Around the Big Ten: Who stood out after Week 3 of the college football season
The third week of the college football season has come and gone and the Big Ten is starting to take shape as more conference games take place.
Each week we’ll take a glance around the conference to see who stood out.
Let’s take a look at what happened this week with several top teams on bye.
Player of the week
Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke: There wasn’t a more impressive performance in the Big Ten Saturday than Indiana’s against UCLA and the Hoosiers were led by an impressive display by senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Rourke, who is in his first year at IU after beginning his career at Ohio, lit up the Bruin defense as IU won 42-13 on the West Coast. He completed 25 of his 33 attempts through the air for 307 yards and four touchdowns. The Hoosiers’ win wasn’t in much doubt from the early goings of the game, thanks to Rourke’s big day. He has been one of the best quarterbacks in the conference to start the season and proved it against a Big Ten opponent Saturday afternoon.
Play of the week
Indiana WR Miles Cross makes a one-handed grab: Indiana’s domination wasn’t just about its quarterback play. Senior receiver Miles Cross made a great one-handed catch across the middle, taking the ball in while running in stride. His catch set up the team’s third touchdown of the first half.
Top five
1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes didn’t play this week and nobody else in the conference did enough to unseat them from their post at the top. In fact, there’s a strong argument to be made that they look even better nationally after Georgia struggled against the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday night. Ohio State has already established itself among the elite of the sport and should remain there until further notice. There won’t be many teams that can challenge them, but there are a few in the Big Ten, and the legitimacy of threats will come down to how well Ohio State quarterback Will Howard plays in the big moments.
2. USC: Some of the new West Coast teams in the Big Ten didn’t have a banner weekend, with UCLA getting trounced by Indiana and Washington losing the Apple Cup to Washington State. Fortunately for the Trojans, they were on bye and weren’t susceptible to any of issues. They’re in position to fight for a Big Ten title game berth this season thanks to a revamped defense to go with an already high-end offense. USC will now put that to the test for the first time in a Big Ten conference game when it takes on Michigan this weekend.
3. Oregon: The Ducks were the only West Coast Big Ten team to come out of the weekend with a victory and they did it in style, dominating Oregon State in the Civil War, 49-14. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel was as efficient as ever, completing all but four of his 24 passing attempts for 291 yards and two touchdowns. While the team’s defense played well against the Beavers in a game that could have been a trap, the Ducks’ ceiling will be determined by how good the offense can be when it plays some of the best teams in the country. The first big test will come on Oct. 12 when they host Ohio State in one of the biggest matchups this season in all of college football.
4. Penn State: Penn State is the third of the top four teams to have this week off. The Nittany Lions’ break came at a good time after they received a scare from the Bowling Green Falcons in their second game. The team’s offense played well, but the defense was bad enough in the first half that it nearly cost Penn State. The Nittany Lions will have a relatively easy game out of its bye week, taking on Kent State Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium. The Golden Flashes are one of the worst teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and are coming off three losses to start the season— 55-24 to Pittsburgh, 23-17 to St. Francis (Pa.), and 71-0 to Tennessee.
5. Nebraska: This was a tough call between Nebraska and Indiana, with both teams looking like they have a chance at the Big Ten title game if things continue to go as well as they are right now. The Huskers have played at a high level in all three games this season, with a defense that slowed the best quarterback-receiver duo in the country in Week 2 in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter of Colorado. Their offense is lagging behind slightly, but high-profile quarterback freshman Dylan Raiola has played like the five-star recruit he was out of high school. The only question is if they’re good enough to battle with Ohio State and USC when they play them later this season.
Next five: Indiana, Michigan, Rutgers, Illinois, Wisconsin
