At the Big Ten media conference in August, the top three teams were Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa, in that order.
Currently, two of those teams have a loss, with only No. 7 Ohio State (3-0) unscathed among the three after nonconference play. Three other teams are undefeated along with Buckeyes, No. 15 Purdue (2-0), No. 19 Minnesota (2-0) and No. 20 Wisconsin (3-0). The Wolverines (2-1) lost at Notre Dame on Sept. 11 and the Hawkeyes were defeated last week at Arizona State.
"The teams that have been favored all summer and in our preseason media days - nothing has changed as a result of the nonconference schedule," Indiana head coach Gerry DiNardo said.
"I suspect nothing has changed through non-league play," DiNardo said. "Every (teams) non-league schedule is a little different."
Indiana (2-1), Illinois (2-1), Penn State (2-1), Northwestern (1-2) and MSU (1-2) were all not considered to finish very high according to preseason magazines. However, MSU showed that doesn't matter, picked eighth last season in some preseason magazines, such as Athlon, the Spartans found their way to fourth place in 2003.
MSU head coach John L. Smith agreed with DiNardo - his first week foe - that the conference is wide open this year.
"It doesn't surprise me it's that way, just because every team has the young (quarterback) with the exception of a couple teams," Smith said. "You see that with Ohio State, Michigan and some of those teams that are always at the top may not be, just because they have young guys."
In fact, seven of the 11 Big Ten teams have a new starting quarterback this season, including MSU. Of the four teams that have a returning starter, three finished with a losing record last year. Only Purdue had a winning record in 2003 and has a returning starting quarterback - senior and Heisman Trophy candidate Kyle Orton.
While the Spartans do not play Orton and the Boilermakers, eight other conference teams do. In two nonconference games this season he has thrown 616 yards and nine touchdowns in two games.
The Big Ten leader in passing yards per game (311) is another returning starter, Northwestern junior Brett Basanez. The Wildcats are the other team MSU does not play, but Basanez leads a Northwestern offense which has eight returning starters.
The Spartans opening Big Ten opponent, Indiana, upset the then-No. 24 Oregon 30-24 in the second week of the season. The Hoosiers are led by senior quarterback Matt LoVecchio, a transfer from Notre Dame and another returning starter.
In week two of Big Ten play, MSU stays on the road and travels to Iowa. The preseason pick to finish third, ESPN.com called the Hawkeyes linebacker corps the best in the conference according to the Iowa athletic Web site. But Iowa was beaten 44-7 by then-unranked Arizona St. last week.
MSU opens up its Big Ten season at home for two straight games against Illinois and Minnesota in East Lansing.
The Fighting Illini have two wins this season, one more than their total from last season (1-11), but they only beat Western Michigan 30-27, at home.
The Golden Gophers have the second best running attack in the country, led by junior Marion Barber III and sophomore Laurence Maroney, who are ninth and 12th in the nation in individual rushing yards per game, respectively.
The Spartans then have a bye week to prepare for heading to Ann Arbor the next weekend to face U-M. The Wolverines have had problems at quarterback similar to MSU's issues. The quarterback they thought would start - junior Matt Gutierrez - isn't healthy, so they are playing freshman Chad Henne. He has the Big Ten's leading wide receiver to throw to, in Braylon Edwards, who has caught 26 passes for 350 yards and four touchdowns.
Ohio State is the top ranked Big Ten team and won on the road at N.C. State in large part to place kicker Mike Nugent's five field goals. The Buckeyes travel to East Lansing the first weekend of November.
MSU plays their last home game of the season on Nov. 13 against Wisconsin. The Badgers went undefeated through their non-conference game, giving up only 16 points in three games.
The Spartans finish their Big Ten schedule with the traditional road trip to Happy Valley to battle Penn State for the Land Grant Trophy. The Nittany Lions are led by senior quarterback Zack Mills, who has started 29 games over the last four seasons for Joe Paterno, Penn State's head coach for the last 38 years.
Overall, the Big Ten coaches have learned one thing from the nonconference season about their conference - it's still one of the best in the country.
"We've seen enough to tell it's going to be a good league," Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said. "I think the transition that's gone on in our league this year shows some signs that we're going to be outstanding again."
"The Big Ten is going to be a tough battle - every play you're in the game."
