Arrivals of West Coast Schools Could Cause Big Ten to Depart From Its…

Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Buffalo Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo / Morry Gash)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Big Ten’s westward expansion could challenge the league’s reputation for smashmouth football.

No Power Five conference has tended to rely more on defense and the running game than the Big Ten. The arrival of Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington next year just might change that.

“It’ll be a fun mix of leagues,” said new Purdue offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who held the same position at USC from 2019-21.

Perhaps the mix will help balance a conference whose strength has come on one side of the ball lately.

The list of the 14 Bowl Subdivision programs to allow the fewest yards per game last season included six Big Ten schools: Iowa (2nd), Illinois (3rd), Michigan (6th), Minnesota (9th), Wisconsin (11th) and Ohio State (14th). That marked…