Life is a series of contradictions, and one is already on full display after Week 1 of the college football season. While you should never take anything from any team’s first game of the season too seriously, we now live in a world that includes a 12-team College Football Playoff that will feature seven at-large teams. So, while we shouldn’t assume Penn State’s offense has it all figured out now and the Nittany Lions are a juggernaut (admittedly, I kind of want to, but the Lions tore West Virginia apart in their opener last season, too), the win will count all the same come the end of the year.
And for the Big Ten, Week 1 was a successful one when it comes to CFP resume building.
The new 18-team league went 17-1 overall, and while the lone loss was Minnesota falling to North Carolina, nobody came into the season looking at Minnesota as a team competing for a playoff spot. They certainly aren’t anymore.
The league’s two other games against Power Four opponents resulted in victory with Penn State smacking West Virginia 34-12 in a game that was delayed for a while due to storms, and USC handed the league its highest-profile victory, beating LSU 27-20 Sunday night in a standalone, primetime showcase.
Want to ingratiate yourself with Big Ten fans? Beat an SEC team in your first game.
Of course, it wasn’t a perfect weekend. While Ohio State handled business in a 52-6 win over Akron that introduced freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith (six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns) to the world, Michigan looked shaky against Fresno State, even if it ended up winning 30-10. Then there was Oregon, whose Big Ten debut was quite the opposite of USC’s as the Ducks held on for dear life to beat Idaho 24-14.
Perhaps of more importance to the Big Ten’s…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-picks-storylines-penn-state-offense-shines-michigan-needs-improvement-ahead-of-texas-showdown/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2024-09-03 17:47:29
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
