Time for Jon Miller’s weekly look at the Best of the Big Ten Conference. This column is brought to you by Pizza Ranch, the Iowa based company that makes outstanding pizza’s and provides one of the best buffets you will find between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Click on this link to find a Pizza Ranch near you. Right now, they have a $10 any pizza, any size special.

BEST OF THE BIG TEN: Michigan’s 30-10 win over UConn was the most impressive in my mind, because the Wolverines played what I believe to be the best competition of any of the Big Ten opening weekend opponents. The Wolverines rolled up 28 first downs, 287 yards rushing, they were 14 of 19 on third down and committed ZERO turnovers. Quarterback Denard Robinson introduced himself to the college football nation in last year’s season opener, when he broke off a long touchdown run on his first touch, untied shoes and all. That was a bit flukish, and Tate Forcier started every game for Michigan last year.

One year later, Robinson is the starter and he was a 19 of 22 through the air for 186 yards and a touchdown to go along with 29 carries for 197 yards on the ground. If you can find a better individual performance in a big game like this between BCS conference opponents from this first week’s action, please let me know and we can have a debate, because I don’t think you are going to find it.

We knew Robinson could run, and he looked like an old school Techmo Bowl Bo Jackson out there. However, his arm and decision making in the passing game is going to wind up telling the tale on how far Michigan comes back this year. In the first game, he passes the test in a big way. Phase II of his test comes next week at Notre Dame.

Michigan’s defense was ‘OK’, but that could be good enough this year to help the Wolverines to an eight or nine win season. The Huskies gained 343 yards in just 23:08 of possession, but they were 4-15 on third downs, so the Wolverines were able to get them off the field and when they got the ball back, they held on to it. Michigan had just one penalty, an impressive number for a season opener on a team full of young players.

Hats off to Big Blue in this game. A win at Notre Dame would give way to a 4-0 out of conference record, then they begin league play at Indiana before hosting rival Michigan State.

NOT SO BEST OF THE BIG TEN: Illinois coach Ron Zook seems like a nice guy and when you spend any amount of time talking with him in person, he also seems genuine. He has a long held reputation of being a strong recruiter and the Illini made it to the Rose Bowl a few years back. That being said, things haven’t gone the way he’d hoped during his entire tenure in Champaign, and he’s hitched his wagon to a freshman quarterback in Nate Scheelhaase. In his first game yesterday against Missouri, Scheelhaase was 9 of 23 for 81 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He did have 16 rushes for 76 yards, but decision making in the passing game is something few freshmen have a handle on right out of the gates.

Still, Illinois led this game 13-3 at halftime, thanks to a Derek Dimke 52-yard field goal. Unfortunately for Zook, the Tigers would score 20 unanswered points and get the win, their sixth straight in this series that ended yesterday. The Illini had four turnovers on the day, just 16 first downs and 281 yards against a rebuilding Missouri team that might be the third or fourth best in the Big 12…North.

OFFENSIVE HELMET STICKERS

Northwestern QB Dan Persa: 19 of 21 for 222 yards and 3 touchdown passes along with 17 rushes for 82 yards. While Michigan’s Robinson will get the most helmet stickers, Persa may have turned in the second best individual performance of the weekend, and he did it on the road against BCS conference foe Vanderbilt, leading the Cats to a 23-21 win.

Iowa RB Adam Robinson: 24 carries for 109 yards, 3TD, 3 rec for 43 yards. He was the bell cow with Jewel Hampton on the sidelines in Iowa’s opener.

Iowa QB Rick Stanzi: 18 of 23 for 229 yards, 1TD and no pick sixes. Stanzi gave Iowa fans a scare when he went down with a non-contact injury early in the game but he returned and seems fine. Solid decision making and a quicker release of the football for Iowa showed Stanzi had spent a lot of time in the film room this offseason.

Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryror: 17 of 25, 247 yards, 3TD, 0 INT. His throwing mechanics looked improved from last year, which is very bad news for Big Ten opponents. He had just 8 carries for 17 yards, but he is still a threat to kill you with his legs. Teammate Brandon Saine (RB) went for 103 yards on 9 carries.

Minnesota RB Duane Bennett: 30 carries for 187 yards. The Gophers really are returning to a power running game attack, as they showed against Middle Tennessee State. A 6.2 yards per carry average is very impressive, as were their 27 first downs and 45:34 in time of possession.

MSU Running Game: Le’Veon Bell had 141 yards on 10 carries while teammate Edwin Baker put up 117 yards on 17 carries. While the rest of the college football nation flirts with the spread offense, most of the Big Ten got down to power football in week one.

Penn State QB Rob Bolden: The true, true freshman was 20-29 for 239 yards and two touchdowns. This isn’t a kid that came in early last winter, he arrived on campus in June.

Wisconsin RB John Clay: 17 carries for 123 yards and two scores at UNLV. The impetus behind nearly 300 yards rushing for the Badgers…that’s how you protect a rebuilding defense.

TROUBLESOME TRENDS

Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzein threw a pick six against UNLV. He needs to be more than a game manager this year and he is capable.

Purdue lost several close games last year and they were in it late against Notre Dame on Saturday. QB Robert Marve attempted 42 passes and completed 31 of them, but that accounted for just 220 yards. You have to have more than just a horizontal, dink and dunk passing attack. Also, the Boilers managed just 102 yards rushing, proving life without Ralph Bolden is a big time work in progress.

WEEKLY BIG TEN POWER POLL

1. Ohio State: They were expected to roll Marshall & they did.
2. Iowa: Ditto for the Hawkeyes v E. Illinois; improved kickoff depth will help D & O
3. Michigan: Rich Rodriguez’s offensive system with a running QB under center looks real good
4. Wisconsin: Battering rammed their way to road win in 100 degree heat
5. Penn State: Great debut for frosh QB Rob Bolden
6. Northwestern: Very nice win for the Cats; Persa no fluke
7. Michigan State: Return of a power running game good news for Sparty
8. Minnesota: Beat a team that won 10 games last year, sans its QB
9. Indiana: Score 50+ in opener v Towson, won’t know about them til October
10. Purdue: Need more chunks of yards, less side to side
11. Illinois: Mikel Leshoure is great, but he can’t do it all

BEST OF NEXT WEEK

Miami @ Ohio State: There has been a lot of hype for this one, but I don’t know that it will live up to it. I think the Buckeyes are the BCS team with the fewest holes and Jacory Harris may lose his lunch in The Shoe

Michigan @ Notre Dame: Big game for both coaches. Rodriguez could silence his doubters even more with a win in South Bend, while Brian Kelly could put Charlie Weiss further in the Irish rear view mirror if he emerges victorious.

Penn State @ Alabama: A true freshman quarterback’s second straight game in front of more than 100,000 fans, except this week, they are screaming at him, not for him.

Iowa State @ Iowa: A rivalry that few outside of the Hawkeye State takes seriously, but one that is downright testy on the home front. A veritable family feud that is typically closer than what Las Vegas expects.

Jon Miller is the longtime publisher of HawkeyeNation.com, a website devoted to Iowa Hawkeye Athletics. He is also the Co-Host of ‘The Pulse’ on the Big Ten Network, a program that airs each Thursday night at 9E/8C beginning September 9th.

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