Penn State’s James Franklin went there on his own, just as USC’s Lincoln Riley and Oregon’s Dan Lanning had done 10 days earlier. The unequal preparation time, the long flights, the early kickoffs, the late kickoffs — it’s all verbiage in the playbook for Big Ten coaches unhappy with various aspects of the conference schedule.
Washington’s Jedd Fisch? He was offered the chance, served on a gilded platter following a resounding victory. And he declined.
Asked Saturday afternoon if he believed the cross-country flight impacted the Huskies, who trailed Maryland by 13 points at halftime but rallied for a 24-20 victory?
“I don’t,” Fisch said. “I thought our guys handled the travel really well. I think Maryland had to do with the start.”
We disagree. Maryland was clearly the fresher, faster team in the first half, which made perfect sense: The Terps had two weeks to prepare for a home game while UW faced Ohio State the previous week, then made the long trip to College Park — a competitive disadvantage of the highest order.
But Fisch didn’t take the opportunity for an excuse the way Riley complained about facing Illinois on the road at 9 a.m. (body clock) one week after playing Michigan State at home at 8 p.m.
“We don’t make the schedule. Clearly,” Riley told reporters, adding the impact of crisscrossing the country “compounds, if you aren’t careful.”
Fisch didn’t gripe about the long flight or Maryland’s bye the way Lanning went out of his way — twice — to express frustration over the disparity in preparation time between Oregon and its opponents. (During a news conference earlier in the season, and in a subsequent interview, Lanning referenced the “seven” instances in which the opposing team has more than the standard six days of prep time before facing the Ducks.)
And Fisch didn’t present the travel as an excuse for poor play the way Franklin did — unprompted — following Penn State’s ghastly performance in a loss to UCLA on Saturday afternoon.
“Obviously, we did not handle last week’s loss (to Oregon) well,” Franklin said. “We also lost some players in that game, and then everything else — travel, everything else — we did not come out with the right energy to start the game.”
Complaints about the schedule, travel and kickoff times have been a recurring subplot since the new Big Ten came online last fall. It’s a terrible look for the coaches, and reflects poorly on the conference, given that the logistics are entirely of the schools’ own making.
Nobody forced the 14 Big Ten members to vote to expand to the West Coast.
Nobody forced USC and UCLA to accept the invitations in the summer of 2022.
Nobody forced Washington and Oregon to make the same move a year later.
The inevitable result of the most sprawling conference in major college football history: Schedules that are not entirely fair, kickoff times that don’t always make sense and long flights that sap energy.
Nor is the pain distributed equally. Certain teams will face more challenging logistics in a given season.
The Big Ten’s goal? Make sure that a single school isn’t handed the short straw year after year — and that Ohio State and Michigan have the longest straws.
The Huskies were on the receiving end this season: On four occasions, they have normal preparation time (six days) while their opponent has two weeks. (Oregon faces that situation twice; USC, once.)
Ohio State was the first instance; Maryland was the second; and this week’s opponent, Rutgers, is the third. The fourth comes later this month, when Illinois pays a visit.
Whereas Riley, Lanning and Franklin have filed public complaints, Fisch remains silent.
His reward? The most impressive victory of his tenure.
The Huskies were running in mud in the first half while the Terps dominated the ball and the scoreboard. The halftime break allowed for an emotional reset and tweaks to the game plan, and everything changed in the second half — slowly at first, and then with a rush of touchdowns and defensive stops.
UW scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to secure Fisch’s first Big Ten road win and arguably the most impressive victory over his season-and-a-half in charge.
More impressive than toppling Michigan last fall.
More impressive than beating USC a month later.
Granted, the Huskies could beat Maryland by 200 points, and the resonance wouldn’t compare to a one-point victory over the Wolverines.
But if you measure value by the resolve necessary to overcome brutal logistics and a 20-point deficit and a massive deficit in preparation time — if value is defined not by a field storming but by what a coach learns about his team and what the players learn about themselves — then that four-point win over Maryland is the most impressive result of Fisch’s tenure.
It was rooted in grit, completely free of excuses and complaints. Fisch’s silence spoke volumes. Will his peers ever learn?
To the power rankings …
All times Pacific
1. Oregon (5-0/2-0)
Result: did not play
Next up: vs. Indiana (12:30 p.m. on CBS)
Comment: It didn’t take long for the win in Happy Valley to lose a thin layer of luster. What if the Ducks needed overtime to beat a ninth-place team … and the true test of their mettle comes this week? (Previous: 1)
2. Ohio State (5-0/2-0)
Result: beat Minnesota 42-3
Next up: at Illinois (9 a.m. on Fox)
Comment: Opponents have now scored 25 points in five games against Ohio State, which is less than half the per-game average (12.9) the Buckeyes allowed last season. (Previous: 2)
3. Indiana (5-0/2-0)
Result: did not play
Next up: at Oregon (12:30 p.m. on CBS)
Comment: We’re reminded of the Hoosiers’ put-up-or-shut-up affair last season (at Ohio State) and how they weren’t competitive in the fourth quarter. Good chance history repeats, just in a different location. (Previous: 3)
4. Michigan (4-1/2-0)
Result: beat Wisconsin 24-10
Next up: at USC (4:30 p.m. on NBC)
Comment: The Wolverines are slight underdogs in the Coliseum but should be favored in every subsequent game until The Game. Which means a victory this week opens the road to an epic finale. Remember, neither Michigan nor Ohio State plays Oregon. (Previous: 5)
5. Illinois (5-1/2-1)
Result: won at Purdue 43-27
Next up: vs. Ohio State (9 a.m. on Fox)
Comment: If the Illini score more than 10 points and allow fewer than 63, we’ll call it progress. (Previous: 6)
6. Washington (4-1/1-1)
Result: won at Maryland 24-20
Next up: vs. Rutgers (Friday at 6 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: We can’t help but think the victory over Maryland played a role in Fox slotting the Oct. 18 matchup at Michigan in the ‘Big Noon’ broadcast window. (Previous: 8)
7. USC (4-1/2-1)
Result: did not play
Next up: vs. Michigan (4:30 p.m. on NBC)
Comment: The Trojans weren’t tough enough up front against Illinois and now face an opponent that’s more talented on the line of scrimmage. Feels like the football gods are prepared to render judgment on the Lincoln Riley era — and it won’t be favorable. (Previous: 7)
8. Penn State (3-2/0-2)
Result: lost at UCLA 42-37
Next up: vs. Northwestern (12:30 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: Our view: Any program with Penn State’s resources that schedules Villanova, Nevada and FIU as the non-conference opponents gets exactly what it deserves once league play begins. (Previous: 4)
9. Nebraska (4-1/1-1)
Result: beat Michigan State 38-27
Next up: at Maryland (12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: Winning the games you’re supposed to win is a good launch point for becoming some semblance of the program you once were. But at some point, a signature victory is needed. (Previous: 13)
10. Michigan State (3-2/0-2)
Result: lost at Nebraska 38-27
Next up: vs. UCLA (9 a.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: One of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten got a teeny bit tougher with UCLA’s return from the wilderness. If the Spartans aren’t careful, they could drop to 0-3 — and at that point, the well becomes bottomless. (Previous: 9)
11. Maryland (4-1/1-1)
Result: lost to Washington 24-20
Next up: vs. Nebraska (12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: In the game-within-the-game, Maryland offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was out-coached by UW defensive coordinator Ryan Walters throughout the second half, and particularly in the fourth quarter. (Previous: 10)
12. Iowa (3-2/1-1)
Result: did not play
Next up: at Wisconsin (4 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: According to sources within the Las Vegas odds-making industry, the Over/Under this week in Madison will be 3.75, which seems reasonable. Oops, sorry. Make that 37.5, which feels ridiculously high. (Previous: 11)
13. Minnesota (3-2/1-1)
Result: lost at Ohio State 42-3
Next up: vs. Purdue (4:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: Some games are lost the moment the schedule is released and others are won at that very same time. The Gophers are experiencing each end of the spectrum within a week’s time. (Previous: 12)
14. Rutgers (3-2/0-2)
Result: did not play
Next up: at Washington (Friday at 6 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: We have reached the coin-flipping portion of the power rankings, with a clear gap between the middle tier and the bottom five. Which could become the bottom six before it’s finished. (Previous: 14)
15. UCLA (1-4/1-1)
Result: beat Penn State
Next up: at Michigan State (9 a.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: DeShaun Foster hiring Tino Sunseri as offensive coordinator will be remembered as one of the all-time whiffs, right alongside UCLA hiring Foster as head coach. (Previous: 18)
16. Purdue (2-3/0-2)
Result: lost to Illinois 43-27
Next up: at Minnesota (4:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: No team faces a tougher November than the Boilermakers, who finish with Michigan and Washington on the road and Ohio State and Indiana at home. Which means their last best chance for win No. 3 comes Oct. 25, against Rutgers. (Previous: 15)
17. Wisconsin (2-3/0-2)
Result: lost at Michigan 24-10
Next up: vs. Iowa (4 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: We gave serious consideration to slotting the Badgers in last place. Given the company that involves — not just Northwestern but Purdue and UCLA, as well — it’s difficult to imagine a more damning commentary on the Luke Fickell era. (Previous: 16)
18. Northwestern (3-2/1-1)
Result: beat Louisiana Monroe 42-7
Next up: at Penn State (12:30 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: This is either the best week to visit Happy Valley or the worst week. The answer will be clear Saturday at roughly 2 p.m., when the teams trot off the field at halftime. (Previous: 17)
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