Week 1 B1G Recap

It is official, college football is back. The Labor Day weekend was the perfect backdrop to unleash the 2018 season. The Big Ten started the year 11-1 against non-conference opponents. Michigan was the only team in the conference to lose to an outside foe. Purdue fell to Northwestern and Nebraska's game was canceled due to thunderstorms.   

The B1G upset of the week was Maryland dropping Tom "strip club" Herman and Texas for the second time in as many years. 

FCS vs. FBS

What do East Carolina, San Jose State, Temple, Kansas and UTEP have in common? That's right, those five FBS teams lost to an FCS opponent in Week 1. Northern Arizona's 30-10 whooping of UTEP was the largest win margin for the FCS schools in the first week.

Kansas State almost made the list. The Wildcats needed a 4th quarter comeback to finally overcome South Dakota 27-24 in Manhattan.

If you are wondering, Ohio State is one of only 22 FBS schools not to have an FCS team on the schedule. Army, Florida and Liberty are on the end of the spectrum as they are the only FBS teams to play two FCS teams this year.

THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
7:00	KENNESAW STATE at TENNESSEE TECH	ESPNU

Thursday's Throwdown

Kennesaw State at Tennessee Tech
7:00 // ESPNU

If you are staying home to watch this, do your self and your community kids a favor. Find a local high school game of interest and attend it. The programs can use the support and you might have a good time to boot.

Seriously, go out and find something else to do. If you can't decide on something, go to bed early or take a nap. Your body and soul will thank you for skipping a game in which Kennesaw State is favored by 21.5 points.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
8:00	No. 16 TCU at SMU	ESPN2

Friday Night Lights

No. 16 TCU at SMU (+22)
8:00 // ESPN2

This is your last chance to scout TCU before the Horned Frogs and Buckeyes tangle in Jerry World next week. Did you know that TCU and SMU are playing in the Iron Skillet Game? That's right, the winner gets the bragging rights of walking off with a large iron skillet.

The Horned Frogs offense will be powered by QB Shawn Robinson and WR Derius Davis. Robinson threw for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns last week against Southern. Davis is a true freshman and scored twice in Week 1, he scored on a 73-yard kickoff return and a caught a touchdown pass.

On defense, LB Garrett Wallow and S Nico Small might be players to keep an eye on. Wallow recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Small is a senior who tied for a team-high 5 tackles last week.

Coming off a 46-23 loss to North Texas, QB Ben Hicks and RB Braeden West are hoping to catch TCU looking ahead to Ohio State. If so, the win will be the first for Sonny Dykes (0-2) as SMU's head coach. 

History: TCU leads the series 50–40–7 and has won 10 of the last 11 games and 16 of the last 18. SMU won the first game between the schools, 43-0, back in 1915.

SATURDAY'S NOON GAMES

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
NOON	WESTERN MICHIGAN at No. 21 MICHIGAN	FS1
NOON	NEW MEXICO at No. 5 WISCONSIN	BTN
NOON	DUKE at NORTHWESTERN	ESPNU
NOON	EASTERN MICHIGAN at PURDUE	BTN
NOON	ARIZONA at HOUSTON	ABC or ESPN2
NOON	GEORGIA TECH at SOUTH FLORIDA	ABC or ESPN2
NOON	LIBERTY at ARMY	CBSSN
NOON	MISSISSIPPI STATE at KANSAS STATE	ESPN
NOON	NEVADA at VANDERBILT	SEC NET

Saturday's High Noon Showdowns

Western Michigan at No. 21 Michigan (-28)
Saturday's High Noon Showdowns

Little Jimmy Harbaugh and his Wolverines look to bounce back after taking one on the chin against Notre Dame. When looking at Shea Patterson's stats, he completed 20 of 30 passes for 227 yards, the numbers show that he played a good game. However, if you watched the game, your eyes told you that Michigan's offensive line was porous and Patterson looked very pedestrian. 

If the Wolverines' offense struggles against the Broncos, the chorus for khaki boy's head will continue to grow louder.

Three Fun Facts

1. The Wolverines are 8–0 against non-conference opponents in Michigan Stadium with Harbaugh as coach.
2. The last time Michigan played a home game in front of less than 100,000 fans was in 1975 against Indiana.
3. Two A-10 Warthogs will perform the flyover for this game.

History: Michigan leads the series 6–0 and defeated Western Michigan 34-10 the last time they played (2011). The first game between these schools was in 1917 on Ferry Field, Michigan won 17-13. 

New Mexico at No. 5 Wisconsin (-35)
Noon // BTN

Both teams enter this contest with 1–0 records. Former Notre Dame head coach, Bob Davie, is starting his seventh season as the head man at New Mexico. The Lobos scored 62 points last week, but their defense allowed Incarnate Word to put up 30.

If UIW was able to get 30, UW and Jonathan Taylor should be able to at least double that number. Taylor, a sophomore, eclipsed eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards for his career last week.

History: This is the first game between these programs.

Duke at Northwestern (-3)
Noon // ESPNU

If you haven't heard, Northwestern owns the longest winning streak among Power 5 teams. The Wildcats defeated Purdue last week to extend the streak to nine games. This is Northwestern's longest winning streak since 1995.

History: This will be the 20th time Duke and Northwestern have faced each other on the football field. The Wildcats hold a slight 10–9 advantage in the series. With a 41-17 win last year, Northwestern ended it three-game losing streak to the Blue Devils.

SATURDAY'S 12:30 TO 2:00 GAMES

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
12:30	GEORGIA STATE at NC STATE	ESPN EXTRA
1:00	UCLA at No. 7 OKLAHOMA	FOX
2:00	PORTLAND ST. at No. 23 OREGON	PAC-12 NET

Saturday's Tweener

UCLA at No. 7 Oklahoma (-30.5)
1:00 // Fox

Chip Kelly's debut with UCLA did not go as planned. His Bruins laid an egg against Luke Fickell's Cincinnati Bearcats and now Kelly must regroup his troops for a trip to Norman. UCLA has started a season 0–2 only one time in the past 20 years (2010).

The Sooner fans are planning a "stripeout" for the game that will be shown on national television. OU had a tune-up against Lane Kiffin's Florida Atlantic squad last week. The Sooners spanked the Owls 63-14 as QB Kyler Murray completed 9/11 passes for 209 yards and 2 TDs.

3 Sooner Stats

1. Oklahoma has scored at least 30 points in 24 of their last 25 games.
2. The Sooners are 24–2 when ranked No. 7 in the AP poll. The two losses were to Boise State (2007 Fiesta Bowl) and TCU in the 2005 season opener.
3. Head coach Lincoln Riley turned 35 this week and is the second youngest head coach in the FBS.

History: This will be the fifth game between Oklahoma and UCLA. The Sooners lead the series 3–1 and are 2–0 when the game is played in Norman. UCLA won the last meeting between these teams with a 41-24 victory in Pasadena.

SATURDAY'S 3:30 GAMES

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
3:30	COLORADO at NEBRASKA	ABC
3:30	RUTGERS at No. 4 OHIO STATE	BTN
3:30	BALL STATE at No. 8 NOTRE DAME	NBC
3:30	No. 3 GEORGIA at No. 24 SOUTH CAROLINA	CBS
3:30	ARKANSAS STATE at No. 1 ALABAMA	ESPN
3:30	MEMPHIS at NAVY	CBSSN
3:30	NORTH CAROLINA at EAST CAROLINA	ESPNU

The Dirty 3:30

Rutgers at No. 4 Ohio State (-35.5)
3:30 // BTN

Ohio State looks to continue riding the Dwayne Train against Rutgers. The weather might be able to do a better job of slowing down the Buckeyes than Chris Ash's defense. However, if the rain and wind pulls a no-show, the Scarlet Knights might wish they were a no-show as well.

History: The Buckeyes are 4–0 against Rutgers and have scored at least 49 points in every game. Ohio State has kept the Scarlet Knights from scoring a point in consecutive games.

Colorado at Nebraska (-5.5)
3:30 // ABC

The Cornhusker faithful had to wait a week, but the Scott Frost era should officially begin against Colorado. The Buffaloes are coming off of a 45-13 victory of in-state rival Colorado State. It will be interesting to see if Frost's high powered UCF offense made its way to the Midwest cornfields of Lincoln. 

History: This will be the first game for these former Big 12 members since they last played in 2010. Nebraska owns a 49–18–2 advantage over Colorado in the series.

No. 3 Georgia at No. 24 South Carolina (+10)
3:30 // CBS

Last week, Georgia had a glorified scrimmage against Austin Peay. The Bulldogs accumulated 284 rushing yards and a total of 508 offensive yards. South Carolina's defense should put up a slightly tougher fight, but how much of a fight? The Gamecocks held Coastal Carolina to a total of 238 yards, but the last time I checked, the Chanticleers are not the Bulldogs.

History: Saturday will be the 71st time Georgia and South Carolina have played. Georgia leads the series 50–18–2 and is 20–10–2 when the game is played in Columbia. However, South Carolina has won three of the last four games played in Williams-Brice Stadium.

Since 2010, the series is even, but Georgia has won three straight. Will Muschamp, South Carolina's head coach, has a career record of 1–5 against the Bulldogs. His lone win was with Florida in 2014.

SATURDAY'S 4:00 TO 7:20 GAMES

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
4:00	ETSU at TENNESSEE	SEC NET
4:00	SOUTHERN ILLINOIS at OLE MISS	SEC NET ALT
5:00	IOWA STATE at IOWA	FOX
5:00	NORTH DAKOTA at No. 9 WASHINGTON	PAC-12 NET
6:00	YSU at No. 14 WEST VIRGINIA	ATTPI
7:00	No. 2 CLEMSON at TEXAS A&M	ESPN
7:00	SE LOUISIANA at No. 11 LSU	ESPN2
7:00	WYOMING at MISSOURI	ESPNU
7:20	SAMFORD at FLORIDA STATE	ACC NET

Afternoon Siesta

No. 2 Clemson at Texas A&M (+12)
7:00 // ESPN

Jimbo Fisher faces a familiar ACC foe with his new team Texas A&M. No. 2 Clemson is the highest ranked non-conference opponent to ever face Texas A&M at Kyle Field. The Tigers are also a double digit favorite. ESPN's College GameDay will air from Aggieland and that might not be great news for the home team. The Aggies are 1–4 when ESPN is on site. The victory was a 45-38 OT win over No. 9 Tennessee in 2016.

Streaking: There are a couple of streaks on the line for the Aggies in this game. A&M has won 29 straight home games against non-conference opponents and has scored at least 14 points in 28-consecutive games. A streak the home team wants to end is its five-game losing streak to teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

Clemson also has a couple of streaks. The Tigers have won four straight road opener games and has defeated four consecutive games against SEC opponents in true road games. Clemson also has a 17-game regular season winning streak against non-conference opponents. The Tigers' defense has force a turnover in nine straight games.

History: Texas A&M holds a 3–1 advantage of Clemson. The teams played a home and home series in 1973 and '74, then again in 2004 and '05. The Tigers have never won in College Station, but did win the last time the school played in 2005 (25-24). 

SATURDAY'S 7:30 GAMES

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
7:30	FRESNO STATE at MINNESOTA	FS1
7:30	VIRGINIA at INDIANA	BTN
7:30	WESTERN ILLINOIS at ILLINOIS	BTN
7:30	ARKANSAS at COLORADO STATE	CBSSN
7:30	KENTUCKY at FLORIDA	SEC NET
7:30	ALABAMA STATE at No. 7 AUBURN	SEC NET ALT
7:30	EASTERN ILLINOIS at ILLINOIS STATE	NBCSCH
7:30	UTAH at NORTHERN ILLINOIS	ESPN NEWS

Prime Time Players

Fresno State at Minnesota (-2)
7:30 // BTN

Both teams enter this contest with 1–0 records and coaches in their second year with the team. Jeff Tedford's Bulldogs vanquished the Vandals of Idaho 79-13 last week. The 79 points were the most scored in the FBS last week and it also marked the first time Fresno State defeated an opponent by double digits since 2013. 

Minnesota's 48-10 win over New Mexico State last week was the largest ever margin of victory for the Gophers in TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota held New Mexico State scoreless in the second half, that marked the fourth time a PJ Fleck Gopher team has held an opponent scoreless in a half. The 28-point slaughter is also Minnesota's largest margin of victory since it defeated Temple 62-0 in 2006. 

History: This is the first time Minnesota and Fresno State have played in football. Tedford is 11–4 at Fresno State and Fleck is 6–7 at Minnesota.

Virginia at Indiana (-6)
7:30 // BTN

Indiana (1–0) has won 12 of its last 13 regular season non-conference games. That stellar record will be in jeopardy as the Hoosiers are 7–14 against the ACC, however, Indiana did defeat Virginia 34-17 last year. 

Against Florida International, safety Jonathan Crawford had a pick-6 and forced a fumble. The touchdown was his first at the collegiate level and marked a team-leading 17th time he had an impact in a turnover.

History: Virginia leads the series 2–1 and has never lost in Bloomington. This is the start of the Hoosiers 59th season at Memorial Stadium. Indiana is 40–18 in the previous home openers.

SATURDAY'S 8:00 AND 8:30 PRIME TIME MATCHUPS

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
8:00	No. 13 PENN STATE at PITTSBURGH	ABC
8:00	SOUTH ALABAMA at OKLAHOMA STATE	FSN
8:00	CINCINNATI at MIAMI, OHIO	ESPN EXTRA
8:00	SOUTHERN UTAH at OREGON STATE	PAC-12 NET
8:00	TULSA at TEXAS	LHN
8:30	No. 17 USC at No. 10 STANFORD	FOX

Prime Time Players Part 2

No. 13 Penn State at Pittsburgh (+8.5)
8:00 // ABC

After squeaking by Appalachian State in overtime, Penn State (1–0) will face Pittsburgh (1–0) in Heinz Field. The Nittany Lions have scored at least 20 points in 24-straight games. That is the longest streak in program history. The previous mark was 20 consecutive games set between 1993-95.

Penn State is 151–87–10 all-time against current members of the ACC. The only teams in the ACC the Nittany Lions have not played are Duke and Virginia Tech.

History: This will be the 99th game between Pitt and Penn State. The series began in 1893 and PSU holds a 51–43–4 advantage. However, Pittsburgh has won two of the last three tilts, 42-39 in 2016 and 12-0 in 2000.

No. 17 USC at No. 10 Stanford (-6)
8:30 // FOX

For the fifth consecutive year, USC (1–0) and Stanford (1–0) begin league play against each other. The Trojans defeated the Cardinal in both games they played in 2017 (regular season and Pac-12 Championship).

USC's JT Daniels became the second true freshman to start at quarterback in a season opener. He did not disappoint by throwing for 282 yards, the most ever by a Trojan in his first game. Daniels' favorite target was fellow freshman (and HS teammate) WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. The talented receiver had a game-high 7 receptions for 98 yards. The reception total was also a record for a freshman in his first game.

David Shaw's Stanford squad is powered by Heisman contender Bryce Love. The All-American running back finished his 2017 campaign with 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns. A strong performance in prime time will put him in strong contention for winning the 2018 Heisman.    

History: This will be the 98th game played in the series and USC has an overall record of 62–32–3. The Trojans record falls to 4–4 when they play Stanford as their Pac-12 opening game. 

GAMES AFTER DARK

TIME	GAME	CHANNEL
9:00	UTEP at UNLV	ATTRM
10:15	CAL at BYU	ESPN2
10:15	UCONN at No. 20 BOISE STATE	ESPNU
10:45	No. 15 MICHIGAN STATE at ARIZONA STATE	ESPN
11:00	SAN JOSE STATE at WASHINGTON STATE	PAC-12 NET

Games After Dark

No. 15 Michigan State at Arizona State (+6)
10:45 // ESPN

Herm Edwards made his Sun Devil debut with a 49-7 win over the UTSA Roadrunners. Arizona State (1–0) scored early and easily won its 20th consecutive home opener. WR N'Keal Harry was instrumental in the victory as he hauled in 6 passes for 140 yards and 2 TDs.

Mark Dantonio and Michigan State (1–0) are known for playing sound defense. However, the Spartans had all they could handle as they squeaked by Utah State 38-31.

History: The series is tied 1–1 and Michigan State is playing in Tempe for only the second time in program history. This is the first time the teams have played since Arizona State won 1986 at home. The Spartans won the first-ever meeting, 12-3 in Spartan Stadium in 1985.