After a frenzied start to college football, Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats are one of just two undefeated teams in the Big Ten Legends Division. The other? The Minnesota Golden Gophers.
In other words, it’s still September.
While it is unlikely that Northwestern and Minnesota will be vying for a spot in the conference title game come December, these first few weeks have been a little unnerving for the Big Ten as a whole.
Penn State, the powerhouse program that had boasted 10 bowl wins since joining the Big Ten in 1993, suddenly finds itself at a paltry 1-2, dwelling in a post-Paterno flux that could last a decade thanks to NCAA-imposed sanctions.
The Wisconsin Badgers, who finished 2011 with a top-10 BCS ranking, suffered a Week 2 upset at the hands of Oregon State, while squeaking out their two wins by a combined seven points to unranked Northern Iowa and Utah State. Badgers brass has already cut ties with offensive line coach Mike Markuson, and after benching quarterback Danny O’Brien last Saturday, head coach Bret Bielema has yet to announce a new starter under center for Week 4.
Meanwhile, Michigan took a 41-14 beating from then-No. 2 Alabama on national television, Michigan State mustered just three points when hosting No. 20 Notre Dame, and Urban Meyer’s No. 16 Ohio State remains ineligible for the postseason due to extra-benefit violations that stemmed from player memorabilia sale before Meyer’s arrival.
Why has this been such a rough start for one of college football’s top conferences?
For one, the Big Ten has gotten off to a poor start through the air. Three teams have been relegated to the bottom-25 of Bowl Subdivision passing yardage, with Wisconsin falling to a conference-low 114th (156.3 yards per game). Moreover, only two teams — Minnesota at seventh and Nebraska at 12th— crack the top-25 in total passing efficiency.
It doesn’t help that two of the conference’s most athletic quarterbacks remain held up by injuries. Minnesota’s MarQueis Gray could be shelved for up to four weeks with a high ankle sprain, while Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase battles a sprained ankle. Two weeks ago, Indiana quarterback Tre Robinson suffered a season-ending leg break against Massachusetts.
The hits have come in the secondary too. Michigan has lost starting corner Blake Countess for all of 2012 with an ACL tear, while Wisconsin will be without injured safety Shelton Johnson for a while.
The conference stands at a combined 26-10 after three weeks, but only three of those wins have come against FBS teams with winning records. The Big Ten touts No. 18 Michigan as its highest-rated member, after seeing three teams rank No. 17 or higher at the end of 2011. A Wolverines loss to No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday night would make this non-conference campaign one of the worst in recent memory.
A down year for the Big Ten could swing either way for Northwestern, which will host the South Dakota Coyotes on Saturday. Playing in a wide-open conference gives the ‘Cats an opportunity to break from the middle of the standings, after finishing fifth in the six-team Legends division last season. A better record also allows for better recruiting efforts for the coming year.
Still, a loss of Big Ten prestige knocks Northwestern’s standing in the college football world. In-conference losses will be tolerated a lot less come bowl season.
Of course, it has only been three weeks and conference play could wash away the premature panic. For now, those looking to hit the road to Pasadena will find themselves packing a little lighter.