Coming into the weekend, you looked at the schedule in the Big Ten and there weren't any big clashes which made everyone believe this could be a quiet weekend. Instead, we got one of the most stunning games of the season as the winless UCLA Bruins knocked off the 7th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions changing the dynamic of the Big Ten.
As Penn State has seemingly fallen out of the race for the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff, everything has changed in the Big Ten. Ohio State and Oregon appeared headed to a clash in the Big Ten Championship unless anyone is able to pull off an upset.
Penn State has thrown away their golden opportunity in the Big Ten
The Wisconsin Badgers are a disaster and on Saturday, their third quarterback of the season Hunter Simmons wasn't the answer. Luke Fickell's team has been abysmal on offense once they started to face Power 4 opponents and it's only making his seat hotter. When you look at the Badgers schedule, it's almost impossible to find a game this team will win the rest of the year.
The Northwestern Wildcats took advantage of their matchup against UL Monroe, outscoring the Warhawks 35-0 after the first quarter. The rushing attack was dominant picking up 6.5 yards per carry for 246 yards and a pair of scores. Preston Stone took care of the football passing for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Wildcats needed this win and now they'll need to try and play spoiler every week in Big Ten play.
The Purdue Boilermakers are yet to win a game in Big Ten play but, there are clear signs of improvement under Barry Odom. The offense has had some exciting performances even as they start to play better defenses. On the other hand, this defense is so undermanned that it's going to be almost impossible to win a game in this league.
The UCLA Bruins leap out of the last ranking in the conference ahead of a team they lost to in Northwestern as they showed serious signs of being a changed team this weekend. The Bruins offense was dominant against Penn State scoring 42 points while holding the ball for 39:17. The defense remains a massive concern but, this Bruins team is still fighting despite the coaching change.
After suffering two losses to open league play, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights spent the weekend on the bye. Both conference games Rutgers has played have been close showing this team has improved but, they still may not have a talented enough roster to win more than a couple of games the rest of the way.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers ran into a buzzsaw on Saturday Night as they faced the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The offense couldn't get anything going getting held below 100 yards passing while picking up just 2.7 yards per carry. The defense was torched by Julian Sayin and Carnell Tate as they were clearly outclassed. Darius Taylor still isn't fully healthy and until he is, it's hard to envision this team winning many games in league play.
Last weekend saw the Iowa Hawkeyes fall late to Indiana sending the team into the bye week with a sour taste in their mouthes. The offense was supposed to be far improved but, to this point it's looked like your typical Iowa team. If the offense can't start to play complimentary football, this team could be headed toward a rocky run in league play.
The Maryland Terrapins appeared to be heading to a 5-0 start to the season as they led 20-0 late into the 3rd quarter. Everything went wrong for the Terrapins down the stretch as the offense punted on 3 of their final 4 drives with the last drive ending with a turnover on downs as they looked to take back the lead. This team still has a ton to be excited about but, the late game struggles highlighted this team's lack of top end talent.
The Michigan State Spartans had a lead late in the 3rd quarter and from then on, everything started to fall apart. The passing attack struggled mightily as Aidan Chiles threw a pair of interceptions while being held to just 85 yards and when the rushing attack gets just 2.2 yards per carry it's not a recipe for success. This team shows great flashes but, they need to start playing consistently to start winning Big Ten games.
For three quarters it looked like the Washington Huskies were heading to back to back losses trailing 20-0 late into the 4th quarter. The Huskies offense then dominated the end of the game scoring 24 unanswered points to survive. The concern with this team is the fact that they've played two games in Big Ten play and the offense hasn't looked like the explosive group we saw to start the season.
That feeling that Nebraska fans had anytime the Huskers were in a close game is gone as this team has shown they can win late. Late in the 3rd quarter, Nebraska trailed 21-14 before the team snapped into form going on a 24-6 run. This team played poorly for a long stretch but, it's all about surving and in this game, Matt Rhule's team got the job done.
Lincoln Riley's team spent the weekend on the bye, and it couldn't have come at a better time as injuries and illnesses had affected the roster. Despite losing last weekend, the Big Ten is shaping up to where they're right back in the mix for the Conference Championship. The next two games will decide the season as the Trojans face Michigan and Notre Dame.
The Penn State Nittany Lions suffered the most shocking loss of the season on Saturday losing to a UCLA team that many thought could go winless this season. James Franklin has struggled in the big games but, losing a game like this never happens under his leadership which now brings about a ton of questions. The Nittany Lions will need to win out to make it back to the College Football Playoff and with Indiana and Ohio State looming that isn't going to happen.
Sherrone Moore returned from suspension and the Michigan Wolverines keep rolling as they added another Big Ten win to their resume. Bryce Underwood played a clean game which is all he needed to do as the Wisconsin offense couldn't score. Justice Haynes continues to power the offense as he picked up 117 yards with two touchdowns. The defense was dominant but, the team as a whole continues to improve week over week which is encouraging going forward.
The Fighting Illini added another Big Ten win this weekend as they took an early lead over Purdue and never looked back. The defense may be a concern as the Boilermakers will able to move the ball at will but, two costly fumbles impacted the game. The rushing attack struggled picking up just 2.9 yards per carry but, Luke Altmyer had another efficient game helping lead the team to victory.
The Indiana Hoosiers spent the weekend on the bye as they ramp up for their biggest test of the season as they go on the road to face the Oregon Ducks. Last weekend against Iowa wasn't a perfect showing but, it gave Curt Cignetti areas to address before the big game. Fernando Mendoza has looked like a Heisman candidate at times, and he'll need to excel again against Oregon to leave with a win.
The Oregon Ducks spent this weekend on the bye after going to Penn State for a whiteout game and knocking off the Nittany Lions. After watching what UCLA was able to do against Penn State, the win does lose some luster but, it's clear this group is one of the best in the Country. Next weekend brings another big test as Indiana comes to town but, a win would put Oregon very much in the playoff picture.
While there were chaotic results around the Country, the Ohio State Buckeyes went out and handled business, dominating Minnesota. The Buckeyes didn't allow a touchdown while holding Minnesota to 94 yards passing and just 68 yards rushing. Julian Sayin looked like the training wheels were finally off and he was finding his stars for explosive plays. The team last season won the National Championship but, this group is starting to look even more dominant.