Programs from the Big Ten have won the last two national championships, and after No. 3 Ohio State’s 14-7 win over No. 1 Texas on Saturday, in a rematch of the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
The Buckeyes’ newly hired defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, and his elite secondary spoiled Arch Manning’s debut and made a strong case as the conference’s top contender. However, Ohio State isn’t the only Big Ten program with national title aspirations, and while the other two didn’t quite have the same test, they didn’t do anything to dim their outlook.
Penn State, which came into Week 1 ahead of Ohio State in the AP poll at No. 2, handled its business at home against Nevada, rolling to a 46-11 victory. The Nittany Lions returned as much talent as any team in the country, but veteran quarterback Drew Allar used the first game of his senior season to get on the same page as his three transfer wide receivers.
While Allar and Penn State were cruising at home against the Wolf Pack, Oregon broke in its new starting quarterback, Dante Moore. The former five-star who spent last season behind Dillon Gabriel after transferring from UCLA was efficient in a 59-13 win over Montana State. In its debut in the Big Ten last year, Oregon won the conference with an undefeated regular season, but the Ducks check in behind the Nittany Lions because Dan Lanning had much more to replace than James Franklin did. Those two contenders will square off in Week 5 at Beaver Stadium, a rematch of the 2024 Big Ten Title Game.
Elsewhere in the league, the 2023 national champs debuted a five-star QB of their own, true freshman Bryce Underwood. The Wolverines spent big on the Michigan native after dealing with disastrous quarterback play last year, and Underwood looked worth every penny against New Mexico. The Wolverines will be tested next week with a trip to Norman to play Oklahoma.
One of the big surprises of Week 1 was Maryland. Mike Locksley has a freshman QB of his own, and Malik Washington was impressive against FAU. The four-star went 27-for-43 passing, 258 yards, and three touchdowns. Washington won’t make the Terps a Big Ten contender this year, but they could be a surprising bowl team and check in at No. 12 after Week 1.