"Is anyone actually really good in college football this season?" This is the general question I get asked more than any other when people find out what I do for a living, and after eight weeks of the season there are still very few teams I feel comfortable answering affirmatively about. In the Big Ten, that list seemingly grows shorter by the week as injuries pile up at key positions and teams who were supposedly contenders continue to lose in stunning fashion. It's fitting for the conference's long-time identity that I am mostly confident in a handful of defenses to be genuinely elite.
Ohio State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan seem to fit the bill, and UCLA's defense is entering that mix with a midseason turnaround that has kept the Bruins undefeated. The problem is, none of those teams have an offense I trust -- with some worse than others. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers have elite talent at the skill positions, but quarterback play is a major question entering the stretch run of the regular season.
Josh Hoover has proven to be a significant downgrade for Indiana, and Ohio State now faces real uncertainty with a backup quarterback. UCLA was dominant early in the season on the strength of the nation's best rushing attack and a high-powered offense. But with the quarterback run threat neutralized by Nico Iamaleava's absence, they've been contained recently and have started to lean on their defense and grind out games like a good Big Ten team should.
Iowa is the same Iowa they've been for decades, and Minnesota and Wisconsin are in that same class. Michigan is the worst of the bunch offensively, and watching them try to score touchdowns is a legitimately painful experience. The one team zigging when others zag is Northwestern, which has built one of the most fun offenses in the country under Chip Kelly, but questions about their ceiling persist, as they've yet to face the conference's top teams (which is about to change).
The result of all that uncertainty is one of the most fun and exciting seasons of Big Ten football to watch. It feels like any team is capable of winning or losing on any given week, and for as much fun as it is from the outside to watch them cannibalize themselves, the league office has to be stressed each Saturday watching teams eliminate themselves from College Football Playoff contention. Typically, by Week 9 we have a good feel for which teams will be real title contenders in January, but right now there are more questions than answers at the top of the sport -- and that's especially true in the Big Ten.
Ryan Day has kept his quarterback decision close to the vest this week between Luke Fahey (who came in as the backup against Indiana) and Tavien St. We'll find out Saturday who gets the start, whether Ohio State plays both QBs, and which QB can operate the Buckeyes' offense best against a USC defense that has been very friendly to opposing quarterbacks this season. The Ohio State defense can keep them in the mix for a title even with limited quarterback play, but Saturday is going to be telling of just how much this offense will slip in Julian Sayin's absence.
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