Week 2 Big Ten schedule: Betting lines, kickoff times and more
Week 2 Big Ten schedule: Betting lines, kickoff times and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The busiest week of the Big Ten football season is upon us, as a total of 14 games will be contested on Friday and Saturday within the conference.
While there are no conference matchups this week, there are several rivalry games, with Iowa taking on Iowa State and Indiana battling Indiana State.
Elsewhere, Illinois hits the road to take on Kansas in Lawrence, while Purdue will head to Blacksburg for a showdown with the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Here is the full slate of games for this weekend.
Friday
Indiana State at Indiana
Kickoff: 6 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network
Game Capsule:
What happens when a very-stoppable force meets a quite movable object?
Jokes aside, this game features two teams that were offensively-challenged in their first games of the season. Indiana State managed just 219 yards of offense and a grand total of zero points in a 27-0 shutout loss to Eastern Illinois, while Indiana was held to 153 yards and three points against Ohio State.
For the Hoosiers, they argue that they stayed too conservative on offense in that game, with coordinator Walt Bell telling media this week that “at some point, you have to take some shots.” Look for a stronger rushing attack from the Hoosiers this week, while also keeping an eye on the snap breakdown between Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson at quarterback.
Illinois at Kansas
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: ESPN 2
Betting Line: Kansas -3
Game Capsule:
These teams represent a polar opposite approach to the game, as Illinois and Kansas both got their offenses working in Week 1 victories.
For Illinois, Luke Altmyer had 280 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns, while wide receiver Pat Bryant had six catches for 64 yards and two scores. Miles Scott, the Big Ten’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week, had a pick-six in the win over Toledo.
Kansas thrashed Missouri State 48-17 in their opener, with Jason Bean throwing for 276 yards and two touchdowns, while Devin Neal rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Illinois’ secondary will be sorely tested, as the Jayhawks had four different receivers with at least three catches in their opening victory.
Saturday
Youngstown State at Ohio State
Kickoff: 11 a.m. TV: Big Ten Network
Game Capsule:
The Buckeyes eventually figured things out in their opening win over Indiana, but all eyes will be on Kyle McCord, who threw for 239 yards, and Marvin Harrison and Emeka Egbuka, who combined for just five catches in that win.
The Penguins meanwhile had a stomping 52-10 win over Valparaiso, with Tyshon King running for 111 yards and two touchdowns in Youngstown State’s opener.
Ohio State is heavily-favored to win the game, but they’ll need some key players to make statements after a shaky Week 1 effort on the offensive side of the ball.
Delaware at Penn State
Kickoff: 11 a.m. TV: Peacock
Game Capsule:
Drew Allar had a coming out party on Saturday, with 325 yards and three touchdowns against West Virginia. He was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week as a result, with the Nittany Lions getting their season off to a hot start.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens got a huge performance out of Ryan O’Connor in Week 1, as he threw for 346 yards and a touchdown. They also got 107 yards rushing out of Marcus Yams in a 37-13 win over Stony Brook.
Penn State’s pass rush will likely help keep O’Connor on his toes, but watch their linebackers and their defensive tackles against the Delaware rushing attack, as West Virginia found limited success there in Week 1.
Nebraska at Colorado
Kickoff: 11 a.m. TV: Fox
Betting Line: Colorado -3
Game Capsule:
The eyes of the college football world will be on Coach Prime as Deion Sanders makes his home debut as the leader of the Buffaloes. The squad knocked off TCU in a big upset last week, but even still they are only three-point favorites against a Nebraska squad that lost 13-10 to Minnesota.
The Buffaloes gave up 541 yards of offense against TCU, and while the Cornhuskers don’t quite have the firepower of the Horned Frogs, they do have a dual-threat quarterback in Jeff Sims, who had 205 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 loss.
Look for him to run the ball frequently in this game, and keep an eye on Gabe Ervin Jr., who had 55 yards on just seven carries against Minnesota.
As for Colorado, Shedeur Sanders threw 47 times and racked up 510 yards in their win over TCU, and it stands to reason Nebraska frequently as well. The Cornhuskers did have four passes defended in their loss to Minnesota, and Omar Brown had an interception as well, so this will be a good follow-up test.
Purdue at Virginia Tech
Kickoff: 11 a.m. TV: ESPN 2
Betting Line: Virginia Tech -3
Game Capsule:
The Boilermakers got plenty of offense in their opener against Fresno State, with Hudson Card throwing for 254 yards and Devin Mockobee rushing for 60 more, but they were upended by the Bulldogs as Mikey Keene torched them for 366 yards and four passing touchdowns.
It was smooth sailing for Virginia Tech as they bested Old Dominion 36-17, with Grant Wells throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
The big key for Purdue could be exploiting the Hokies’ run defense, as they gave up a staggering 201 yards a week ago to the Monarchs. Purdue’s secondary will of course have to be better as well, but this game could be won by whichever team has the superior running attack.
UNLV at Michigan
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: CBS
Betting Line: Michigan -36.5
Game Capsule:
The Barry Odom era got off to a good start at UNLV as the Rebels beat Bryant 44-14 in their opener.
Michigan was largely on cruise control in their first game against ECU, with Blake Corum rushing for 73 yards and a touchdown in his triumphant return from a knee injury that ended his 2022 season. JJ McCarthy also threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
To be frank, Michigan won’t have to change much in this game, with Corum continuing to gain confidence and McCarthy running an offense at full-throttle. Roman Wilson had three touchdowns in Week 1, so perhaps Cornelius Johnson or Colston Loveland could get in on the party Saturday.
Iowa at Iowa State
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: Fox
Betting Line: Iowa -4
Game Capsule:
There aren’t a lot of players that jump off the stat sheet for the Cyclones after their opener, with Rocco Becht completing 10 passes for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cartevious Norton had 49 yards on the ground, but the big stars were on defense, with Jeremiah Cooper racking up two interceptions, including a pick-six, and Caleb Bacon picking up two sacks.
The Cyclones ultimately combined for five sacks, something to keep an eye on as Utah State racked up nine tackles-for-loss against Iowa last week.
Cade McNamara did have two touchdowns and 191 passing yards in his debut, but a leg injury is continuing to hamper his play, leading to some speculation that Deacon Hill could see additional action this weekend.
Kaleb Johnson did rush for 63 yards in the win, but the Hawkeyes will desperately need another player to step up offensively if they’re going to move to 2-0 on the season.
Richmond at Michigan State
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network
Game Capsule:
The Spartans got off to a sluggish start against Central Michigan, but Noah Kim came alive in the second-half, ending the victory with 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Richmond, fresh off a loss to Morgan State, likely won’t pose much of a challenge to Michigan State, but we’re still eager to see what Nathan Carter does for an encore after he torched Central Michigan for 113 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in Week 1.
UTEP at Northwestern
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network
Betting Line: UTEP -1.5
Game Capsule:
Northwestern has not won a game since Week 0 of the 2022 season, with a 12th-straight loss to Rutgers in the season opener.
Ben Bryant got the start at quarterback in Week 1 for the Wildcats, with two interceptions and 169 yards passing. Northwestern was held to just 201 yards of offense, and they’ll certainly need a better week to knock off UTEP In their Evanston opener.
The Wildcats will have to stop UTEP running back Deion Hankins, who gashed Incarnate Word for 174 yards a week ago.
Wisconsin at Washington State
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: ABC
Betting Line: Wisconsin -6.5
Game Capsule:
Washington State put up 50 points in their season-opening win over Colorado State, with Cameron Ward throwing for a staggering 451 yards and three touchdowns in the game.
That potent passing attack could challenge Wisconsin’s secondary in Pullman on Saturday evening, while the Badgers will hope that their run attack could help create some space for Tanner Mordecai and company.
Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen combined for 298 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 38-17 win over Buffalo, and they both figure to be key if Wisconsin can earn a road victory.
Charlotte at Maryland
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: NBC
Betting Line: Maryland -24.5
Game Capsule:
Maryland is looking to prove that they belong in the conversation in the Big Ten East, and they’ll get a chance to do so on a national stage Saturday when they take on Charlotte.
Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns in the Terrapins’ season opener, and the team combined for 166 yards rushing, paced by Roman Hemby’s 58 yards on the ground.
The 49ers will likely rely heavily on their running attack after an opening win against South Carolina State, which saw them combine for 220 yards on 47 carries in the contest.
Eastern Michigan at Minnesota
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network
Game Capsule:
Eastern Michigan is fresh off a win over Howard in their season opener, with Austin Smith throwing for 175 yards and the team combining for 110 yards on the ground, including 52 yards and a touchdown from Samson Evans.
Howard did rack up nearly 400 yards of offense in the game however, and that could be just the ticket for Athan Kaliakmanis to get right after an opening-night struggle against Nebraska.
Kaliakmanis threw for 196 yards, but threw the ball 44 times, and he’ll have to improve his efficiency in this one.
Sean Tyler also only got 10 carries in the opener against the Cornhuskers, and Minnesota may want to lean on him just a bit more in this one.
Temple at Rutgers
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network
Betting Line: Rutgers -9
Game Capsule:
Gavin Wimsatt got the season off to a good start for the Scarlet Knights, throwing for 163 yards and a touchdown in a win over Northwestern. Rutgers also combined for 122 yards on 44 carries, a number they will have to improve on if they want a win against the Owls.
Temple narrowly edged Akron in their season opener, with quarterback EJ Warner throwing for 292 yards in the victory.
