This weekend proved to be another quiet weekend in the Big Ten, as we didn't get any truly pivotal games with some of the best teams in the Conference spending the weekend on the bye. While we didn't get any massive results in the Big Ten, rivalry games and blowout wins helped everyone see where several teams stand heading into the final stretch.
Coming into the Weekend, the game everyone circled was between Indiana and UCLA as the Bruins' recent run made everyone believe they could shock the Hoosiers. Instead, Curt Cignetti's team dominated from start to finish as they have a serious case to be the Nation's top-ranked team.
Big Ten Power Rankings: Indiana sends a statement with blowout win
In a game where Wisconsin's defense held Oregon to just 21 points as Dante Moore left the game, the offense did nothing to put pressure on the Ducks. The offense was held out of the endzone until late in the 4th quarter, which has become the theme of the season. This team continues to look Non-Competitive, which has to concern the fanbase, as it appears Luke Fickell will return next season.
The Purdue Boilermakers had a golden opportunity to pick up their first Big Ten win in the Barry Odom era, but they instead gave Rutgers their first win in league play. Purdue had a chance to win this game late before Ryan Browne caught his own deflected pass and fumbled it, setting up a game-winning field goal. The Boilermakers have been in a ton of games, but after losing to Rutgers, it's hard to envision this team winning a game in league play.
The Penn State Nittany Lions spent the weekend on the bye, and amidst a total collapse, it was much needed. After starting the season as the 2nd ranked team in the Country, Penn State has a chance to finish the season winless in league play. Given that this season has fallen apart, Penn State could salvage a piece of this year by playing their best game of the season and giving Ohio State their best shot next weekend.
Greg Schiano's team is finally on the board in Big Ten play thanks to a massive turnover forced on Purdue's final drive. This team has been close to getting a big win in league play a few times, but they finally dominated in the 4th quarter to win a game. It's going to be a tough task for this team to win another game in league play, but finishing with a Big Ten win was important.
The Michigan State Spartans lost yet another game in league play, this time as they got dominated by Michigan. The offense continues to look broken as the best drive of the game came when Alessio Milivojevic came in for the final drive, replacing Aidan Chiles. Jonathan Smith needs to find a way to start winning games in league play; otherwise, he may not make it to Year 3.
After falling behind 21-6, Northwestern stormed back to tie the game in the 4th quarter, but the offense couldn't score on its final two drives, sinking the Wildcats. Preston Stone struggled in this game as his two interceptions led to Nebraska touchdowns. The defense did a great job slowing Nebraska's passing attack, but Emmett Johnson gashed this team on the ground. After coming into the season with some questions, David Braun has done a solid job with Northwestern this season, but he could use another win to help secure his job.
Mike Locksley's team spent the weekend on the bye after another heartbreaking loss late in the game. This team has lost the last three games by a combined 10 points as they're truly a play or two away in each game from being undefeated. Next weekend won't be fun as Maryland faces Indiana, but this team still could find their way to a Bowl Game.
The UCLA Bruins had become everyone’s favorite Cinderella story over the last three weeks as they went on a run after promoting Jerry Neuheisel to offensive coordinator. On Saturday, Indiana looked like a team set out to send a statement to UCLA, as the Bruins couldn’t get anything going for them, starting on the first drive when Indiana’s defense scored on a pick 6. The Bruins now head on a bye before a tough stretch to end the season, which will prove if Tim Skipper and his staff are worthy of getting the job full-time.
After picking up a dominant win over Nebraska last week, Minnesota laid a complete egg against Iowa. As the offense couldn't get anything going in the first half, the defense couldn't get a stop, and this game quickly became a 31-0 blowout at halftime. The offense has to find a way to play with more consistency, as 3 of the final 4 games are winnable if Minnesota plays decent football.
Coming into the season, Illinois had hopes of winning the Big Ten and the College Football Playoff, returning a veteran core, but that came to an end on Saturday. Luke Altmyer threw for a pair of interceptions, but the offense didn't really stand a chance in this game. The defense got gashed as Washington scored 6 touchdowns, ending what could've been a special season in disappointment.
Coming off a terrible effort against Minnesota, Matt Rhule's team looked sloppy again, overcoming a blown lead to survive against Northwestern. Dylan Raiola struggled again as he's had a rough October. The good news is that Emmett Johnson was dominant, rushing for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns, powering the offense. Matt Rhule's team has clinched Bowl Eligibility for the second season in a row, but the next 4 games will define how successful this season is.
After getting embarrassed by Michigan, the Washington Huskies finally looked like the explosive team we saw in Non-Conference play, hanging 42 points on Illinois. Demond Williams was dominant, passing for 4 touchdowns, 2 of which went to Denzel Boston, who passed for a touchdown of his own. The defense did a solid job as well, forcing Luke Altmyer to throw a pair of interceptions to help secure the win. The rest of the schedule is fairly easy, and if the Huskies can handle business in the next 3 games, their matchup against Oregon could determine if they make the Playoff.
The Iowa Hawkeyes look like a whole new team as they've scored 30+ points in two of the last 3 games. On Saturday, the Hawkeyes jumped out to a 31 point lead in the first half and cruised to victory. Kirk Ferentz's team started the season looking shaky, but they're starting to look like a typical Iowa team that will be dangerous the rest of the way.
Sherrone Moore's team has bounced back nicely from the loss to USC as they added an impressive win over Michigan State to their resume. Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall powered the offense, combining for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. The defense was dominant for most of the night until Michigan State made this game look much closer at the end of the game. The next three games should be chances to start rounding into form before a season defining game against Ohio State.Th
After losing to Notre Dame last weekend, the USC Trojans spent the weekend on the bye, which should allow them to heal injuries that have affected the team. The win over Michigan keeps aging better, but this team needs to win its 4 easily winnable games, and then a spot in the Playoff could come down to the Oregon game.
The Oregon Ducks started slow on Saturday and lost quarterback Dante Moore to injury, and from then on, it was pure survival mode. The Ducks dominated this game on the ground, rushing for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns on 45 carries. The defense was dominant, only allowing the Badgers to find the endzone late, while the rest of the game was filled with punts.
Coming into the weekend, Indiana was an interesting team to watch as the UCLA Bruins were riding a 3-game winning streak into the game. Curt Cignetti and his staff had their team ready to play, and they quickly squashed UCLA and its Cinderella story. Fernando Mendoza is the best quarterback in the Country, but this team as a whole has improved so much compared to last season, making them a serious contender.
Ryan Day's team got to spend the weekend on the bye after a 7-0 start to the season and a 4-0 start in league play. The Buckeyes have rounded into form as Julian Sayin is starting to look like a Heisman frontrunner, while the defense is the best unit in the Country. There aren't many teams that can even test this group, as we may truly learn who they are if they face Indiana in the Big Ten Championship.