College Football

Can Marvin Harrison Jr. be stopped? Here's who's up, down across the Big Ten

Published Sep. 18, 2023 7:27 a.m. ET

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Michael Cohen

College Football and College Basketball Writer

Fortunes were reversed for the Big Ten's leading trio this week, as Ohio State found a new gear while rivals Michigan and Penn State left plenty to be desired in unsightly wins over lesser opponents. The race at the top is heating up.

Elsewhere, Rutgers continued its impressive start to the season by adding yet another Power 5 win to the résumé, and a first-year head coach in the Big Ten West continues to endure some growing pains.

Find out what it all means with a new edition of the Stock Watch: 

STOCK UP

Penn State's defense: In a game in which the Nittany Lions' rushing attack struggled to find its footing and the passing attack never kicked into gear, it was defensive coordinator Manny Diaz's group that answered the bell time and again during a 30-13 road win over Illinois. Penn State generated takeaways on three consecutive possessions to end the first quarter as linebacker Dominic DeLuca forced a fumble and then linebacker Abdul Carter and defensive back Daequan Hardy notched interceptions off quarterback Luke Altmyer. The opening barrage foreshadowed a forgettable afternoon for Altmyer, who completed 15 of 28 passes for 163 yards and four interceptions, with cornerbacks Johnny Dixon and Cam Miller snagging the two other INTs. The Illini's ground game didn't fare much better with six ball carries combining for 62 net yards and a touchdown on 29 attempts. Saturday's game marked the first time Penn State tallied four interceptions since Nov. 15, 2014, against Temple, and it was the first time the Nittany Lions created five turnovers since Sept. 16, 2017, when they recovered two fumbles and intercepted three passes against Georgia State. Diaz's unit now ranks 17th nationally and 11th among schools from the Power 5 in total defense.

Rutgers: For all the feel-good factors attached to head coach Greg Schiano's return in 2020, the harsh reality was that life could hardly have been more different for the Rutgers football program. When Schiano left for the NFL in 2011 following 56 wins over his final seven seasons, the Scarlet Knights were competing in a weakened Big East that was approaching its collapse at the hands of conference realignment. It was a far cry from the Big Ten program Schiano re-inherited a decade later, by which point Rutgers had divisional games against powerhouses Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State every year. Somewhat predictably, the Scarlet Knights limped to records of 3-6, 5-8 and 4-8 in the first three years of Schiano's second tenure. But thus far, the 2023 campaign is far different. Schiano has already guided Rutgers to wins over Northwestern (24-7), Temple (36-7) and Virginia Tech (35-16) with a defense that ranks 20th nationally and an improving offense under first-year coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. It's the program's first three-game winning streak to include multiple victories over opponents from power conferences since Rutgers defeated UConn, Syracuse and Temple in 2011. With winnable games against Wagner, Indiana, Michigan State and Maryland still to come — not to mention the possibility for a larger upset — the Scarlet Knights could very well push for a bowl berth.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State: Harrison's inclusion this week is something of a cumulative award given how explosive he's been in Ohio State's last two games. After catching just two passes for 18 yards in the Buckeyes' underwhelming opener at Indiana, Harrison exploded for seven catches, 160 yards and two touchdowns against Youngstown State in Week 2 before snaring five passes for 126 yards and a score in Ohio State's 63-10 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday. Harrison's blossoming connection with quarterback Kyle McCord, who completed 19 of 23 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns in his first game since head coach Ryan Day named him the starter, has surfaced in the form of field-tilting deep balls that will catch the attention of defensive coordinators around the Big Ten. McCord found Harrison for a 71-yard score against Youngstown State and a 76-yard score against Western Kentucky, as the nation's best receiver established new career-long receptions in consecutive weeks. Harrison's average of 21.7 yards per catch ranks 10th nationally and sixth among wideouts from the Power 5 conferences with at least 15 targets. Exactly half of his 14 total catches have resulted in first downs so far this season.

Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. has huge performance in Week 3

Wisconsin's secondary: A penny for the thoughts of defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and defensive-minded head coach Luke Fickell as the Badgers intercepted not one, not two, not three, not four, but five passes in a 35-14 win over Georgia Southern — after failing to notch an INT in either of their first two games. Waves of pressure from Wisconsin's front seven forced quarterback Davis Brin (33-of-52, 383 yards, 1 TD) to release the ball while he was getting hit on multiple occasions during Saturday's game, the results of which were several looping passes that made for easy pickings by the Badgers. The player of the game was safety Hunter Wohler, a first-time starter who racked up 10 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in one of the Big Ten's best defensive performances this season. He darted from the middle of the field toward the left sideline to make a leaping, highlight-reel catch near the pylon for his second INT. Additional interceptions were made by linebacker C.J. Goetz and defensive backs Ricardo Hallman and Jason Maitre as the Badgers picked off five passes for the first time since 1988. There are now just 10 teams in the country with more interceptions than Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin defense forces FIVE INTs in blowout of Georgia Southern

STOCK DOWN

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan: After opening the season with two of the most surgical and efficient performances of his career, McCarthy bottomed out with his worst game as a starter in Michigan's 31-6 win over Bowling Green on Saturday. He completed just eight of 13 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns and a career-high three interceptions as the Wolverines relied more heavily on the rushing attack that fueled them the last two seasons. While one of McCarthy's interceptions could be partially blamed on tight end AJ Barner, who dragged his defender too close to another receiver, the other two miscues were squarely on the quarterback's shoulders. First, he badly underthrew a deep pass intended for wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, who was undercut by cornerback Jordan Oladokun for an easy INT. And later, McCarthy rolled left to escape some pressure in the backfield before lobbing a lollipop over the head of tight end Colston Loveland and into the arms of outside linebacker Avi McGary. Even one of McCarthy's touchdown passes was fortuitous as Johnson maintained his concentration to secure a tipped ball that should have been intercepted near the goal line. "I'm going to take all of those on the chin," McCarthy said after the game. "Put them all on me."

Harlon Barnett, interim coach, Michigan State: It's important to note that Barnett's position on this list has nothing to do with the unenviable task he was given after Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller suspended head coach Mel Tucker amid an investigation into accusations of sexual harassment. Barnett, who was elevated from secondary coach to interim head coach and is widely respected throughout the program, did the best he could under immensely challenging circumstances. His inclusion in the Stock Down category is purely the result of yet another implosion by Michigan State's defensive backs, the group of players he's coached since joining Tucker's staff in 2020. The Spartans ranked 72nd nationally in passing defense during Barnett's first season before sinking to 130th — better known as dead last among FBS schools — in 2021. Barnett's unit climbed back to 87th in the country a season ago but still ranked 11th in the Big Ten. What happened Saturday during a 41-7 dismantling by Washington might have been rock bottom for Michigan State's secondary. The Spartans allowed quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to complete 27 of 35 passes for 472 yards and four touchdowns before he was pulled late in the third quarter. Had Penix played the entire game, he might have thrown for 600 yards. The Huskies completed a staggering 11 passes of 15 yards or more as Michigan State fell to 99th in passing defense.

Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Minnesota: The heir to sixth-year senior Tanner Morgan, who finally exhausted his eligibility last season, Kaliakmanis has labored through Minnesota's first three games by completing 45 of 88 passes for 446 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. The sophomore connected on just 11 of 29 passes (37.9%) for 133 yards and one INT in the Gophers' 31-13 loss at North Carolina on Saturday, which prompted him to describe the performance as "probably the worst game I've ever played" before issuing an apology to his teammates. A former four-star prospect who held scholarship offers from Iowa, Purdue and Tennessee, among others, Kaliakmanis has the second-lowest passing grade of all 50 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus. His NFL passer rating of 55.1 and his completion rate of 50.6% are also the second-lowest marks among the same group of players. He's been particularly poor against the blitz, with 17 completions on 36 attempts for 186 yards, two interceptions and an NFL passer rating of 39.8. The Gophers will need an uptick in Kaliakmanis' performance if they want to be legitimate contenders in a wide-open Big Ten West.

Purdue's run defense: The Ryan Walters era at Purdue continues to sputter and spin after a second consecutive home loss to begin the season, this time at the hands of Syracuse during a 35-20 defeat in which the Boilermakers trailed by two touchdowns on four separate occasions. Walters was hired after coordinating an Illinois defense that ranked third overall and 10th nationally against the run last season, but on Saturday he watched as the Orange racked up 271 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in a dominant display. Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader employed beautiful sleight-of-hand fakes and excellent decision-making on run-pass options to spearhead the offense with 25 carries for a career-high 195 yards and four scores. He was credited with forcing 13 missed tackles by Pro Football Focus and picked up 13 first downs with his legs alone. By the time Saturday's game finally ended, Shrader had tied program legends Ernie Davis and Dee Brown with 28 career rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers fell to 108th nationally and 13th in the Big Ten in total defense.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.

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Michael Cohen