Is USC or Penn State More Likely to Win the Big Ten?

Bill Connelly ESPN's Bill Connelly he's the one that does the returning production ratings and all those things he came out after the Florida state debacle against uh Boston College he came out with a piece that was mostly about Florida State but then he also went through and picked who he believes is going to win each conference after kind of an overreaction to the very first weekend of college football or I guess the second weekend after you know a small weekend before that but after week one and he picked Penn State to win the Big 10 he says quote Penn State played what was supposed to be a challenging week one game and only pen State finished week one unchallenged now he goes into it he talks a little bit about how Ohio State Michigan and Oregon did not perform very well all of them kind of lost their seat at the top and he believes that Penn State is the top team he did not really comment much on USC which was a little strange to me I feel like they have some conversation there but Zach what were your thoughts with Bill Connelly picking Penn State to win the Big 10 after week one um I you know he said that no team was unchallenged except Penn State I was at the Ohio State akan game I think Ohio State's biggest challenge was Ohio state I I don't think akan challenged them I think think so either yeah like I I I think like I can understand you saying oh Ohio State didn't look very very good in that first quarter and a half I say I could understand saying like they had a slow start you expect a faster start by you know somebody who had all the hype you know yeah I so I I I'll say it I I think it's a huge overreaction but I I did think Penn State was the most impressive team this weekend and again I I think people were sleeping on West Virginia and and the potential of their quarterback they made gar green who I think I think is going to be pretty good this year they made him look just awful and they made that offense look pedestrian when they've got two very good running backs a good offensive system like again in a really tough environment and I there were a lot of things I loved about Penn State that were different from a year ago two things in particular Drew Aller I think showing a lot of fire and Leadership I mean off the get-go you know he was yelling at a ref of all things because of what he thought was unfair play and I'm like man did you see Drew show any emotion a year ago like I I I thought that was huge and like I I know it's a small detail but like I actually thought that was really really important for the leadership moving forward and then seeing cotal Nikki dial it up with two minutes to go and not Turtle into conservative mode like I thought those two things were really telling the defense is nasty again and so do I think that Penn State is definitely gonna win the Big 10 after this week no do I think that Penn State is one of the three like most likely teams to compete for the Big 10 title after this week yes because those three for you uh I Oregon but I have a I have question marks Ohio State and Penn State I think Michigan they have a quarterback problem and like they would take Kade mcar and a heartbeat back right now um see I put I put USC up there instead of organ after this weekend Oh say more yeah so I believe USC coming out of this weekend if you're G to have like an overreaction pick to win the Big 10 let's let's just take Ohio State out of it for a minute okay let's let's pretend like Bill Connelly's you know whole analysis here and I know people are disagreeing in the chat I I tend to disagree as well but for for funsies you know let's let's take Ohio State out of it for a second and let's say the top two options are USC and Penn State if I had to pick between those two who I believe is going to win the Big 10 I think USC is the better team and I think that they should win the Big 10 between the two I just think Penn State has the better schedule to accomplish that which for me is kind of you know that kind of sucks for P for USC cuz I think USC has the better team based off what we saw this weekend they were were challenged more and they did more to actually show a winning Championship pedigree I agree with you Penn State showed some things in the West Virginia game but let's also remember it's West Virginia I mean this is Neil Brown who was going to be fired last year he had one good year after losing to Penn State because don't forget I mean who was it in here in the chat yeah Billy Tuesday said didn't OSU he means PSU start strong last year against West Virginia they did and people were talking about Drew Aller as this great quarterback and he was going to be fantastic I mean he was making throws on the Run he was throwing the ball deep kind of letting it go a little bit it was really cool to see and then we saw that team kind of take their step back after playing Ohio State and then the loss to Michigan was also very demoralizing struggling against I think it was Indiana they struggled against that was really difficult for them to take I don't know I just I I can see link and Riley getting to the conference Championship game as he has done before I don't think I see James Franklin getting there Lincoln Riley has been to the playoffs Lincoln Riley has had Heisman calber quarterbacks uh James Franklin has looked good before and then flopped against better teams forgive me but I just feel like that's what we're going to see with Penn State again and I don't know if my mind can change until I see it I only saw it once in 2016 I don't think my mind can change until I see it again yeah I I'll I'll push back a little um I ultimately I think we're both on the same page Ohio State still the favorite and I I don't think that's I don't think there's small favorites in either of our minds either especially after this week um I think 2016 is actually a really good reference point because I think what James Franklin had then that he has now is an offensive coordinator that can make things happen and I think my concern with USC so I would agree with you I think Lincoln riy is the better Coach and I think he proved it against LSU I think if Brian Kelly were a better Coach I think we're probably talking about a USC loss because I I just I think their roster is better and I think they could grow into something for sure I mean I it's game one right so like I think what we saw at of USC that's they're not a finished product but I I would be concerned if you had a line even just even not as good as LSUS but you actually had a a better defense and offense around it um like I think if USC played Ohio State I I I might have I don't know who I'd pick in that game last week based on how they played but I'm like as USC gonna beat Penn State and beat Michigan and beat like I just don't know um and I think you're right I think the schedule is harder so I'm like I think the pathway for USC is harder and I'm just not sure they can win I don't know if they can win the same way game in and game out yeah I think Brian Mayers makes a good point here he says what Franklin had in 2016 is saquin Barkley they don't have anyone of that caliber this year I will say Nick Singleton could possibly be that but not exactly Sequon Barkley he could be a version of sequan Barkley but I do think that Drew Aller would be a better quarterback but I I mean I I agree don't have saquon Barkley and so that's one of the biggest things that's going to prevent them from doing it this year and I think ultimately at the end of the day even though Penn State has the easier schedule I just think Lincoln riy is the better Coach I know people are going to clown him for last year when he went seven and5 or eight and five because of the bll game I know people are going to clown him and people are going to say oh he's never won in the playoffs and that kind of stuff we're not talking about a playoff win here we're talking about uh making the conference Championship Game the ability to win the conference Championship Game sure Lincoln Riley lost to Utah in the conference Championship game two years ago but that was also taking over a USC team that had what four or five wins the year before so I mean and that was also with a hurt Caleb Williams so