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Downs and Distance

What’s wrong with the Big Ten?

Bret Bielema and Wisconsin lost at Oregon State last week. Greg Wahl-Stephens/AP

Jim McBride surveys four items of interest on the college football landscape this weekend:

Imperfect Ten

It’s open season for Big Ten critics after the league suffered a horrendous weekend, going 6-6 vs. nonconference opponents, including just one victory against a BCS school — and that was Northwestern beating SEC also-ran Vanderbilt. Among the lowlights: Nebraska (maybe the Cornhuskers wish they were still in the Big 12) yielding an eye-popping 653 yards to UCLA; Illinois being routed by Arizona State, 45-14; Iowa managing just two measly field goals in losing to Iowa State, 9-6; and Wisconsin losing to Oregon State, 10-7, which cost offensive line coach Mike Markuson his job (the Badgers rushed for just 35 yards). The mediocre weekend left the Big Ten with just three teams in the AP Top 25. It would be premature to label this a lost season for the Big Ten, but right now, only Michigan State looks genuinely scary.

This doesn’t fly

It’s always easy to root for the service academies as they take on the big boys of the college football world. The young men that represent these schools (and their country) have a tremendously busy schedule as they balance football with rigid academic demands. They are often overmatched physically on the field, but you will never see them give less than 100 percent. That’s why it was such a surprise to see Air Force coach Troy Calhoun cancel all postgame interviews after his Falcons lost to Michigan last week. Calhoun said this week his reasoning had nothing to do with the tough loss, he just wanted to give his kids more time on academics. That’s weak. Then why did Calhoun not make himself available? Senior Alex Means contradicted his coach when he told reporters that the Falcons refused to meet with reporters because they had nothing to say.

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Lovable losers

I’m officially on the Quakers bandwagon. No, not the University of Pennsylvania. I’m talking about the Earlham College Quakers. The small Division 3 school located in Richmond, Ind., opens its Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule Saturday at home against the Bluffton University Beavers riding a 22-game losing streak. The hurt doesn’t stop there for Neil Kazmierczak’s charges, who last week lost to Kenyon College, which entered the game having lost 24 straight. It’s time for America to get behind the Quakers. How can you not root for these guys? One photo gallery on the school’s athletic website shows the football team taking time out to help fellow students move into their dorms. I wonder if that happens at Neb­raska, Miami, or LSU.

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No-Wynn situation

Sad story out of Salt Lake City, where Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn was forced to announce his retirement after he suffered another shoulder injury — his fourth since 2010 — in an overtime loss to rival Utah State. Wynn is looking at his fourth shoulder operation; he has had two on his left (non-throwing) shoulder and one on his right. His latest injury is also to his left shoulder. Wynn finished his career with 4,637 yards passing (eighth in Utes history) with 33 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Among his highlights was being named Poinsettia Bowl MVP as a freshman in 2009 (edging current Patriot Shane Vereen) when he threw three TD passes in a win over Cal. “I have no regrets and I’m walking away with my head held high,” said Wynn. In a classy move, Wynn said he’ll stick around the program and help mentor the younger QBs.

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