Big Ten coaches had just one request for those ripping the conference after a rough weekend.

Wait.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini cautioned against making "snap judgments" so early in the season, no matter how rough things looked.

A 6-6 showing over the weekend that left the Big Ten with just three ranked teams was bad enough. Throw in a 1-6 mark against opponents from major conferences plus Notre Dame last week along with Michigan's narrow win over Air Force, and it certainly doesn't look any better.

So is the conference headed toward a dull season? At the moment, No. 10 Michigan State appears to be the only team with a realistic shot at a national title, and the Spartans are staring at a difficult matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday.