It has been a fluid season in the Big Ten, and that bodes well for the teams not expected to win the conference championship. USC football is in prime position to make a run at the title. The Trojans aren't the favorite, but they are very much in the hunt. For the Michigan Wolverines, all it took was one change at quarterback to patch up weeks of offensive struggles. Meanwhile, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are still coming close but not finishing the job.
Here is what we learned about the Big Ten following Week 7:
Nebraska is not ready to contend just yet
In back-to-back weeks, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have fumbled potential signature wins. They should have beaten Indiana and Oregon instead; they could not close things out. That is what happens when a team is not ready to win. Whether they are the more talented team or played a better game, it does not matter, as Nebraska tends to get in its own way late in games and give its opponent any chance to come back and win. Nebraska will keep losing the big games.
The Michigan Wolverines are a different team with Tommy Carr
Making a quarterback change did a lot for the Michigan Wolverines this past week. Michigan scored 14 unanswered points with Carr under center after being shut out in the first half. The Wolverines finally have an offense that can match its elite defense. If only they had made this change sooner.
The juggernauts are vulnerable in the Big Ten
UCLA Bruins and Ohio State Buckeyes are currently 2 of the top teams in the Big Ten, and both teams are dealing with a major injury at an offensive position. The Indiana Hoosiers are a juggernaut too, but instead of their quarterback being hurt, their quarterback just does not show up in the big games. The USC Trojans, right now as things stand, have the best quarterback in the conference. If Maiava delivers, he can help the Trojans get past each of the Big Ten juggernauts.
The grass is not greener on the other side for Penn State
Penn State went in a different direction after James Franklin was disappointed in his last few seasons. However, what Penn State is getting now after replacing him is much worse. Matt Campbell is a good coach, but he failed to take advantage of one of the easiest schedules in the Big Ten. When the schedule heats up in the next seasons, who knows what Penn State's record will be. The current state of Penn State is not much better than how Franklin left it.
Washington would have been just fine without Demond Williams
Desmond Williams was going to be playing for a different program this season, and the Huskies stepped in and ensured they were able to bring him back. Since the offseason battle for their quarterback, it seems like they would have been better off letting him go. Demond Williams was out this past week, and backup Quarterback Elijah Brown led the Huskies to one of their best offensive performances of the season and a win. The offense had a ton of juice and confidence. The Huskies will be left thinking of what could have been had this been their offense all season long.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: 5 key takeaways from Big Ten football after explosive Week 7