Last week, the Big Ten got started with some in-conference play as its top two-ranked teams sat idle. Some of its newer members were settling scores with in-state rivals, while others were establishing themselves as contenders. On the Big Ten Week 5 slate, the top-ranked Buckeyes headed west, Indiana had to back up its shellacking of Illinois, and James Franklin had a chance to stave off the “Big Game James” sneers at home against Oregon. This week, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Purdue were idle.
What is college football without overreactions? Social media fuels narratives, and everyone has a take on everything. The Big Ten Week 5 slate featured six matchups. Let’s overreact to the biggest three.
Overreactions From the Big Ten’s Week 5 Results
(1) Ohio State at Washington: If That Was a “Bad” Game From Ohio State…Watch Out
Washington was a gracious host to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The fan base greeted the rare opportunity to face Ohio State with a packed house and decibel readers around the stadium. For a while, the game followed the quintessential upset playbook. Ohio State was making mental mistakes, couldn’t finish early, and let Washington hang around. The Huskies even led 3-0 for almost the entire second quarter. Then, the Buckeyes woke up.
The Ohio State defense led the way and kept a potent Washington offense out of the end zone. Caden Curry had himself a monster day with a trio of sacks. While Washington was able to get chunk plays here and there, the Buckeye defense toughened up, allowing the offense to catch up.
Julian Sayin finally settled in and was able to dice up the Huskies. Bo Jackson solidified himself as RB1 as a true freshman. Jeremiah Smith is, well, Jeremiah Smith. There are questions to be answered on the offensive line, but overall, if this was a “bad” game from the Ohio State offense, we could be seeing a back-to-back situation.
Credit where it’s due: Washington is a good team. In reality, the Huskies should have a good year ahead of them.
