Status report week rolls on here at FootballScoop, following Monday's reports from the ACC and the American. Next up: the Big Ten.
Movin' On Up
Jeff Brohm, Purdue
Tenure: 3-4, 1-3 Big Ten
This year: 3-4, 1-3 Big Ten
Sure, scoring 12 points in a loss to Rutgers is bad, but when's the last time Purdue football had life? When's the last time anyone said, "Hey, did you see that cool play Purdue ran?"
Brohm's buyout is $5 million (it drops to $4 million on Dec. 6) may keep people away this year, but it's only a matter of time before Purdue is going to have to ante up to keep Brohm in West Lafayette.
Holding Steady
Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Tenure: 96-43, 57-28 Big Ten
This year: 6-1, 4-0 Big Ten
After a 3-9 season and an offseason engulfed by an ugly scandal, it wasn't hard to see Dantonio's 11-year tenure in East Lansing slipping away from him. Instead, he righted the ship. The Spartans have lost only to Notre Dame -- in a game where the Spartans out-gained the Irish by nearly 150 yards -- and beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. Back-to-back games against Penn State and Ohio State await, but 2017 is already a success barring a total collapse against the middle- and lower-class of the Big Ten.
The Future Is All But Written
Mike Riley, Nebraska
Tenure: 18-15, 11-10 Big Ten
This year: 3-4, 2-2 Big Ten
You don't fire your AD football reasons and then keep your football coach. A 56-14 home loss to Ohio State -- the Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their first eight possessions -- showed precisely how far this program is from the top.
What on Earth is Happening?
Lovie Smith, Illinois
Tenure: 5-14, 2-11 Big Ten
This year: 2-5, 0-4 Big Ten
Purdue is rising. Rutgers is on a 2-game winning streak. Indiana is competitive. This leaves Illinois alone in the Big Ten's cellar. This can't be what either side had in mind.