Wisconsin faces major test at No. 19 Alabama, Minnesota visits Cal to highlight Big Ten slate
Wisconsin faces major test at No. 19 Alabama, Minnesota visits Cal to highlight Big Ten slate
Things to watch this week in the Big Ten:
Game of the week
Wisconsin (2-0) at No. 19 Alabama (1-1), noon ET (ABC)
Wisconsin wanted to upgrade a defense that slipped into mediocrity last year. The Badgers have responded by shutting out Miami (Ohio) 17-0 and beating Middle Tennessee 42-10 in their first two games. Now comes a much bigger test.
Alabama lost at Florida State in its opener before rolling to a 73-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe last week. Wisconsin hasn’t indicated whether Billy Edwards Jr. is healthy enough to play, or if Danny O’Neil will start at quarterback instead.
BetMGM Sportsbook has Alabama as a 20 1/2-point favorite. Wisconsin is 0-6 against Top 25 teams during coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure, including a 42-10 home loss to Alabama last year.
The undercard
Minnesota (2-0) at California (2-0), 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Minnesota gets ready for its Big Ten schedule by heading to the West Coast to face a Cal team that has produced lopsided victories over Oregon State and Texas Southern.
Cal freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has completed 69% of his passes for 493 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
BetMGM has Minnesota as a 1 1/2-point favorite.
Impact players
— Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles threw four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth in the Spartans’ 42-40 victory over Boston College. He also threw the winning two-point conversion pass in double overtime.
— Illinois OLB Gabe Jacas is the only FBS player to post a sack and a forced fumble in consecutive games this season.
— Ohio State QB Julian Sayin went 18 of 19 and completed his first 16 passes in the top-ranked Buckeyes’ 70-0 shutout of Grambling State.
Inside the numbers
Washington’s Jonah Coleman tied a modern school single-game record by rushing for five touchdowns in a 70-10 rout of UC Davis. Hugh McElhenny ran for five touchdowns against Washington State in 1950 and Corey Dillon matched that against UCLA in 1996. Ervin Daily had seven in a 120-0 victory over Whitman in 1919. … Maryland has a Bowl Subdivision-leading, 17-game winning streak against nonconference opponents. … Southern California leads all FBS teams in points per game (66.0) and yards per game (676.0). … No. 4 Oregon is the only FBS team ranked in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Ducks are third in scoring (64.0) and tied for 10th in scoring defense (8.0). … This year marks just the second time No. 9 Illinois has scored 45-plus points in each of its first two games (1942). … Penn State’s Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton both went over 3,000 career yards rushing during the second-ranked Nittany Lions’ 34-0 win over Florida International.
Get to know him
Biff Poggi, who is normally Michigan’s associate head coach, will be the interim head coach for the Wolverines’ next two games while Sherrone Moore serves a suspension as part of the school’s self-imposed sanctions for NCAA violations related to a sign-stealing investigation.
Poggi was Michigan’s associate head coach from 2021-22 before leaving to become Charlotte’s head coach. He was fired after going 6-16 in two seasons at Charlotte, and now he’s back at Michigan.
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By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
