Schumerth: Big Ten football in shambles
Fall brings many wonderful changes, but college football has to be the best. Unless you are a Big Ten fan, anyway.
While Penn State – undefeated with a win over Oregon State– looks strong, it is all downhill from there.
Michigan State is probably the next best behind running back Javon Ringer, who is among the best in the nation. The loss to Cal and a pitiful schedule do not help its case.
Ohio State, the usual poster child for the conference, has no business being in the top 25. While they do have such quality wins as Youngstown State, Ohio, Troy and Minnesota, their only respectable opponent, USC, put them to shame. They were blown out 35-3, but in reality the game was even worse.
And to all you Buckeye fans still in denial, you can no longer use the argument that they lost to the "untouchable, best team in the nation."
Minnesota gave up 34 points in a loss to the aforementioned Buckeyes.
Michigan looks as bad as it has in my lifetime. The Wolverines were destroyed, by three scores, by a mediocre-at-best Notre Dame team who did not even play well.
Purdue falls in that same category. Notre Dame quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, who has been hated by Irish fans for the last season and three games, threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions against the Boilermakers. I cannot imagine what would happen if they played a good quarterback.
Wisconsin had me fooled until this past weekend when they lost to Michigan, who I think we can agree is rather dismal. I guess wins over Akron and Marshall do not mean as much as one might think.
The verdict is still out on just how bad the Illini are. They are clearly not true contenders, as they have lost to each of their quality opponents, Missouri and Penn State. But at the same time, they beat both of their not-so-quality opponents, Eastern Illinois and Louisiana-Lafayette. Apparently, they are somewhere between atrocious and decent.
Indiana University started the season with a false sense of hope after wins over Western Kentucky and Murray State. Does anyone else notice a trend in Big Ten opponents? After being clobbered by both Ball State, who is having a successful season, and Michigan State, they have been brought back down to earth.
Iowa should be counted out just for having Maine and Florida International on their schedule, but losses to Pitt and Northwestern do not help.
Yes, Northwestern is still undefeated. But let’s be serious here. Northwestern is Northwestern. Its students belong in the library, not on the football field. Maybe that is how they figured out to make their first four opponents Syracuse, Duke, Southern Illinois and Ohio. The Wildcats are certainly not a contender.
So Big Ten fans, I suggest you shift your attention to baseball and appreciate that at least the Cubs have stayed true to form.
