By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Put One in the Win Column
The Oregon Ducks didn’t win a single game last season, going 0-8. However, they only needed one week to notch their first win of Season 22. The Ducks hosted West Virginia this week (who is also coming off an 0-8 season). The Ducks balanced offensive attack and stifling defense led them to an easy win. The final score was 34-11.
Oregon QB Alexa Earl showed flashes of greatness in her debut. She threw for 247 yards and picked up a pair of touchdowns (one rushing, one passing). Halfback Ryan Ralosky took some pressure off the freshman QB with a stellar performance. Raloksy ran for 128 yards and a touchdown while averaging a staggering 7.5 yards per carry. He currently has the second-most rushing yards in the league.
However, it was their defense that led the Ducks to victory. The Oregon defense lived in the backfield. Six different Ducks had two or more TFLs this week, with DT AJ Lussier leading the team with four. The secondary shined too, as CB Theo Markos, CB Mo Harris, and SS Andre Christmas each snagged a pick. Oregon currently has the best defense in the CFSL statistically, as they only allowed 11 points and 247 total yards. No other defense in the league allowed less than 380 total yards or less than 20 points.
Oregon AD Gavin Lussier has to be elated with the way his team played this week. And it has to feel good to end the losing streak. Time will tell if Lussier and company can turn this win into a streak.
Slept On
The Ohio State Buckeyes came into the season unranked after an undefeated regular season last year. They lost quite a few big names to graduation, which left many to believe (myself included) that the Buckeyes were in store for a less-than-stellar season.
Well, boy were we wrong! Ohio State made a statement this week when they dominated Colorado, 41-24. QB Jaylen Tyree picked up right where he left off last season. He threw for 435 yards and four touchdowns while completing 72% of his passes. Tyree also added 42 yards and another touchdown with his legs. The passing game was helped by the emergence of a new star wide receiver. Junior Korbin Hardin caught six passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. This is the second-best game of Hardin’s career and perhaps a glance at what is to come for the Buckeye offense.
Many thought the defense would struggle this season without players like Mike Diamond and Seth Berlin. However, Ohio State had DE Jesse Stork and MLB Mason Davis step up to fill their shoes. Stork had nine tackles, six TFLs, and two sacks as he harassed the Colorado backfield all night. His six tackles in the backfield are currently the second-most in the league. Davis also gave the Buffaloes fits with eight tackles, two TFLs, and a sack. If this duo can continue to lead the Buckeye defense like this, then Ohio State is going to win quite a few games this season.
Overall, this was a statement game. Ohio State showed the league that despite the great players they graduated, they are still a team to beat in the Big10.
Offensive Wins Games, Defense…Does What, Again?
The Michigan State Spartans offensive was red hot this week. They put up 568 total yards (7th most in the league) and scored 52 points (4th most). However, despite that effort, the Spartans won by a single score.
As stated, this was one of the best offensive performances of any team this week. Michigan State QB Cole Mantell threw for 391 yards and two touchdowns while completing a surgical 87% of his passes. Mantell also added 78 yards and another pair of scores on the ground. Freshman HB David Michael helped with the ground attack with 83 yards and two touchdowns, in what was a strong debut game. WR Arnez Gray led all Spartan receivers with 140 yards receiving. Gray also found the endzone once.
Everyone got involved and you could shout out every member of the offense. This was a complete effort.
However, the other side of the ball left a lot to be desired. Michigan State allowed 501 yards of offense in a game that Georgia made seven redzone trips. The defense had four combined TFLs even though Georgia ran the ball 33 times. Freshman tailback Lane Easton gashed the Spartan defense to become the league leader in rushing yards. The Spartans currently have the third-worst run defense in the CFSL. Michigan State did play better against the pass, but still allowed Brandon Petty to throw for 376 yards and three touchdowns.
This is not to say that Michigan State has a bad defense. On the contrary, they have a talented defensive unit. It was clear that Georgia had a great game plan this week and was able to get the most out of it. However, if Michigan State wants to live up to its championship goals, the defense has to play better than it did in Week One.
Big10 Week 1 Results
USC defeats Texas A&M 28-23
Penn State falls to Florida 27-31
Michigan falls to Alabama 29-35
Michigan State defeats Georgia 52-46
Ohio State defeats Colorado 41-24
Oregon defeats West Virginia 34-11
Big10 finished with a 4-2 record this week in OOC play
Big10 Week 2 Schedule
Monday, January 13, 2025
Auburn at USC 6:30 pm CST (Twitch)
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
North Carolina at Penn State 6:30 pm CST (Twitch)
Florida State at Ohio State 8:30 pm CST (Twitch)
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Virginia Tech at Michigan State 6:30 pm CST (Twitch)
Michigan at LSU 8:30 pm CST (Twitch)
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Tennessee at Oregon 6:30 pm CST (YouTube)
Potential Big10 Game of the Week
USC is coming off a big win in the rematch of the Season 21 National Championship Game. This week they will host an Auburn team coming off their first regular season loss in the Justin Duke era. The Tigers are going to be hungry to right the ship. This heavyweight bout could have major ramifications on seeding at the end of the season and is a can’t-miss game!
