Big Ten Stock Report: Who's up, who's down heading into Week 3?
Ohio State created some separation last week in the Big Ten hierarchy. The Buckeyes took care of business against their second straight MAC opponent, shutting out Western Michigan, 56-0.
Meanwhile, Michigan got embarrassed at home by Texas, Penn State entered halftime trailing Bowling Green and Oregon got a serious scare from Boise State.
From Michigan’s afternoon disappointment to Nebraska’s primetime statement, it’s important to stock of the league’s most recent happenings. That’s what we’re doing here at On3 with another Big Ten “Stock Report,” leading up to Week 3.
Watch College Football Games Live -Try for Free Fubo! Click HERE NOW
Save $30 on your first month of Fubo by CLICKING HERE NOW! For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
STOCK UP
1. OHIO STATE RUN GAME
Chip Kelly is known as an innovator, especially when it comes to the run game. His effect on the Ohio State rushing attack is already revealing itself, just two games into his stay as offensive coordinator. Granted the Buckeyes were playing a Western Michigan squad coming off a matchup with another Big Ten opponent (Wisconsin), but Ohio State rushed for 273 yards, their most since a blowout win over Indiana on Nov. 12, 2022. Led by star running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State scored six times on the ground in a 56-0 victory. Judkins and Henderson — who are both averaging more than seven yards per carry this season — each notched two touchdowns, true freshman James Peoples scored for the second week in a row and quarterback Will Howard got in for six, too.
Kelly has sprinkled in speed option plays and tapped into the heavy tight end sets he used at UCLA. In fact, the Buckeyes’ first touchdown against Western Michigan featured 14-personnel — for reference, Ohio State hadn’t used four tight ends on a rushing play in Ryan Day’s first seven seasons with the program, according to Sports Info Solutions. Plus, the offensive line took a much-needed step forward in run blocking from Week 1. Connecting on blocks in the second level, that group helped pave the way for 10 run plays of 10 or more yards in Week 2. The Buckeyes are off this week, and they should get third-year starting left guard Donovan Jackson back the following week against Marshall.
2. NEBRASKA DEFENSIVE LINE
Dating back to last season, Nebraska has held each of its last nine opponents to 24 points or fewer. The Cornhuskers brought back 71% of their defensive production from last year, good for 28th nationally according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, and they’ve built on the 3-3-5 system defensive coordinator Tony White installed in 2023. Nebraska has allowed a combined 17 points through two games this season.
The Huskers just held Colorado to 10 points last week in a convincing payback win over the Buffaloes. While Colorado certainly has its issues, the Buffs arguably have two of the most dynamic offensive weapons in college football: quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver Travis Hunter (also a standout cornerback). But the Nebraska defense stood tall, and it started up front. The Huskers feasted on a struggling Colorado O-Line, recording six sacks and, per Pro Football Focus, 28 pressures. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson and nose tackle Nash Hutmacher both got home, plus combined for seven pressures, per PFF. Robinson leads the team with three tackles for loss. Nebraska has allowed 72 total rushing yards this year, the fourth fewest among FBS teams that have played two games so far.
3. CURT CIGNETTI’S INDIANA
Take a bow, Curt Cignetti. He arrived at Indiana with lofty goals, and it’s still yet to be seen if he can avoid his first-ever losing season as a head coach now that he’s leading a Hoosiers program that has had only three winning seasons this century. But he deserves a round of applause for the history his team made last week. Indiana demolished FCS Western Illinois, 77-3. In the process, the Hoosiers broke a 123-year-old scoring record. Six different players scored a rushing touchdown, and the quarterback room — led by starter Kurtis Rourke — finished 19-of-21 for 378 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
Indiana has now outscored its first two opponents, 108-10. Cignetti’s Hoosiers open up Big Ten play this week at UCLA. The Bruins squeaked out a win at Hawaii in their opener. They didn’t play in Week 2. If they didn’t sort out some of their offensive issues, particularly in the run game, they could be in for a long day against a new-look Indiana, which is quickly building momentum, albeit against weaker competition.
STOCK DOWN
1. PENN STATE DEFENSE
The day after Tom Allen’s former team, Indiana, exploded offensively, Allen’s current team, Penn State, imploded defensively — in the first half, at least. The first-year Nittany Lions defensive coordinator saw his unit flounder in the opening two quarters against Bowling Green. The Falcons amassed six pass plays of 15-plus yards and two run plays of 10-plus yards, entering halftime with 286 total yards and a 24-20 lead in State College. Tackling and communication issues plagued Penn State defensively.
Luckily for Allen, his group made the necessary adjustments in the back half of play. Actually, the Nittany Lions conceded just 89 total yards and three points in the final two frames of action. A pair of interceptions helped Penn State secure a 34-27 win. But the fact that the Nittany Lions had to recover an onside kick in a one-score, Week 2 matchup against a MAC opponent raised some antennas, including mine. The Penn State defense was supposed to be top tier in 2024. It looked that way in Week 1, not so much in Week 2.
2. OREGON & MICHIGAN OFFENSIVE LINES
Georgia Southern averaged 4.0 yards per carry and scored 45 points against Boise State in Week 1. Oregon averaged 3.0 yards per carry and scored only 37 points against Boise State in Week 2. Plus, the Ducks allowed four sacks in the first half alone. They have now given up seven sacks through two games — they allowed five sacks in 14 games last season. It’s not like Dillon Gabriel is holding the ball long, either. Of Big Ten quarterbacks with at least 50 dropbacks this season, Gabriel is second in average time to throw on all dropbacks (2.28 seconds), per PFF. Oregon’s wins the last two weeks have been too close for comfort. The Ducks’ O-Line has to improve or else head coach Dan Lanning’s team could fall far short of its preseason expectations.
Michigan hasn’t escaped the first two weeks undefeated like Oregon. Then again, the Wolverines were faced with now-No. 2 Texas in Week 2. Michigan also has issues up front, but it’s dealing with a completely new group of starters. They aren’t clicking right now. Most notably, redshirt freshman Evan Link, while making his second career start at right tackle versus the Longhorns, allowed 10 pressures, including eight hurries and a sack, according to PFF. On one hand, quarterback Davis Warren hasn’t shown a whole lot, namely posting a 2:3 touchdown to interception. On the other hand, he was pressured on 15-of-36 (41.7%) dropbacks against Texas, per PFF. Warren needs more protection, and, perhaps most importantly, running backs Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings need better blocking.
3. IOWA PASSING ATTACK
The jury is still out on Tim Lester’s Iowa offense. During the heart of Lester’s run as Western Michigan’s head coach — in other words, from 2018-21 — the Broncos’ passing offense ranked top four in the MAC. The Hawkeyes don’t need to finish top four in the Big Ten, or even necessarily close to that passing offense placement, for his unit to achieve success, especially with the way Kaleb Johnson is running the football right now (the junior running back has registered 306 rushing yards and four touchdowns in two games). But Lester has to get more production from his aerial attack than he received last week in a Cy-Hawk upset defeat.
Quarterback Cade McNamara started 9-of-12 against Iowa State but then finished 4-of-17 while throwing two second-half interceptions. He rounded out the 20-19 heartbreaking loss in Iowa City with a meager 99 passing yards to his name, as the Hawkeyes let a 19-7 third quarter lead slip. McNamara could use a “get right game” versus Troy this week. If McNamara continues to struggle, though, don’t be surprised if the Hawkeyes ultimately turn to Brendan Sullivan. Lester’s offense, and its passing game in particular, has to carry its weight for a veteran Iowa team that still has a great defense.