The Big Ten is 3-0 in '10. Believe it or not, there were other games on last night. Big Ten games, even! The most competitive, by far, was Minnesota's game at Middle Tennessee State. Now, a competently coached Gopher team would have beaten MTSU by three touchdowns (even on the road), considering the Blue Raiders were attempting to make do without their best player. Instead, the Gophers are coached by Tim Brewster, and thus needed to force a late turnover to preserve the win. The only other Big Ten team to play last night was Indiana, who made quick work of the Towson Tigers on the strength of a 38-point first half.
The FAMU band could put up a better fight. The only other game for a 2010 Ohio State opponent last night was Miami's debut against Florida A+M. Jacory Harris was sharp (as expected), throwing for 210 yards in the first half as the 'Canes rolled to a 35-0 lead, possessing the ball for just 8:03. Wideout Leonard Hankerson was the other star of the show, notching 6 grabs for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Cane defense also registered 8 sacks. Many of Miami's scores came with the Hurricanes in a hurry-up offense, which, if used extensively next week, will mark the fourth straight hurry-up offense (after Michigan, Oregon and Marshall) the Buckeye defense has had to prepare for. The returns against the first three were pretty solid, but none of them featured passers on the level of Jacory Harris.
Meet the new boss. It never ends, does it? If you're like me, and never read the fine print, the afore-linked article will the be the first time you've heard of this:
The fear is still there. The second question into Gene Smith’s press conference at Fawcett Center last night showed that some are still a bit wary about the chances of the Michigan-Ohio State game eventually being moved from the last game of the regular season.
“You’ve only committed to two years, the two that have come out in the schedules,” WSYX-TV’s Clay Hall said, “so it’s possible that it will be re-evaluated?”
The Ohio State athletic director did a little verbal dancing, but his answer didn’t exactly allay the fear.
So it turns out that we may end up seeing the game move around on the schedule after all. It's not likely, but the possibility is still there. Personally, I fell on the "anything but a rematch" side of the divide, and since my dreams are already shattered, I'm not sure how much I'd care if they end up throwing all tradition to the end like we thought they would. Still, most of you will want to keep your torches and pitchforks nearby at all times. Hell, I might even join you when I get used to Ohio State and Michigan in different divisions.
Yes, start this guy on the road against three BCS bowl winners. Please. Penn State has named themselves a starting quarterback, and it's true freshman Robert Bolden. Bolden has a lot of talent, but he'll be the first true freshman starter at quarterback on opening day ever under Joe Pa. The usual caveats apply: all of PSU's quarterbacks will see action against Youngstown State, with former crown jewel of the 2009 class Kevin Newsome possibly the third dude off the bench. To add insult to injury, the second dude off the bench is a walk-on, whose best offer out of high school was... Youngstown State.
Surprise: NCAA is toothless, just like a lot of this guy's biggest fans. Alabama DE Marcell Dareus's suspension has been reduced from four games to two games, keeping him out for the Tide's game against San Jose State and the game against Penn State the next week. I'm sure Robert Bolden is breathing a sigh of relief, while I'm ratcheting down my prediction of the Tide's victory margin to just three touchdowns.
Gettin' paid. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz was gifted a sizable extension by the Hawkeye AD, which will keep him in Iowa City until for another ten years. Approximately seven out of those ten years, we will still hear rumors about Ferentz being offered an NFL job, and two of those offers will come from Cleveland.
Wisconsin would like a word with you. The Tribune's Teddy Greenstein says that there weren't any big losers in the new divisional set-up of the Big Ten. Greenstein acknowledges the Badgers got a "raw deal", but I think he underestimates losing Iowa as a rival and getting Minnesota, who's almost never good, as your protected rival. And then, of course, the Nebraska rivalry they so desperately wanted went up in a puff of smoke.
