B1G Rewind: Now middlings take the fall

The Big Ten has no predetermined bowl match-ups with the Big 12, and it's just as well this year. This week's three-game jamboree turned into a rout for three Big 12 squads that failed to make bowls last year.

TCU, which was 4-8 last year, beat Minnesota (8-5 in 2013) 30-7 in Fort Worth, Texas. West Virginia (4-8 in 2013) topped Maryland (7-6 last year) 40-37 in College Park, Md. Iowa State (3-9 in 2013) edged Outback Bowl participant Iowa (8-5) 20-17 in Iowa City. Throw in Illinois' 44-19 defeat at Washington and Indiana's loss at Bowling Green, and you've got another tire fire in Big Ten country.

It's almost cliche to bash the Big Ten after the league took some serious lumps in week two. Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State all lost by at least two touchdowns. Now after the mid-tier programs suffered losses, there is little optimism with the league right now.

After three weeks, the Big Ten is 1-10 against other power-five conferences. The average margin of defeat in those 10 losses is 14.5 points. Only four losses were by single digits, and none of those were at road venues. In Iowa's three-point loss to Iowa State and Wisconsin's four-point loss to LSU, each blew double-digit leads. In Maryland's three-point loss to West Virginia and Northwestern's seven-point loss to California, both trailed by at least 22 points before mounting comebacks.

Maryland fell behind 28-6 in the second quarter, then rallied before losing on a last-second field goal. Minnesota was outplayed from the opening snap. Iowa's problems are more profound, if only because the Hawkeyes were expected to compete for the West Division title.

Iowa lacks any pass rush, which was exploited repeatedly by Iowa State's mobile quarterback Sam Richardson. Offensively, it was even worse. The play-calling was dysfunctional. The offensive line play was inconsistent and helped contribute to four sacks, the most allowed by Iowa since 2012. Quarterback Jake Rudock should take the blame for at least two sacks and rushed nine other times. Through three games, no Iowa player has totaled 100 rushing yards. Rudock is only six yards behind Mark Weisman as the Hawkeyes' leading rusher.

So what's next for the Big Ten? The league has six non-conference games left against power-five opponents, including five this weekend. Three games are on the road - Iowa at Pittsburgh, Maryland at Syracuse, Indiana at Missouri - and the Big Ten is not favored in any of the three. Michigan and Nebraska are favored in their home match-ups against Utah and Miami (Fla.), respectively.

The Big Ten boasts only two unbeaten teams three weeks into the season: Penn State (3-0) and Nebraska (3-0). With the new College Football Playoff, the system won't allow the Big Ten to hide anymore. Even if it could, there's nowhere to go.

SERIES-OPENING WIN

Penn State moved to 3-0 with a 13-10 win at Rutgers on Saturday. While any talk of a rivalry is premature - Penn State owns a 23-2 record against Rutgers - it was important for both schools.

Not only was the win itself vital for Penn State, but it allowed rookie coach James Franklin to build momentum in his eastern neighborhood. Penn State (3-0) is the only East Division team that's unbeaten, and the Nittany Lions now are eligible for the postseason. With a home game against UMass this week and a late-season game against Temple, it appears Penn State is in good position for a bowl berth. It's also likely Penn State will jump other teams in the pecking order because of a motivated fan base.

'It is not all about us; it is about the past,” Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg said. 'It is about the guys who have been here and done that. We have to maintain that tradition. Becoming bowl eligible, we were excited. It didn't promise us anything, but it gave us another opportunity to represent Penn State in a different stage and we were really excited about that

Rutgers showed it is capable of competing against Big Ten opponents. Without five interceptions, the Scarlet Knights are likely 3-0. With a record sellout crowd in tow, it shows Rutgers has the ability to build a fan base capable of rivaling Big Ten competitors.

'I think what we're going to find out here at Rutgers is as the teams from Big Ten continue to come in, it will be like that on a weekly basis, and that's exciting I think for our program,” Rutgers Coach Kyle Flood said. 'I'm glad a lot of the people that were here today got a chance to see that.”

SATURDAY'S STARS

Ohio State QB J.T. Barnett threw for 312 yards and six touchdowns. ... Indiana RB Tevin Coleman had 190 yards rushing and three TDs. ... Maryland QB C.J. Brown threw for 241 yards and rushed for 161. ... Nebraska QB Tommie Armstrong Jr. passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 65 yards. ... Penn State CB Trevor Williams had five solo tackles and two interceptions.

NOTEWORTHY

Minnesota punter Peter Mortell averaged 46.6 yards on eight punts ... Iowa punter Dillon Kidd averaged 38.2 yards per boot with three of his four dropping inside the 20. ... Michigan RB Derrick Green ran for 137 yards and two TDs. ... Illinois WR Geronimo Allison caught six passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns. ... Purdue LB Sean Robinson had 10 tackles, including two for loss. ... Rutgers MLB Kevin Snyder had nine stops and 1.5 sacks.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Michigan State (2) 1-1 0-0

Loss to Oregon doesn't look all that bad when compared to league brethren

2. Ohio State (3) 2-1 0-0

Nice growth for Buckeyes and their QB after home loss to Virginia Tech

3. Nebraska (5A) 3-0 0-0

Established as clear West Division favorite after big road win

4. Penn State (4) 3-0 1-0

Now halfway to a bowl; couldn't write that last week

5. Wisconsin (7) 1-1 0-0

Didn't play, which was a better result than many league competitors

6. Michigan (11) 2-1 0-0

Moves up with a 24-point win against a MAC team

7. Maryland (8) 2-1 0-0

Gritty comeback for Terrapins falls short

8. Iowa (5B) 2-1 0-0

If you close your eyes it's 2006, 2008, 2011 ...

9. Rutgers (13) 2-1 0-1

Can Rutgers - and its fans - bring that effort every week?

10. Indiana (9) 1-1 0-0

If Hoosiers are 5-7 at season's end, look right here

11. Minnesota (10) 2-1 0-0

Can't throw, didn't run ... uff da

12. Illinois (12) 2-1 0-0

Still have a ways to go to be considered mid-tier

13. Northwestern (14A) 0-2 0-0

Wildcats get a chance to take a step forward this week

14. Purdue (14B) 1-2 0-0

Held its own with Notre Dame ... for a while

STANDINGS

WEST DIVISION

Nebraska 3-0 0-0

Iowa 2-1 0-0

Illinois 2-1 0-0

Minnesota 2-1 0-0

Wisconsin 1-1 0-0

Purdue 1-2 0-0

Northwestern 0-2 0-0

EAST DIVISION

Penn State 3-0 1-0

Maryland 2-1 0-0

Michigan 2-1 0-0

Ohio State 2-1 0-0

Indiana 1-1 0-0

Michigan State 1-1 0-0

Rutgers 2-1 0-1

SATURDAY'S RESULTS

Penn State 13, Rutgers 10

Iowa State 20, Iowa 17

West Virginia 40, Maryland 37

Bowling Green 45, Indiana 42

Ohio State 66, Kent State 0

Michigan 34, Miami (Ohio) 10

TCU 30, Minnesota 7

Washington 44, Illinois 19

Notre Dame 30, Purdue 14

Nebraska 55, Fresno State 19

UP NEXT

Iowa at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)

Western Illinois at Northwestern, 11 a.m. (ESPNews)

Bowling Green at Wisconsin, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)

Southern Illinois at Purdue, 11 a.m. (BTN)

Eastern Michigan at Michigan State, 11 a.m. (BTN)

Maryland at Syracuse, 11:30 p.m. (ACC TV, ESPN3)

Rutgers at Navy, 2:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)

Utah at Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)

San Jose State at Minnesota, 3 p.m. (BTN)

Texas State at Illinois, 3 p.m. (ESPNews)

UMass at Penn State, 3 p.m. (BTN)

Indiana at Missouri, 3 p.m. (SEC Network)

Miami (Fla.) at Nebraska, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@sourcemedia.net