2020 College Football Week 8 Summary - The Big Ten Edition
Welcome back Big Ten!
With the return of teams such as Ohio State and Michigan, one could feel a sense of balance returning to the college football season. Considering these teams have not played since last season, this would be a week to find out which teams from this conference acclimate quickly and eventually find themselves as playoff contenders.
What Did We Learn In Week 8?
Big Ten Teams -
The post-Jonathan Taylor kicked off in a big way, as the Wisconsin Badgers completely dominated the Illinois Fighting Illini. The story of this game was the debut of Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz, who delivered a near-perfect performance, completing 20 of 21 passes and five touchdowns. Wisconsin 1-0, Illinois 0 - 1
Rutgers is a team that could surprise the nation this season. The notable aspect in their win against Michigan State, was their defensive unit, that could end up becoming one of the best groups in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers 1-0, Michigan State 0-1
Ohio State quarterback Justin Field performed as many expected him to perform; at Heisman Level. To make a long story short, Nebraska had no chance in this contest. The only question is the status of star receiver Chris Olave. Ohio State 1-0, Nebraska 0-1
If a quarterback accounts for 357 yards and four touchdowns, one would assume that particular team would win, right? This was the case for Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, who did everything possible to lift his team to victory.... until Indiana tied the game and won it in overtime. Mistakes by the Nittany Lions was the main theme of their loss. Penn State 0-1, Indiana 1-0
Michigan looks good, really good. Sometime in a win, style matters; it can give you an indication of their strengths and weakness. In this case, their were very few weaknesses, as they were well-balanced on both sides of the ball against Minnesota. For Ohio State fans, this Wolverines team is for real. Michigan 1-0, Minnesota 0-1
Solid, is the word to describes Northwestern's performance against Maryland, especially on defense, where they accounted for six tackles for loss and three interceptions. Northwestern 1-0, Maryland 0-1
For the first time this season, coach Ed Orgeron's LSU team resembled his 2019 squad that dominated college football and won the National Championship. Impressive on both sides of the ball, South Carolina was beat before the beginning of the second half. The name to remember is BJ Ojulari. LSU 2-2, South Carolina 2-3
The Alabama vs. Tennessee rivalry was once a competitive battle; this is no longer the case. Despite Losing Jaylen Waddle, the Crimson Tide offense kept rolling with running back Najee Harris and receiver John Metchie. The only debate now is whether them or Clemson is the nation's no. 1 team. Alabama 5-0, Tennessee 2-3
People should start getting comfortable with the idea of Coastal Carolina as a top 25 team. They are still undefeated and continue to get better each week. Costal Carolina 5-0, Georgia Southern 3-2
Do you remember when the Pitt Panthers started the season 3-0? Well, that seemed like a lifetime a ago and they have dramatically declined in the last four weeks. In their defense, they lost to Notre Dame, who is arguably the best team in the ACC. Notre Dame 5-0, Pitt 3-4
For those of you not paying attention, Liberty was the only undefeated unranked team coming into their contest against Southern Miss. Most notably, the Flames are no. 2 in the nation in total rushing yards. Regardless of their competition, they have proven worthy of a top 25 ranking; perhaps after their win this weekend, this will become a reality. Southern Miss 1-4, Liberty 6-0
After their big win last week against North Carolina, one would have expected Florida State to carry that momentum into their game against Louisville. Instead, they go thoroughly handled by running back Javian Hawkins and receiver Tutu Atwell. Louisville 2-4, Florida State 2-4
The running back duo of Javonte Williams and Michael Carter combined for 266 yards and four touchdowns, as North Carolina defeated their conference rivals North Carolina State. NC State 4-2, North Carolina 4 - 1
Two years ago, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence made his debut against the Syracuse Orangemen. Since then, not much has changed; Lawrence is still the best quarterback in college football, and the Orangemen have yet to figure out how to beat him. Clemson 6-0, Syracuse 1-5
The stigma of Big 12 teams not playing any defense, could be completely erased by this year's Oklahoma State team. Even with one of the best running backs in the nation, their defensive unit is the main reason why they remain undefeated. Iowa State 3-2, Oklahoma State 4-0
Week 8 Honor Roll
Graham Mertz - Wisconsin
BJ Ojulari - LSU
Josh Samuel - Jacksonville St.
Javonte Williams - North Carolina
Justin Fields - Ohio State
Desmond Ridder - Cincinnati
Sean Clifford - Penn State
Jordan Strachan - Georgia State
Calvin Austin III - Memphis
Mac Jones - Alabama
Mike Harley - Miami
Mohamed Toure - Rutgers
Javian Hawkins - Louisville
Mohamed Ibrahim - Minnesota