Welcome to Around the Big Ten, a weekly college football column where I’ll dive into notable games and storylines happening around the Big Ten conference! Let’s jump in!
Iowa Hawkeyes
On Monday, Iowa released their depth chart for this weekend’s game against Northern Illinois. While there were some surprises up and down the roster, fans really only cared about one thing: who would win the starting quarterback job.
All summer long, coaches and players remained tight-lipped as reporters dreamed up new ways to ask the same question over and over again. The stalemate persisted into late August, even after Jeremy Hecklinski outperformed Hank Brown in the Kids’ Day public practice. Come the week of the game, it was time for Kirk Ferentz to make a selection. Hecklinski or Brown. Pick one.
Instead, Ferentz took the “or” in “Hecklinski or Brown” to heart, deciding it effectively meant the same thing as “and”, even though the words are supposed to mean opposite things.
Even if both QBs are listed as the starter on paper, only one of them can truly start the game. I don’t think Kirk Ferentz is planning on trying out two quarterbacks under center at the same time, like some sort of twisted rendition of the wildcat formation. Based on how close the battle has been, I’m expecting nothing less than identical stat lines from each of them.
USC Trojans
One of the funnier stories around the Big Ten this week has been the drama coming out of Southern California. Lincoln Riley’s Trojans are already in hot water despite winning 42-26 in a game that was never close.
The story surrounding USC is not about how they played, but that nobody went to their game. Sure, it was over 100 degrees outside, and it was against San Jose State, and there’s a lot of other air-conditioned ways to have fun in Los Angeles, but Riley was brought in to revitalize a Trojan program that’s supposed to be the main event, even in a city like L.A.
Basically, if your crowd is so small that calling it a crowd becomes a misnomer, you’re off to a bad start regardless of how many points you won by. The record may show otherwise, but USC is 0-1 in the court of public opinion.
Oregon Ducks
The closest thing to a real game in the Big Ten in week one will take place in Eugene, where the Oregon Ducks and known New York Jets avoider Dante Moore will face off against Boise State.
Boise is very much not the conventional week one opponent that nearly every other team is playing this week. The Broncos and their weird blue field are receiving votes in the AP poll and were also picked to finish as PAC-12 champions.
It should still be a win for a Ducks team that’s thinking of playing deep into January again. But while Oregon regularly wins the coolest uniform national championship, they’ve been knocked out by the real national champion in both installments of the 12-team playoff.
Michigan Wolverines
The last game I’m looking at is Michigan vs Western Michigan.
It’s no secret that the Wolverines have undergone some “changes” this offseason, so how they look against Western Michigan will be of note to a lot of other College Football Playoff hopefuls in the Big Ten, including Iowa.
Quarterback Bryce Underwood is coming off a good-not-great freshman season and has sky-high expectations after being the #1 overall national recruit in 2025. They’ve also got a new head coach in Kyle Whittingham, who left Utah after 21 years at the helm.
More Games
Because it’s week one, I’ll give you some bonus recommendations.
If you’re a bloodthirsty sicko: Ohio State is favored by over 50 points against Ball State. If what you really miss is the NFL: Notre Dame and Wisconsin will be roleplaying as Bears-Packers at Lambeau Field. And if you just can’t wait until Saturday: Rutgers, Minnesota, and Illinois kick off their seasons on Thursday night to the delight of Friday discussion section leaders everywhere.
College Football is back, and everyone’s having a great time. Just don’t ask the SEC.
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