Big TEN-dency
Posted September 11, 2005, 10:20 AM ET

The first week of the college football season showcased the ACC. There were big primetime non-conference showdowns between Georgia Tech - Auburn and Clemson - Texas A&M, not to mention conference games between Va.Tech - NC State and Miami - Florida State.

The ACC looked pretty impressive with Georgia Tech and Clemson securing wins as underdogs against Big 12 and SEC foes. The league posted a 5-2 weekend mark with the only losses being generated by the traditional dogs, Wake Forest and Duke.

The second week of the college football scene was all about the Big Ten. Everybody was buzzing about the matchup between Texas and Ohio State, not to mention Michigan hosting Notre Dame. Even for good measure, the Big Ten would throw in their other Top 10 team - Iowa - as they played in-state rival Iowa State.

The Big Ten fans are already barking about how good their conference is in 2005...of course, the Big Ten is always good in August and early September. But this year, our northern brethren might be onto something...there are three Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 10...Michigan is #3, Ohio State is #4 and Iowa is ranked #8 in the latest AP Top 25 poll.

The Big Ten in week one was unbeaten as a conference...everybody that played a game, won. Granted, it was against the best of the Middle American Conference, but who cares? Nobody can touch the Big Ten according to the transplants that called my radio show last week. The Big Ten was about to flex its muscles and show the rest of the country that the best college football is played in the midwest.

Michigan played Notre Dame in the Big House...and the Irish haven't won in Ann Arbor since 1993. Yeah, the Irish beat up on Pitt, but there was no way ND was beating mighty Michigan. Charlie Weis might have won a few of those Super Bowls with the Patriots, but he's going to be taught a lesson in bigtime football when his BB-heads roll into Michigan.

Wrong. Notre Dame punked the Wolverines 17-10, and laid claim that the Irish might be for real.

Iowa rolled into their game with the Cyclones feeling good about their chances to be a national championship contender...and why not? Everybody in the Big Ten is a factor on the national level...just ask them.

The #8 Hawkeyes were trounced 23-3 by their rivals, as the Cyclones won their first game against a Top 10 team since Dan McCarney took over the program in 1995. Nice job, Iowa.

But leave it up to the best football program on the planet, Ohio State, to save face for the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are the greatest gift to college football...just ask them.

Plus, The Buckeyes were playing under the lights at the "Horseshoe", and it is well documented that the Buckeyes have never lost under the lights at home. And if that wasn't enough, Mack Brown coaches Texas and he has an amazing 1-12 record against teams ranked in the Top 5 during his tenure in Austin.

Buckeye players during the week said that their goal was to make Texas QB Vince Young a non-factor in the Heisman Trophy race. No way some team from below the Mason-Dixon line was going to beat the Bucks in front of 105,000 under the lights...and if it was close, you knew Mack would crack.

Wrong, again.

Texas made a statement by beating the Buckeyes and now has its sights on Oklahoma, a Big XII title and a shot at the national championship. And Vince Young reminded the proud Ohio State defense and fan base that talk is cheap...especially in September.

For the Big Ten, it was another reminder of how overrated their football is in the big picture. Three top ten teams, all losers...two of them at home. Perhaps the conference can go back to beating up on the MAC this week...or maybe they can work out a deal to play Wake Forest or Duke immediately.

Last week, only 4 Big Ten teams were ranked in the Top 25...even the ACC, the traditional basketball league, had 7 teams ranked...and comparing the Big Ten to the SEC...well, that's just a waste of time.

The good news for Big Ten powers Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State is that this week they play Northern Iowa, Eastern Michigan and San Diego State, respectively. Now, that's more like it...the Big Ten will be back on track before you know it.