After watching Penn State get destroyed by Notre Dame on Showdown Saturday, I'm left wondering just how good the Nittany Lions � and the rest of the Big Ten � really are.

Penn State was supposed to contend for a league championship this year, but looked lost on offense and a step slow on defense Saturday. The Lions had three turnovers and no answer for Irish QB Brady Quinn. They trailed 20-0 at halftime and 41-3 late before a couple of inconsequential touchdowns.

I dropped Penn State out of my top 25 (I ranked them 21st to start the year, so it's not a huge drop) but I believe they'll be back by mid-October. Why the optimism? Mostly because the rest of the Big Ten has been average at best these first two weeks.

Ohio State is obviously the class of the league. The Buckeyes won at Texas Saturday and did it in impressive fashion. They're two-deep on both sides of the ball, and Troy Smith is now the front-runner for the Heisman.

But no one else in the Big Ten appears BCS-worthy. Iowa barely beat a bad Syracuse team Saturday. I know the Hawkeyes were without starting quarterback Drew Tate, but they didn't look too hot against Montana in Week 1 either. Michigan could win 10 games, or get dusted by Notre Dame itself. And Purdue (injuries), Michigan State (inconsistency) and Wisconsin (play someone with a pulse, please) all leave plenty to be desired.

With an entirely new secondary and an inexperienced but talented quarterback, Penn State has the most room for improvement in that group. That's why I'm still predicting a 9-3 record for the Lions, who need another blue-chip recruiting haul before their makeover is complete.

Punt, pass and kick

Punt: Northwestern joined the list of major-conference teams falling to I-AA opponents with its disturbing 34-17 loss to New Hampshire. I figured the Wildcats would be one of the worst teams in the Big Ten this year, then after a 21-3 opening-week win over Miami I thought I underestimated them. I didn't. They're brutal.

Pass: James Laurinaitis was the defensive star of Ohio State's 24-7 win over Texas. The sophomore linebacker forced a goal-line fumble and intercepted a pass as the Buckeyes handed the Longhorns a Texas-sized whoopin' in Austin.

Kick: They won't get as much play as the Ohio State-Texas and Penn State-Notre Dame tilts, but both Michigan and Michigan State have season-defining games this week. The Wolverines, losers of six straight road openers, play Notre Dame in South Bend, while MSU travels to Pitt after gimme games against Idaho and Eastern Michigan.