The Big Ten's nonconference struggles the past two weeks don't come as a major shock to those around the league.
"We do subpar in our nonconference schedule year in and year out," one league coach said. "[Against] the SEC and the Pac-12 and the MAC, it's subpar. And then you get into bowl games and it's a s---storm."
"It's not like 2014 came about and the league is weak. This league has been weak for a long time. If you list the Power 5 conferences, you know who No. 5 is." Former Big Ten coach
Added a former Big Ten coach: "It's not like 2014 came about and the league is weak. This league has been weak for a long time. If you list the Power 5 conferences, you know who No. 5 is."
The league's 8-33 regular-season record against Power 5 teams since 2010 bears that out, and the bowl record (10-21) isn't much better. But a conference that has spent much of the past decade closer to college football's basement than its penthouse has moved down yet another floor.
After Big Ten newbie Rutgers beat Washington State in Seattle on college football's opening night, the league has lost 10 consecutive games against Power 5 teams and Notre Dame. The Big Ten didn't just drop its two marquee showcases -- Wisconsin-LSU and Michigan State-Oregon -- but games it was heavily favored to win (Ohio State-Virginia Tech, Northwestern-Cal, Iowa-Iowa State). The 1-10 mark against the Power 5 is compounded by three home losses to Mid-American Conference foes.
Big Ten bashing, seemingly a national pastime every September, has intensified.
"When you go 0-and-whatever," one league coach said, "you're an easy target."
Why has the Big Ten seemingly gone from bad to worse? Inside Access asked those who best know the league.
Recruiting: The Big Ten's recruiting challenges are nothing new. A population drain in the Midwest has shrunk the pool of prospects in the Big Ten footprint.
"It's our location," one league coach said. "I go recruit down through Georgia, and I see more kids [by] going to seven high schools than going to Ohio for three days. That's probably the biggest problem."
A former Big Ten coach added, "There's not enough numbers in some states with Big Ten teams to fill your team and be competitive at the Power 5 level."
The league's newest members, Maryland and Rutgers, have added new territories that generate plenty of Power 5 recruits. Big Ten schools also are extending their recruiting reach to talent-producing states in the South. Southern imports like Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah (Homewood, Alabama) and Ohio State's Joey Bosa (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) have become Big Ten stars, but convincing groups of elite prospects to play far from home isn't easy.
"The Texas part got real tough when A&M opened up and the Big 12 really changed into what it is today," one former Big Ten coach said. "That really stopped Texas kids from going to the Big Ten. There's some, but they're not elite. That's really hurt."
Certain positions seem to have been hit hard, especially wide receiver and defensive back.
"You're getting out-athleted at the end of the day," one Big Ten coach said.
A former Big Ten starting quarterback notices a more surprising trend.
"The Big Ten has always been known for incredible offensive and defensive lines," he said. "That's the biggest issue right now. These teams are getting manhandled up front."
Soft upper crust: There's a potentially simple fix for the Big Ten, but not an easy one.
"Nothing will change until the four powers get better," one former coach said.
Three of the top six winningest programs in college football history -- Michigan, Ohio State and Nebraska -- reside in the Big Ten. Add in Penn State's vacated wins and it's four of the top seven. But only Ohio State won a national title during the BCS era. Nebraska hasn't won a conference title since 1999. Michigan is approaching a decade without a league championship. Penn State is just now emerging from the cloud of scandal and sanctions.
"When have those four teams or three out of the four been to their standard as a national power?" one former coach said. "Michigan's been a disaster for years now, and Nebraska, when they try to compare it to the years of Tom Osborne, that's a joke."
Others see the league's lack of depth as a bigger issue. Purdue is just 2-13 since the start of 2013. Illinois is 8-19 under coach Tim Beckman. Indiana hasn't made a bowl game since 2007. Northwestern has lost nine of its last 10 games.
"You could take the bottom teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they could beat you," a former Big Ten coach said. "Now from top to bottom, the league's not very good."
Resources: The Big Ten's on-field downturn has coincided with unprecedented revenue growth, especially from the thriving Big Ten Network. Most Big Ten schools received nearly $26 million from the league in fiscal year 2012-13, and future projections have schools getting north of $30 million for fiscal year 2014-15.
"Resources are there," one Big Ten athletic director wrote in a text message. "It comes down to recruiting and teaching. Have to have talent across the board."
Every Big Ten school has either recently completed or has plans to upgrade its football facilities. Many have increased recruiting-specific staff. But in the never-ending arms race with other major conferences, is it enough?
"Training tables have been average at best," one former Big Ten coach said. "One school, I was embarrassed seeing what they would feed the kids after a long scrimmage."
Another former coach thinks the Big Ten is playing catch-up.
"Big-time salaries, those showed up first in the SEC," he said. "Big-time facilities, how many Big Ten programs can say their facilities rank in the top 10?"
Culture: College football is often cyclical, and some hope that a once-great conference can be great again. But is there a deeper issue going on?
One word several former coaches kept mentioning: culture.
The Big Ten celebrates its broad-based philosophy toward athletics. Football is king on many campuses, but it's not the only game in town.
"I think we try to have our cake and eat it too," one current coach said. "We try to be this pure, perfect conference and have all these standards and then expect to go beat those people."
A former coach added that some Big Ten schools are "too politically correct" when it comes to priorities and spending.
"There's some people on campus who are saying, wait a second, is this necessary?" another former Big Ten coach said. "Well, yes it is if you want to win championships."
The Big Ten's national championship drought sits at 11 years, and judging by the way this season has started, it could reach 12.
"If you're not careful, you create a culture," a former coach said. "You lose games, and the theatrics of modern-day football gets involved. It's on TV and it's all you hear about and it starts to hurt you in recruiting because recruits hear about it. The fans are hearing about it. It's not just your team any more. It's the whole Big Ten. It's collective."
The collective problem could require a collective answer. Coaches say the league should gather to address its football problem.
"A think tank, why not?" one coach said. "There's no downside. It might be just the coaches. It might be just the ADs."
A former coach thinks it must go past the athletic director level.
"Is it a concern at the presidential level? Do they worry about how Big Ten football is perceived nationally?" he said. "If they do, those guys ultimately have the power to identify the problem and the solutions.
"But just to keep hoping things are going to get better, they're not."
Asked recently about a possible summit, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told ESPN.com that these are local issues between competitors, adding that he couldn't envision Alabama and Florida or UCLA and Stanford in the same room brainstorming solutions.
But coaches point out: Other leagues don't have the same issues.
"They ain't gonna stop," a Big Ten coach said. "They have their hands around your throat, and they're going to choke you out."
Inside Slants
Mike Stoops might never be described as mellow, but the Oklahoma defensive coordinator doesn't have much to rant and rave about these days.
The Sooners have collected 19 takeaways and 25 sacks during their seven-game win streak, stretching back to 2013. They have three red zone takeaways this season, including two last week against Tennessee.
"There's no real weak link," Stoops said. "This is as good from 1 to 11 than we've had in a while. It gives you strength inside, speed on the perimeter. We're developing playmakers across the defense."
The secondary forced three takeaways against Tennessee, including cornerback Zack Sanchez beating 6-foot-5 Jason Croom for an acrobatic end zone interception. Sanchez has an interception in every game this season. Julian Wilson, who had a 100-yard pick-six against Tennessee, has seamlessly transitioned from safety to cornerback.
"The NFL scouts are really excited about him," head coach Bob Stoops said. "He's a 6-2, 200-pound corner. They're all looking."
The Sooners secondary will be tested Saturday at West Virginia. Oklahoma allowed 778 yards -- the most in team history -- in a 50-49 win in 2012. Sanchez redshirted that year and watched from home.
"We definitely don't want to go through that again," he said.
• Mississippi State quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson will make his first trip to LSU's Tiger Stadium on Saturday, but he has been in Louisiana before.
As Utah's quarterback, he engineered an upset of No. 4 Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl to cap a perfect season.
"As a quarterback, these are the types of moments you live for," Johnson said. "It's national television, everyone's watching you. The stage is set."
Johnson expects Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott to match the moment. Prescott's in-game communication has stood out to Johnson during his first season on staff.
"After every series, we'll talk and he'll come back with an extreme detail," Johnson said. "It could be about a field corner or a backside safety. The biggest thing is understanding fronts and coverage and how they're trying to fit us in the run game."
LSU didn't allow a rushing first down last week against Louisiana-Monroe and has gone nine consecutive quarters without allowing a point.
"We've got to win first down," Johnson said.
• Missouri's starting receiving corps might be new to the Saturday spotlight, but they're familiar with quarterback Maty Mauk. Since Mauk became the starter late last season, he spent most of his time practicing with the second string, which included receivers Bud Sasser, Jimmie Hunt and Darius White.
The three fifth-year seniors now occupy starting roles after Dorial Green-Beckham's dismissal and the graduation departures of L'Damian Washington and Marcus Lucas. Sasser, Hunt and White have combined for 10 touchdown receptions and 517 yards in the first three games.
"Those guys got a lot of [practice] reps with Maty," Tigers receivers coach Pat Washington said. "They understand each other."
Washington thinks all three receivers are faster after shedding 5-6 pounds -- "ankle weights," he calls it -- from last season. "We don't have a guy who can run like L'Damian, we don't have a 6-6 kid like Dorial," Washington said. "But you've got good route-runners, really good hands, smart players. You can put a lot on their shoulders and they can adapt."
• Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon is naturally laid-back. At times, quarterbacks coach Rod Smith wondered if the redshirt freshman was too quiet.
"I was fooled," Smith said. "I'm thinking sometimes, 'Does this kid care?' But he does. He's very competitive."
Last week against Nevada, Solomon had 278 pass yards, 60 rush yards and three touchdowns, and completed 22 of 26 pass attempts, but called his performance "horrible." He threw an interception and slid short of a first down in the fourth quarter.
"He's probably harder on himself than we can be on him," Smith said. "And he learns fast. He very rarely makes the same mistake twice."
Solomon has eight touchdown passes and only one interception in his first three starts, averaging 311.3 pass yards per game. He lacks exceptional size or speed but is a "slippery" runner and precise with his throws.
Solomon makes his Pac-12 debut Saturday against Cal. "He doesn't get rattled," Smith said. "He's got the intangibles you want from a quarterback."