As USC’s arrival in the Big Ten comes closer, one reality Trojan fans need to be exposed to is that Big Ten football is not monolithic. There is not one style of play in the league.
It is true that Big Ten football is more smashmouthy than other conferences, including the Pac-12, but Ohio State has a Star Wars-style offense. Purdue had a pass-happy offense under previous coach Jeff Brohm, though new coach Ryan Walters will put his own imprint on the Boilermakers with Brohm now at Louisville.
USC fans need to know that Big Ten football schools are all wrestling with the question of how to play a style which works for them and can also counteract the strengths of specific opponents such as USC or Ohio State. Moreover, not all programs are coming up with the same answers.
We have conducted podcast interviews with the editors of Hawkeyes Wire, Rutgers Wire, and Cornhuskers Wire in recent weeks. We learned that what Kirk Ferentz is doing in Iowa City is different from what Matt Rhule is doing in Lincoln. When you then look at what Wisconsin is doing under Luke Fickell, that’s different from what Ferentz and Rhule are doing.
Each Big Ten program has to arrive at its own conclusions and find its own happy medium of getting enough offensive production while tailoring its style of play to its defense. Each coaching staff has to weigh the need to be potent on offense versus the need to demonstrate ball control and win time of possession by 10 minutes per game (35-25).
You’ll want to listen to all of our podcasts on this subject. The Rutgers Wire conversation below is just one attempt to flesh out these larger tension points:
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