Week 3 in the Big Ten doesn’t bring the same kind of heavyweight collision that made Week 2 so noisy, but there’s still plenty to watch. The conference’s biggest names mostly get a chance to clean things up against non-Power opponents, while a few matchups offer a real test of where teams stand this early in the season.
The most notable game on the board sends Michigan State into a tough spot against one of the country’s top teams, Notre Dame. Maryland also gets a charged matchup with James Franklin, though it comes against a different Franklin-coached team. And in the nightcap, UCLA will try to take down Purdue.
The only Big Ten-on-Big Ten game this week is USC at Rutgers, a matchup that finds Rutgers off to a rough start. Beyond that, the slate is loaded with tune-up games and a few spots where teams will try to prove they’re more than just early-season hype.
All times Eastern.
No. 18 Oregon vs Portland State
No. 6 Ohio State vs Kent State
No. 14 Penn State vs Buffalo
Minnesota vs Akron
Wisconsin vs Eastern Michigan
Illinois vs Southern Illinois
Rutgers vs No. 11 USC
No. 19 Michigan vs UTEP
No. 4 Indiana vs Western Kentucky
No. 20 Iowa vs Northern Iowa
Nebraska vs North Dakota
No. 24 Washington vs Eastern Washington
No. 3 Notre Dame vs Michigan State
Northwestern vs Colorado
Maryland vs Virginia Tech
For full Week 3 scores and results, click here.
In Other News...
Michigan State Showed One Encouraging Sign In A Frustrating Notre Dame Loss
Michigan States 27-10 loss to Notre Dame had plenty of familiar frustrations, but there was still one part of the night that offered a little encouragement. The Spartans defense, with Jordan Hall helping set the tone, battled hard and played with real grit for much of the game, even if missed tackles and costly penalties kept knocking them off schedule.
The bigger concern remains on the other side of the ball, where Michigan State had a difficult time handling pressure and never found much rhythm. Quarterback Milivojevic threw two interceptions, and Cam Edwards was limited late after an injury, leaving the Spartans with even fewer answers as the game wore on. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Showed Something Against Notre Dame Fans Can Rally Around
Michigan State left South Bend with a 27-10 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame, but there were enough flashes on both sides of the ball to keep the night from feeling like just another straight-line disappointment. The Spartans made some strong defensive plays and showed a few encouraging offensive moments, even if mistakes and penalties kept them from turning those stretches into real pressure on a top-tier opponent.
Rodney Bullard Jr. and Cam Fancher helped the Spartans trim the margin before halftime, giving the game a brief sense of momentum and a reminder that there is at least something to build on. Add in the way fans responded to the effort and the early Pat Fitzgerald era, and the takeaway was less about the final score than about a team still trying to piece together a more complete performance. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces Its First Real Measuring Stick This Season
Michigan State has handled the early part of its schedule exactly the way a team wants to, taking care of Toledo and Eastern Michigan to open the season and keep its record spotless at 2-0. The next step, though, is a much stiffer one, because the Spartans are about to find out where they stand against a Notre Dame team that has already looked dominant in its own right.
Notre Dame is coming off a 52-0 win over Rice, and the stage for this one is a big one even before the ball is kicked. It is the kind of matchup that can tell Michigan State plenty about its progress, and with national eyes on the game, the Spartans will have a chance to see how their start stacks up when the competition level jumps sharply. [Read more 🡒]