While Indiana was shelling Indiana State and Minnesota was scraping to get by UNLV on Thursday night, a nation of starved college football fans was hooked on the incredible Ole Miss-Vanderbilt game.
Opening night, curtain raised, showtime … and the SEC gets all the eyeballs. (The ACC also got some with North Carolina vs. South Carolina.)
What a wasted opportunity. The Big Ten should play at least two conference games every week.
Would you have watched Michigan-Penn State? How about Indiana-Michigan State? What games do you think the nation’s top recruits watched?
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OK, I’ll move from the soapbox to the (virtual) sports book. In a new feature for the Tribune, I’ll pick every Big Ten game against the spread, plus the biggest national game. The simple goal: Do better than .500 (i.e. flipping a coin).
7 p.m. Friday: Western Michigan (plus 28) at Michigan State: Will the real Andrew Maxwell please stand up? The pick: Michigan State
11 a.m. Saturday games:
Southern Illinois (plus 17) at Illinois (BTN): Tim Beckman needs this win like Miley Cyrus needs an intervention. The pick: Illinois
Buffalo (plus 34.5) at Ohio State (ESPN2) The Buckeyes have suspended just enough players to make this borderline interesting. The pick: Buffalo
Massachusetts (plus 44.5) at Wisconsin (BTN) The pick: Bret Bielema loved to run it up. Since Gary Andersen is his opposite, we’ll go with … The pick: Massachusetts
Purdue (plus 10.5) at Cincinnati (ESPNU) The pick: Thumbs up to Purdue for scheduling a legitimate opponent. Probably too legitimate: The pick: Cincinnati
2:30 p.m. games:
Northern Illinois (plus 3) at Iowa (BTN) The pick: If last year’s crummy Iowa team could sneak past the Huskies, hard to believe the Hawkeyes won’t do it again. The pick: Iowa
Central Michigan (plus 31.5) at Michigan (BTN) The Chippewas have a tailback named Zurlon Tipton who can do some damage. The pick: Central Michigan
Syracuse (plus 9) at Penn State (ABC/ESPN2): Goodbye, Matt McGloin, hello Christian Hackenberg. The teenager will be fed to the lions. The pick: Syracuse
7 p.m. Saturday: Wyoming (plus 30.5) at Nebraska (BTN): Nebraska has won 27 straight openers. Of course it helps to play teams from states that have about as many antelope as people. The pick: Nebraska
9:30 p.m. Saturday: Northwestern (minus 5.5) at Cal (ESPN2): The Wildcats need to avoid a pre-game trip to Napa. And Alcatraz. The pick: Northwestern
NATIONAL: Georgia (minus 1.5) at Clemson: Prediction I feel better about: This game will come down to the final play. The pick: Georgia
Best bet: Syracuse
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein