CBS Sports: The Big Ten Race Is Over

After Week 8 in which Ohio State beat Penn State and Michigan thrashed Michigan State, a CBS Sports writer believes the Big Ten goes through Ann Arbor.

Week 8 was a pivotal point for the Big Ten. The first domino fell after Ohio State beat Penn State and the score probably wasn't indicative of the game. Drew Allar was a major disappointment for the Nittany Lions, the Buckeyes' defense was really good, and Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to catch everything regardless of where the pass is thrown. 

Michigan continues to show its dominance after shutting out Michigan State 49-0. The Wolverines make a strong case through eight weeks that they are the number one team in the nation. 

While Michigan still has to play at Penn State, it's looking more and more likely that the Big Ten East -- and the entire conference -- will come down to the last game of the season in Ann Arbor between Michigan and Ohio State. 

But one college football reporter thinks the race is already over. 

In his weekly column, Will Backus with CBS Sports writes up some takeaways in which he calls 'overreactions' and this week, he says the Big Ten East race was fun while it lasted. 

It sure was a thrill buying into the notion that either Ohio State or Penn State could push for the Big Ten East and the almost guaranteed Big Ten Championship that comes with it. Week 8 showed that this race is already over before it could really get going.

Ohio State battered Penn State 20-12 in a game that wasn't really as close as the final score might suggest but it probably doesn't matter in the grand scheme. Both teams will fall to the football Death Star that is Michigan.

The Wolverines slaughtered hapless Michigan State 49-0, earning their first shutout of the year. They've now won all eight of their games by at least 24 points. There's something to be said about Michigan's strength of schedule, which is simply dreadful, but Michigan is doing what it needs to do by absolutely bulldozing through it. In the process, it showed that Ohio State and Penn State still have a long way to go to catch up -- without a lot of time to do so. 

This may most certainly be an overreaction since Michigan has yet to play either team, but if you look at the first eight weeks, the Wolverines have been dominant -- regardless of competition -- while both Ohio State and Penn State have shown major flaws. Neither quarterback has been as smooth and dialed in as J.J. McCarthy has been. And if Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions' offense struggled to move the ball against Ohio State, what do they think they will do against the No. 1 Michigan defense in the country?

The Buckeyes are definitely the biggest test for Michigan with how much talent is on that roster. But The Game will most likely come down to which QB can make more plays. McCord has been good, not great, and it's hard telling what he will do at The Big House in that environment. As of now, you have to believe McCarthy will out play McCord, but we will know soon enough.