The last two meetings have been one-sided affairs in favor of Notre Dame. Michigan State has just one offensive TD in those losses. The Spartans should know real quick whether or not Connor Cook, who had four TDs last week against Youngstown State, is the answer at quarterback.
MORE: Week 3 photos | Pre-snap read
How they rank
1. Ohio State 2. Michigan 3. Northwestern 4. Michigan State 5. Wisconsin 6. Minnesota 7. Nebraska 8. Penn State 9. Iowa 10. Indiana 11. Illinois 12. Purdue
MORE RANKINGS: ACC | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
RISING: Minnesota remains one of five unbeaten Big Ten teams and should be able to handle San Jose State at home. Coach Jerry Kill’s health is an obvious concern moving forward. At what point does this become too dangerous? Kill has had four on-field seizures since 2011, but all indications are he’ll be on the sideline Saturday. With a win there and against Iowa on Sept. 28, the Gophers could be 5-0 when they visit Michigan on Oct. 5.
FALLING: Michigan’s running game. Akron nearly upset the Wolverines for many reasons, but mostly because of a lack of production at tailback. Fitzgerald Toussaint averaged 3.7 yards per carry. That’s inexcusable against a MAC team given Michigan’s offensive line. Toussaint continues to struggle, but highly-touted freshman Derrick Green has just two carries the last two weeks. Somebody has to step up on the road against a Connecticut defense that allows 4.6 yards per rushing attempt, or a repeat of last week is possible.
BOTTOM LINE: Scoring is still up – Big Ten teams average 37.4 points per game, second only to the Pac-12 (40.4) among major conferences. The defense needs work. A total of 10 of the 12 Big Ten teams have allowed 30 or more points in a game this season. It’s led to questions about the Buckeyes, a scare in the Big House and embarrassing home losses for Nebraska and Penn State. If the let’s-play-a-shootout trend continues, Ohio State and Northwestern will emerge as the best teams in the conference.
