just one weekend of college football, but the Big Ten certainly didn’t help its case for being the best conference in the country. Oregon and Michigan State had disappointing performances, but both have reasons to believe their problems can be corrected as the season progresses.
Michigan and Rutgers are different stories. The Wolverines showed some of the same offensive problems that held them back last season, while Rutgers suffered the type of loss that immediately raises questions about the direction of the entire program.
Week 1 doesn’t define a season, but it does give us our first look at what these teams might become. For the Big Ten, Week 2 will be an opportunity to prove that the opening weekend was nothing more than an early-season stumble rather than a sign of bigger problems ahead.
