One of the quirks of the first month of the college football season is the lighter schedule. Teams bring in opponents considered weaker, often noticeably weaker, who are there to collect a check for their athletic department. Big Ten football is no different.
You’ll want to see the breakdown of their games this week.
- Of the 14 Big Ten squads playing Week 3, 11 are the favorite (UCLA is an underdog to Indiana in the lone conference game).
- 8 of the favorites are favored by at least 10 points.
- 3 of those 8 teams are at least 20-point favorites.
- The Nebraska Cornhuskers are 30.5-point favorites at home against Northern Iowa.
- Shockingly, the Michigan State Spartans are favored by 40.5 points at home over Prairie View A&M.
Those are some staggering numbers to look at, especially after Week 2’s ups and downs for the Big Ten. There’s still plenty to learn about every team in this conference and some of them will be helping fans, pundits, and watchers get educated on the fly. That isn’t always a recipe for success.
The following five teams should be watching their backs for at least the next two halves of football.