Big News From the Big Ten: Week 1 of College Football
On August 30th, the Big Ten Conference sent out the second press release of the 2021 NCAA College Football Season. Here are the top storylines from the release.
Everyone is Back
The opening weekend for college football largely did not feature the Big Ten, but this upcoming week is full of action. Rutgers University, Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota all begin their season on Thursday, September 1st, with the latter two schools facing off against each other. Friday is opening day for Northwestern as they host Michigan State. Saturday is when the remaining nine teams will be either opening the season or continuing the season. The two conference matchups on Saturday are Penn State University versus the University of Wisconsin and Indiana University versus the University of Iowa.
Illinois Defeats Nebraska
In the opening weekend of college football, the University of Illinois defeated the University of Nebraska 30–22 in the only Big Ten contest. This was the first game of Bret Bielema's tenure at Illinois. This was the first home win for the Illini against Nebraska since 2015 and the first conference win in a season opener since 1984 when they defeated the Wildcats.
Indiana and Iowa
One of the most exciting programs to watch in 2021 will be Indiana. The Hoosiers finished 6–1 in 2020 with its only blemish being to Big Ten Champion Ohio State. The record clinched an above .500 record for the Hoosiers for a second consecutive season. This was the first time since 1987-88. Indiana meets Iowa in the opening game, and both teams are ranked in the Top 25 for the game, at No. 17 and No. 18 respectively. This is the first time the teams have faced each other when both in the Top 25 since 1991, when Iowa won 38–21. Iowa plays No. 7 Iowa State in the second game of the season, making this the fourth time the Hawkeyes have opened the season against two straight ranked opponents.
Ohio State
Ohio State, the defending Big Ten Champion and College Football Playoff runner-up, opens its season against Minnesota Thursday night. The Buckeyes have won four-straight Big Ten Championships and are four-time CFP qualifiers.
Minnesota
The Golden Gophers have historically been very clutch in opening games, sporting a 96–35–6 record all-time. Minnesota has won four of its last five openers and are 8–4 in home openers since Huntington Bank Stadium opened in 2009.
College Football Playoff
The semi-final games in 2022 will be the Cotton and Orange Bowls, with each bowl making its third appearance in the playoff. Two number one seeds have won the playoff, three number two seeds have won, two number four seeds have won and a number three seed has never won.
All-Big Ten Honorees
120 All-Big Ten players are returning in 2022, with 60 coming from each division. Safety Brandon Joseph and offensive lineman Peter Skoronski return for the Wildcats.
2020 Recap
Four Big Ten teams finished in the Top 25 for the 2020 season, including Northwestern finishing at No. 10. Five Big Ten teams are in the Top 25 for the preseason poll, and the Wildcats face two of them in No. 12 Wisconsin and No. 18 Iowa. Northwestern received votes but did not crack the Top 25.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Big News From the Big Ten: Week 1 of College Football
Big Ten Breakdown: a Complete Rundown of Every Big Ten Game in Week 1 of College Football
Scouting the Wildcats' Week 1 Opponent: the Michigan State Spartans
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