UCLA and Northwestern are vying for spots in Indianapolis while Oregon and Penn State are just trying to get their seasons back on track. Let's talk about those Bruins. They've aced every single test they've faced in Year 1 under Bob Chesney.
Hosting Wisconsin with backup Ty Dieffenbach starting in place of the injured Nico Iamaleava? The defense has taken immense strides, setting UCLA up to do real damage down the stretch. On the other side of the country and conference, another first-year coach is having the opposite experience.
Matt Campbell is still looking for his first Big Ten win at Penn State, and the Nittany Lions have totally squandered what appeared to be one of the softest schedules in the Power Four. To make matters worse, fifth-year senior Rocco Becht was supposed to provide a high floor at quarterback, but the offense has been stuck in the mud for weeks now. There are a couple more overachievers (Northwestern and Iowa), but the conference is filled with teams who have yet to impress.
That group includes marquee brands like Michigan, Oregon and Washington. Before we kick off the second half of the season, I channeled my inner teacher and doled out grades to each Big Ten team. I can empathize with those on the wrong end of the grading curve.
Record: 3-3, 1-2 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A The Illini defense has gotten worse over the last couple of years, and this year's unit is a major problem (in the bad way). Illinois is a bottom-five Big Ten team in yards allowed per game (375.2), passing yards per game (248.3) and points allowed per game (27.8). The Illini defense also ranked 111th nationally in yards allowed per play at 6.46.
I mean, Illinois gave up 37 points to Michigan State! To make matters worse, the offense could be limited moving forward with Katin Houser undergoing hand surgery. Can Illinois scrape together three more wins and reach a bowl?
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