Coming into the College Football season, this was expected to be a big weekend in the Big Ten as the matchup between Ohio State and Penn State is always one of the best games of the season. Instead, it was a rather quiet weekend in the Big Ten with a few of the best teams on the bye, while the matchups weren't the greatest.
As the College Football season comes down the final stretch of the season, there's a clear Top 2 in the Big Ten in Ohio State and Indiana, while everyone else is just competing to stay in the College Football Playoff race.
Big Ten Power Rankings: Indiana sends a statement with blowout win
The Wisconsin Badgers spent the weekend on the bye, which is great news for Luke Fickell, as it means his team can't take a loss while his seat is scorching hot. The Badgers have lost 6 straight as they haven't beaten a Power 4 opponent. AD Chris McIntosh has called for the fanbase to rally around Luke Fickell, but if he can't win one of these final 4 games, it's hard to see how you keep him around.
The Purdue Boilermakers continue to be a frustrating team as the offense and defense can never click at the same time. On Saturday, the offense managed just 16 points in a game where the defense gave them every chance to win the game. Barry Odom's team has taken clear strides, but this team isn't talented enough to win a game in league play this season.
In the first half, it looked like Penn State might give Ohio State a run for its money as they scored to make it 17-14 going into the locker room. The second half was the Penn State team we've seen all season, as the Nittany Lions were shut out while the Buckeyes were able to put the game away with 21 unanswered points. This team showed that it hasn't given up, but they're clearly not as talented as everyone expected coming into the year, especially with Drew Allar out.
After picking up their first Big Ten win of the year, Rutgers got dominated again as a late touchdown made the 35-13 final score look more competitive. The Scarlet Knights struggled with getting off the field while Illinois ran the ball at will, which kept the Rutgers offense from finding any rhythm. This team has some pieces, like KJ Duff, who can help keep Rutgers competitive, but at the end of the day, this team isn't nearly talented enough.
Two things can be true: Michigan State was the victim of some questionable officiating calls, but they also played a bad game. In the 4th quarter, a questionable set of play calls down near the goal line led to Michigan State settling for 3 and missing the field goal, which would've been pivotal as it would've been even tougher to get this game to overtime. At the end of the day, this team is now 3-6 with a 0-6 record in Big Ten play, which has Jonathan Smith on the hot seat.
After losing so many close games, the Maryland Terrapins at least took the stress away for their fans as they were blown out against Indiana. Mike Locksley's team has now lost 4 games in a row as his seat starts to get hotter. Next week, this team needs to get back in the win column; otherwise, Locksley's job will be in jeopardy.
After a rough loss to Nebraska, Northwestern spent the weekend on the bye ahead of the final stretch of the season. This team has played much better than what we saw last season, but they're still at a pretty big disadvantage in the talented Big Ten. The final 4 games are extremely tough as the Wildcats will face USC, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois, but winning 1 game and qualifying for a bowl game would be a great step in the right direction.
The Indiana Hoosiers demolished UCLA last weekend, which made this weekend's bye perfectly timed. Tim Skipper and his staff are looking to make a case for the full-time job, and if they can rip off a few more wins, they'll have a chance. The bad news is that the final 4 games come against Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington, and USC, which makes it an uphill battle.
Nebraska looked like it could finally snap Matt Rhule's losing streak against Top 25 teams, but when Dylan Raiola left with an ankle injury, it sank this team. Following the injury, Nebraska couldn't do anything on offense, scoring just 3 points, allowing USC to come back and win the game. This team's hopes of making the College Football Playoff are gone, but they can still rally together down the stretch to build momentum for the future of this program.
It wasn't a great showing from Minnesota, but the Golden Gophers were able to pick up a win over Michigan State. Drake Lindsey was able to drive the offense down the field to send the game to overtime. In overtime, the defense stood tall, forcing a field goal, allowing the offense to win the game with a touchdown. Minnesota is already bowl eligible, but with two of the final 3 games coming against Wisconsin and Northwestern, Minnesota could end the season on a high note.
After suffering their 3rd loss of the season, likely knocking them out of Playoff contention, Illinois still got up to hand Rutgers a 35-13 loss. Luke Altmyer had an impressive day as he passed for 4 touchdowns while the rushing attack powered the offense with 210 yards on the ground, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. The season will feel like a disappointment as this team had hopes of making the Playoff, but they can still finish the year strong to keep momentum building for the program.
After picking up a big win over Illinois, the Washington Huskies spent the weekend on the bye, which is great, but the buzz around Jedd Fisch is only picking up as he's in the running for a few of the biggest jobs that have opened up. The next three games for the Huskies are very winnable, which could set up a win-and-in for the College Football Playoff against Oregon to end the season.
The Iowa Hawkeyes spent this weekend on the bye after their dominant win over Minnesota, as this team is starting to look like a threat in the Big Ten. In this final stretch of games, Iowa can shake the entire race for the College Football Playoff as its games against Oregon and USC could launch Iowa into contention.
On Saturday, Michigan won ugly as they eked out a 21-16 win over Purdue to stay alive in the Playoff race. Bryce Underwood didn't have a great game, but it didn't matter as Jordan Marshall rushed for 185 yards and 3 scores, powering the offense. The next two games are very winnable against Northwestern and Maryland, but Bryce Underwood needs to start finding a rhythm ahead of the finale against Ohio State.
The USC Trojans looked like they may be heading toward another loss in the 1st half, but when Nebraska lost Dylan Raiola in the 3rd quarter, it changed everything. The Trojans went on a 15-3 run when Raiola left the game, moving to 6-2 and 4-1 in league play, keeping their playoff hopes alive. This team has a ton to clean up, especially on offense, but they'll have every chance to prove they're a playoff team down the stretch.
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks spent the weekend on the bye after an albeit unimpressive showing against Wisconsin. The bye week was perfectly timed as quarterback Dante Moore left the game last week with an injury. The final stretch is far from easy for Oregon, as they'll have unique challenges against Iowa, Minnesota, USC, and Washington.
Curt Cignetti's team is truly a buzzsaw as the Indiana Hoosiers dismantled Maryland on Saturday. The Hoosiers' offense scored 6 touchdowns even after losing their star receiver, Elijah Sarratt, in the 1st quarter. The defense stepped up, scoring a touchdown of their own while forcing two interceptions. No one is playing better football than Indiana right now as they're on the way toward a massive clash against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
The first half wasn't pretty for the Ohio State Buckeyes as they allowed Penn State to keep this game close, but in the second half, they snapped into form. Ohio State dominated the second half, shutting Penn State out while scoring 21 points. This team simply has more talent than any team it'll face in the regular season, and teams may push them, but it's going to take a perfect game to knock this group off before the end of the regular season.