Week 1 of the new college football season was full of intriguing storylines in the Big Ten. It was our first chance to see how each program evolved over the offseason, from new faces under center to new coaching staffs and revamped rosters. Some teams immediately stand out as contenders, while others put forth underwhelming performances against inferior opponents.
When looking at opponents featured Indiana's regular season schedule, Week 1 gave us plenty of insight into teams the Hoosiers will face down the road. After their poor showings, these three teams appear far less intimidating than they did entering the season.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
It's safe to say the second go-around for Greg Schiano in Piscataway is not going as planned. Rutgers entered the season with a 29-43 overall record and a 15-39 mark in Big Ten play during Schiano's second stint. Things were already looking bleak, and it went from bad to worse in Week 1 of the new season. Rutgers paid UMass $1.55 million to come play in Piscataway. Schiano's Scarlet Knights entered the contest as a massive 29.5-point favorite, but lost 37-21 in one of the most embarrassing losses in recent college football memory.
UMass has been arguably the worst program in the country over the past several years, averaging just one win per season since 2019. The Minutemen went 0-12 last year, and figured to give Rutgers an easy win in the season opener. But the Scarlet Knights were dominated from start to finish, as they were out-rushed 200-30 and committed 4 turnovers without forcing any. Things have hit rock bottom for Schiano and company, and Indiana's matchup against Rutgers on October 3 could get ugly in a hurry.
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines haven't been to the College Football Playoff since winning it all in 2023, and they were hoping that a coach like Kyle Whittingham could help get them there. Well, that mission is off to a horrendous start after Michigan was out-played by Western Michigan in Week 1. Whittingham's squad couldn't do much of anything right, and was staring down a 12-7 defeat before a miracle replay review gifted them another chance. In the end, Western Michigan was robbed of a program-defining victory.
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Bryce Underwood underperformed as a freshman last season, and through one game as a sophomore, it has only gotten worse. Underwood looked in over his head against a MAC team (no disrespect to the MAC), and Michigan's schedule only gets tougher from here. If Underwood doesn't turn things around in a hurry, he could find himself on the bench by the time Indiana comes to Ann Arbor on October 24. But no matter what Underwood's situation is at that time, it's clear that Michigan is not as impressive as initially considered to be.
Washington Huskies
Washington is a dark horse team that could make some noise in the Big Ten this season. However, they didn't look up to the part in their Week 1 contest against Washington State. As 23.5-point favorites, the Huskies were up just 10-7 in the 4th quarter and needed a late touchdown to pull away and win 24-10.
Washington had every chance to put the game on ice, as they won the turnover battle 3-0 and out-gained WSU 402-242. Yet, the offense wasn't able to sustain drives and ultimately let the Cougars hang around for a lot longer than they should have. Doing that against better competition might lead to different results. Indiana is set to travel to Seattle on November 21, and despite Washington's underwhelming Week 1 showing, that contest still has plenty of hype.
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