Q: Not a single team in the Big Ten has a losing record. While it’s true the top teams have disappointed of late, can’t it be said that the bottom of the conference is better than ever?
— Doug from Des Moines, Iowa
A: The Big Ten landscape will be different than most experts — ahem, I was one of those “experts’’ — were predicting in the preseason. It’s not Ohio State and a cloud of dust. It’s a shooting match.

Penn State is liable to win the league and get to the Rose Bowl.

Ohio State, buried at USC, has a completely different feel with freshman Terrelle Pryor at quarterback.

Wisconsin can still play on New Year’s Day.

Michigan State continues to show improvement under Coach Mark Dantonio (and running back Javon Ringer is absolutely the real deal).

Northwestern is fun and already has a conference road victory.

Michigan won’t win the conference — not yet — but it’s going to spoil somebody’s plans.

Purdue is really dangerous when its offense is rolling.

I’m putting Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota at the bottom of the conference. I’m not sure those teams really scare anybody. But is the Big Ten balanced? Is it deeper than anticipated. You bet.

It’s still unlikely for a Big Ten team to win the national championship. The race for the Rose Bowl, though, might be one to remember.

Q: What happened to East Carolina?
— C.E. from Medford, Ore.
A: Put simply, the Pirates have been outplayed by unranked teams in two straight weeks. It would be easy to suggest East Carolina has been reading its press clippings, but there were warning signs when it struggled to win at Tulane.

East Carolina’s defense has fallen apart. First, it surrendered four touchdowns to a desperate N.C. State team. Then Houston’s quick-rhythm, no-huddle offense blitzed the Pirates with 621 yards in a 41-24 victory.

So East Carolina, after its eye-opening upsets of Virginia Tech and West Virginia, finds itself at 3-2. The Pirates won’t be this season’s BCS-buster. But they can still win Conference USA.

This week is an especially well-timed bye. After that, the Pirates can go 2-0 against the ACC (a trip to Virginia awaits on Oct. 11) before jumping into the teeth of C-USA play.

The early-season momentum has evaporated.

But the more realistic goal — a C-USA title — is still very much alive. This time, though, it’s going to be tougher because the quick start has transformed East Carolina into a target.

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