Big Ten Daily (Oct. 10): How Real is Jet Lag in the Big Ten?
It turns out that travel in the Big Ten might have more of an impact on games than previously thought entering the season. We're only six weeks into the 2024 college football season, but we have more than enough evidence to say that jet lag might be a real thing in the conference.
Over the summer, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joined the Big Ten, expanding the conference from coast to coast. Many wondered how the four former Pac-12 schools would fit into the new league, primarily from a scheme and style standpoint.
Perhaps we should have placed a higher emphasis on travel. Through the first six weeks, a total of nine games have been played between the 14 "original" Big Ten teams and the four newcomers from the Pac-12. The home team owns an 8-1 record, with Indiana's win over UCLA in the Rose Bowl being the only road victory.
Here's a look at the results from the cross-country trips through the first six weeks of the Big Ten season.
- Michigan def. USC 27-24 (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
- Washington def. Northwestern 24-5 (Seattle, Wash.)
- USC def. Wisconsin 38-21 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
- Rutgers def. Washington 21-18 (Piscataway, N.J.)
- Penn State def. UCLA 27-11 (State College, Pa.)
- Oregon def. Michigan State 31-10 (Eugene, Ore.)
- Washington def. Michigan 27-17 (Seattle, Wash.)
- Minnesota def. USC 24-17 (Minneapolis, Minn.)
An even larger sample size is on the horizon. In Week 7, three of the four former Pac-12 schools are hosting a conference game this weekend. The weekend is highlighted by No. 2 Ohio State traveling to play No. 3 Oregon on Saturday night. No. 4 Penn State heads to California to play USC and Minnesota makes the long journey to the Rose Bowl to battle UCLA.
All three road teams — Ohio State, Penn State and Minnesota — are favored, per FanDuel.com.
Washington is the only new Big Ten member on the road this week, traveling to Iowa City for a showdown with the Hawkeyes. Iowa is a 2.5-point favorite in that contest.
Offensive performance seems to be hit the hardest when it comes to these matchups. Omitting Indiana's blowout win over UCLA, road teams are averaging just 15.4 points and less than 300 yards per game in cross-country games.
Makes you think, doesn't it?
Will these long road trips continue to have an impact on the outcomes? Or will this weekend change the narrative regarding cross-country travel in the Big Ten? While we already have a really good sample size through six weeks, we might get an even better understanding this weekend.
Coaches may not use travel as an excuse, but it's certainly a storyline in the Big Ten — at least right now.
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