ALTOONA, Pa. -- There are five Big Ten teams ranked in the AP top 11 this week, and four of them are from the East Division: No. 4 Penn State. No. 7 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan and No. 11 Michigan State. The Nittany Lions still have to play all of those other three this season.
Iowa, at No. 3, is the only team from the West Division ranked in the top 25, and no other teams from that division are even receiving votes in the AP poll. After this week, the Hawkeyes have no more games left against teams currently ranked.
This isn't just a one-year thing, either.
Michigan is the winningest program in college football history with 969 victories, while Ohio State is third with 930 and Penn State is ninth with 905.
Only one team from the Big Ten West is in the top 32, and that would be Nebraska at No. 8 with 908 wins.
It's certainly reasonable to look at the current Big Ten alignment and wonder if the way the league is set up is fair to not only the teams, but also the league itself.
That's where we'll start this week's Tuesday Takeaways.
Should the Big Ten consider realigning its divisions?
James Franklin was asked if he likes the way the Big Ten is aligned right now. He gave a lengthy answer where he said he wants the league to look and see if it's in the best interests of the teams and the conference.
Does the current alignment make a big difference?
"It's interesting because I've been told many times not really -- historically it all kind of evens its way out," Franklin said. "I don't know if that's necessarily true. We're not the only conference that has this challenge. I was in another conference (the SEC) that has a similar challenge.
"I do think studying the history of it is important. And I think if you look, since the beginning of football, what programs have been the most successful, I think you'd like to try to evenly split that up. Obviously there's going to be years where one side is better than the other; that's just the nature of it. But you'd love to try to split it up as evenly as you possibly can.
"I think that's the right thing for the conference. If we're trying to get as many teams into the playoffs as possible, that's in the conference's best interests, as well."
Franklin added he'd like to see the league study all of this on a yearly basis.
"Are we doing what's in the schools' best interests to give us the best chance to to get as many teams in the playoffs as possible?" he said.
It seems pretty clear, with the way the Big Ten is currently set up, that the answer to that question is no.
Giger's take on realignment: Michigan and Michigan State could be moved to the West, and the league could still have a protected crossover game between the Wolverines and Buckeyes. They could perhaps move Purdue and Illinois to the East. No matter how things shake up, Ohio State would always be in the same division as Penn State, so that obstacle will always remain.
Turnovers are the big story leading into game at Iowa
This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has followed Iowa at all. The Hawkeyes have been tremendous at forcing turnovers, tying for the lead in the nation with 16 through five games. They have 12 interceptions and have recovered four fumbles.
Those turnovers have given the Hawkeyes excellent field position and helped them score a lot of their points.
So clearly, Penn State will need to protect the football and not give Iowa easier scoring opportunities by turning the ball over, especially on the Lions' side of the field.
"I think everybody knows that's the story line in this game," Franklin said.
"That's the thing that they're doing right now that makes them special and impacts their entire team," he added. "It helps defensive statistics because they get off the field. It helps offensive statistics because they create short fields and scoring opportunities."
What makes Iowa so good at forcing turnovers?
"They've done a good job with it over multiple years, so obviously they do a good job of teaching it," Franklin said. "I think their scheme, more times than not, allows them to capitalize on mistakes because they have their eyes on the quarterback, probably as much as anybody in college football. And they obviously do a great job of coaching it and drilling it and teaching it.
"I also think the length that they have at defensive tackle and defensive end also plays into that because they're able to get their hands on some balls. And then I think, like anything, it's recruiting. You want to recruit playmakers."
Lions must be able to run the ball in short-yardage situations
They simply have not been able to this season, and that could start to be a big problem with this game and several other tough ones coming up.
There are a number of issues with the running game, including and starting with the offensive line, but the bottom line in Big Ten play is this:
"We got to be able to line up and get a yard or two when we need it, when everybody in the stadium knows you're going to run the ball," Franklin said.
"So we're gonna keep chipping away at it and stay positive, and I do think we took a step in the right direction last week (against Indiana), maybe not specifically in that area but in the running game."
What has happened to Noah Cain?
He's clearly not been the same runner he was two years ago, when he rushed for 105 yards in Penn State's win at Iowa and was, for a time, considered the best running back on the team, even ahead of Journey Brown.
Franklin was asked specifically about Cain, which we'll get to in a second. But he did say this when asked about the running game in general, and Cain certainly has been guilty of being too tentative in these kinds of situations.
"I'd like to see, at times, us be more physical and pound that up there and get the the 4 or 5 yards and trust it and make sure we're inside out from a mentality in our running," Franklin said.
As for his specific comments about Cain, Franklin went the route of saying there are a lot of factors that go into every running play.
"I think he's playing well," Franklin said. "I think Noah can can do even more. We've seen flashes, all of us have seen flashes of Noah doing some really good things. But again, that's all of it -- that's tight ends, that's the O line, that's the running backs, that's the coaches, that's the quarterback not running into looks that we shouldn't be running into when we have relief throws for extra guys in the box and things like that.
"But I think we've all seen what Noah has the ability to do," Franklin added.
Cain was banged up and barely played against Villanova two weeks ago. What is his health situation now?
"In terms of what he's working through, that's part of football," Franklin said. "Everybody this time of the year with the competition that we've played is working through things, and Noah always approaches those things the right way. (He) lives in the training room, whether he's got a bump or bruise or not, whether it's rehab or prehab, he's he's been great. So, we expect him to be full go on Saturday, and I know he'll do everything he possibly can to make sure that's the case."
No running back has separated himself from the group
The Lions entered the season with one of the deepest running back rooms in the nation, but neither Cain nor Keyvone Lee nor John Lovett has established himself as the No. 1 guy in the coaches' minds.
"You'd love for somebody to really jump out and say, I'm going to get the majority of the reps and the other guys you're going to rotate in," Franklin said. "I wouldn't say that that's necessarily happened yet."
Don't expect to see many more coaching tenures like Kirk Ferentz at Iowa
Ferentz is the longest-tenured coach in FBS, serving as Iowa's head coach since 1999.
That type of longevity was prevalent around college football for a long time with coaches such as Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden and Tom Osborne, among others, staying at one school for more than two decades.
But nowadays, a coach lasting anywhere for 20 years is rare. And probably will continue to be so in the future.
What has allowed Ferentz to last so long at Iowa?
"I think it's, first of all, that he's earned that with the level and the consistency of success," Franklin said. "Also how he represents the university and the athletic department -- a class-act guy, and that obviously helps and goes a long way, as well.
"I also think that Iowa has been rewarded for their commitment to him. It's been a nice marriage, so to speak. You know he's been able to deliver a high-level football program on a consistent basis, that aligns with the university and the community. And Iowa has something that they can be proud of on Saturdays, as well."
