Big Ten Football Week 4 Storylines: Ohio State, Michigan among teams facing first conference opponents
Wisconsin fell out of the rankings after Week 2 and this week, Michigan State was dropped after a poor showing at Washington. The three teams that remain in the top 25 are Ohio State, 4 Michigan and 14 Penn State. Week 4 features eight Big Ten teams in their first conference games.
No. 4 Michigan plays at home against Maryland on Saturday. Michigan is unbeaten after three games. The team is ranked No. 3 in the FBS. Maryland is also undefeated. They are the defending champions. Michigan has been more disciplined than Maryland. It is third-best in penalty yards given away this season (65). Maryland's penalty yardage is the third worst (271). The game will be played in a tight game. Jim Harbaugh's team has their guard up. He is looking forward to the challenge.
No. 3 Ohio State (3-0) is hosting Wisconsin (2-1) in the Big Ten on Saturday. The game is a primetime game. Wisconsin lost to Washington State in Week 2, but won against New Mexico State. Ohio is the best offensive team in America through three weeks. It is expected to be the toughest defense so far. Wisconsin hasn't won since 2004.
Michigan State lost at Washington last week. The Spartans' secondary was badly beaten. Minnesota is 3-0 and the second-ranked team in the FBS. They are a slight road favorite. Wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell suffered a season-ending leg injury against Colorado. Minnesota's offensive and defensive lines are strong. It's a big challenge for the Spartans. Michigan State is unranked for first time this season. Minnesota is second in FBC offensive yards per game (554.7) and second on defense (170.3).
Iowa and Rutgers are playing each other on Saturday night. Rutgers is looking to start the season 4-0 for the first time in a decade. Iowa is coming off an easy 27- 0 win over Nevada in Week 3. The game was delayed for almost seven hours due to weather. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano wants to fix some offensive issues and is unsure about the status of injured quarterback Noah Vedral.
