[2021] Big Ten Week 1 Preview: Saturday

[BabaYaga]

We are now one week into the college football season and the majority of Big Ten teams get their season underway this week. There are a lot of very good matchups for the Big Ten this week and the majority of teams have grabbed the afternoon slot. We have a big week of action with 8 teams in action today. Let's break it down below.

 

Afternoon

 

Kent State (0-0) @ Indiana (0-0)

Indiana opens their season at home this weekend with a date against a MAC foe. This is actually going to be a pretty intriguing battle as Indiana has one of the worst offenses in college football while Toledo's defense is very underwhelming itself. Indiana will be pretty stout on the defensive side of the ball with one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten. Seniors Ben Augustin and Zack Ellington will be manning the center of the field from the safety spot and will be two tough guys to get past. Linebackers Ryan Fede and Jake Moore provide a tough senior linebacking crew that will make life on Toledo's rushers tough. Offensively, you're probably looking at senior running back Eric Carlin to carry the load but senior Alex Nene could be formidable behind the center. If Indiana can figure out their offense, they'll be good. If not, it might be a long year in Bloomington. There is no doubt that Kent State will look to lean on running back Jalen Johnson. They have a great line in front of him and will be able to open huge holes. If Indiana can stop him, they have a great shot to start the year with a win.

 

Prediction

Kent State 10 @ Indiana 23

 

#17 Illinois (0-0) @ Ole Miss (0-0)

Illinois will be one of the most fun teams to watch this year as an opposing fan. They have the #2 offense in the country but they have the #89 defense in the country. They will be able to move the ball but what happens when they meet a team who can stop the offense and who has a decent offense themselves? I'm not so sure we find out here in this first game but we will very soon. Illinois has so many options on the offensive side of the ball and it starts with senior running back Stacy Moton. Moton is a shifty back who can get it outside and beat everyone down the field. You have to pick your poison because Illinois also has Garrett Gillespie a very strong senior quarterback. He will throw it to tight ends Marquis Rudolph and Joshua Wingenter, a five star prospect out of high school. They have a very solid line and should have no problem putting up points. The only problem is that they don't have a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Senior Nick Delcarmen will look to anchor the line but after him it is really up in the air on what they can do. Ole Miss will look to use their passing game to their advantage in this one as they have a pair of stud wide receivers in seniors Genesis Pelham and Jordan Smith. If quarterback Stephon Noesi can utilize his feet and arm, they might make this interesting.

 

Prediction

Illinois 42 @ Ole Miss 24

 

Akron (0-0) @ Iowa (0-0)

Iowa will win this game if they can stop the offense of Akron, however it is easier said than done. Iowa will look to lean on the play of defensive end Steve Lucas to try and slow down the Akron attack. They also have a paid of corners in Jermaine Shuck and Jordan Colon who will make life hard on whoever is throwing the ball on the opposing team. Offensively, Iowa will be able to attack you in a few different ways as they are going to be fairly balanced. Running back Stacy Perez can beat you on the ground but the offensive line needs to open holes as sometimes he struggles with reading the field. Quarterback Boban Allen is always a tough guy to defend since he is a dual threat guy who can run. But they have two other four star quarterbacks in junior Ben Rivera and sophomore Corey Brown who also can really sling the ball. Iowa's head coach still hasn't named a starter for the game. I think you have to go with the more seasoned quarterback who can get you out of trouble if the pocket collapses. The thing with Iowa that we need to find out this week is who is going to take control of the offense. For Akron, quarterback Josh Pennel is going to command the offense and will be a great early test for Iowa's safeties. I think Iowa could pull it off but I think they are going to struggle a little on the offensive side of the ball without many weapons.

 

Prediction

Akron 21 @ Iowa 10

 

Northwestern (0-0) @ Northern Illinois (0-0)

Another Big Ten team where we don't exactly know who will be the starter. Much like Iowa, Northwestern has an older seasoned scrambling quarterback in Robby Brown who looks to take charge of the offense but Randy Madson is a junior who can really sling it. Regardless of who starts, they do not have many weapons to pass the ball to. Tight end Andrew Ka'aihue is going to be a big target but so is wideout Shawn Foster. Pat Cotton will look to take a little pressure off of the passing game. While Northwestern knows these guys well, I'm not sure that they are good enough to really make an impact. That is why I think Brown should get the nod to start since he can make some plays with his feet. On the defensive side of the ball Northwestern is pretty stout as they have some huge talent in the secondary. Bruce Puello, James Coleman, Chris McGee, and Darnell Hale will look to swarm to the ball as soon as it is in the air. They have a great chance to lead the Big Ten in interceptions this year. Northern Illinois has a very good quarterback in senior Darius Paredes but is he good enough to get the ball to receivers with a swarming secondary? Michael Dyson is one of the MAC's best pass rushers and will look to make life on Iowa tough as he looks to jump start an NFL bid after his senior year. This is tough but I think that Northern Illinois defense is going to make it really tough on Northwestern.

 

Prediction

Northwestern 10 @ Northern Illinois 13

 

Oregon (0-0) @ Purdue (0-0)

Purdue has one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten with senior Reyes Chubb. They also have one of the top tight ends in the country with do-it-all Devontae McKinney. Eduardo Jackson has proven this fall in workouts that he will be a hassle to deal with for opposing defenses and because of this makes Purdue a very dangerous team. Offensively, they are no doubt one of the best in the country with the #6 ranked offense in the nation. Defensively, it is another story as they are the #126 defense in the country. They lean on their linebackers very heavily to make plays in their defense with inside linebackers Ken Kalish and freshman Bruce Johnson taking care of the middle of the field. If Purdue can hold opponents to under 25 points a game they will win a lot, but that is a problem this season. Oregon is a tough matchup for this Purdue team because of all the weapons they have on the offensive side of the ball. Oregon hasn't given any hints as to who will be starting for them at the quarterback spot this weekend but they need to figure out who can get the ball to wideout Akrum Robinson, one of the quickest players in college football. It could be a high scoring game that could go either way.

 

Prediction

Oregon 16 @ Purdue 28

 

#9 Wisconsin (0-0) @ Texas Tech (0-0)

If there is one game this week that I am most confident that the Big Ten will win, it is this one. Wisconsin is stout on both sides of the ball and is one of the top teams in the country. Texas Tech is not great at anything but overall just average so Wisconsin should be able to cruise past them, anything less would be a huge shock. Lance Enright is one of the top underclass quarterbacks in the country and the options that he has to throw to are plentiful. I think that Alex Williams III will cement himself as one of the top wideouts in the country and maybe the most pro ready prospect in the Big Ten. Defensively, defensive end Ray Easton with create terror for Texas Tech as he will find himself in the backfield quite a bit today. Texas Tech doesn't have many notable players but they will have to lean on Fernando Gonzalez quite a bit in the running game. He is a guy who can go inside or bounce it outside. If Wisconsin can keep him in check they will have a ton of luck.

 

Prediction

Wisconsin 52 @ Texas Tech 14

 

Washington (0-0) vs. Penn State (0-0)

@ Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)

This neutral site game has all the makings of a low scoring game as Penn State has a very solid offense with a poor defense and Washington has an average offense and a pretty solid defense. I think the game will come down to Penn State's offense and their ability to score and move the ball. Derrick Marshall will be slinging the ball all over the field and wideout Richie Igwebuike will look to catch everything thrown his way. Penn State really has the ability to surprise some people but I think it will come down to their offensive line and how it will hold up as they will have some inexperienced guys in there. Defensive end Jesus Radcliff will look to impose his will on the offense of Washington and create havoc. Washington will no doubt be led by junior running back Josh Turley. He is going to have to get going early and often if Washington wants to win this game. How he plays will determine the chances of Washington to win the game. I think Penn State will be able to attack a one-sided offense and score just enough to win the game.

Prediction

Washington 7 @ Penn State 21

 

Evening

 

Bowling Green (0-0) @ #10 Ohio State (0-0)

An in-state battle kicks us off on Saturday evening as Bowling Green heads down to Columbus to take on Ohio State. This will be a very interesting matchup that will see two of the best offenses in the country collide. The one difference? Ohio State's defense is ranked #12 in the country while Bowling Green's is #115. Quarterback James Olynyk should have his way with Bowling Green's defense especially considering his weapons at his disposal. Wideout Jackson Freitas and running back Doug Brothers should give him plenty of experienced senior options to break it open. Ohio State also has a ton of depth which will really help as they look to keep the pressure on. Their defense will be led by Tommy Marimon, one of the top draft prospects in the Big Ten this year. Bowling Green's season will heavily rely on Jurickson Elflein, the senior scrambling quarterback. He can make plays with both his arm and feet and will really put the pressure on Ohio State's defense. If Ohio State can contain Elflein they should cruise.

Prediction

Bowling Green 21 @ Ohio State 38

 

Michigan (1-0) @ Boise State (0-0)

Fresh off of spurning one of the top upsets in college football's first week, Michigan is heading to Boise State to show that they are indeed legit. Quarterback Jonnu Newton will be a player who has a lot of eyes on him after passing for 300 yards against Notre Dame last week. Senior running back Vinny Despaigne also had a solid game and will look to keep the momentum going. With the #126 ranked offense, we will see this week if that was a blip or Michigan's offense is for real. Defensively, they are stout with defensive linemen Miguel Simon, Marcos Webb, and Antwuan Dedmon leading the way. Michigan can stop anyone but can they score on anyone is the question. Boise State has a top 45 offense and defense spearheaded by David Hammel and Richie Gasol. If those two play to their capabilities, Boise State could give Michigan a real test on the blue turf.

Prediction

Michigan 34 @ Boise State 27

Edited June 26, 2021 by BabaYaga