The first week of conference play started out with a bang, which gave us an early peak at which teams will likely compete for division titles, and which ones will probably be watching the Big Ten Championship game from their living rooms on December 1st. Fans were treated with some thrilling finishes, which will only increase as the air becomes more crisp.

(14)Ohio State- 17
(20)Michigan State- 16

Ohio State edged out Michigan State in a heated contest that started out very slow before the teams exchanged scores as the clock neared 0:00. Braxton Miller again had a big game with 315 total yards (179 passing, 136 rushing), but he also hurt the Buckeyes cause by coughing up three turnovers. Still, Miller managed to make several big plays when it counted most and shook off an injury that looked devastating at the time. Buckeyes RB Carlos Hyde emerged with tough runs all day, while the Ohio State defense limited LeVeon Bell to only 45 yards and made the Spartans settle for four field goals.

Up Next:

Nebraska at Ohio State
Michigan State at Indiana

(22) Nebraska- 30
Wisconsin- 27

Nebraska mounted an impressive comeback to avoid its second loss of the season in front of a rabid crowd at Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin led by 17 points in the second half, but Nebraska scored the final 20 points of the game to edge out the Badgers. Taylor Martinez had several big runs and the Huskers defense suddenly went into lockdown mode, appearing as a completely different unit that gave up a quick three touchdowns to start off the game. Many viewers likely passed this game up thinking it was an Indiana-Texas Tech game, thanks to the hideous alternative uniforms worn by both teams.

Up Next:

Nebraska at Ohio State
Illinois at Wisconsin

Northwestern- 44
Indiana- 29

Northwestern improved to 5-0 with a huge offensive performance, led by QB Kain Colter's 161 yards and four rushing touchdowns. The Wildcats built a 27-0 lead only to see Indiana come back to within a single score at 37-29. However, Colter ran for a 22-yard touchdown with just under five minutes in regulation to secure the victory for Northwestern.

Up Next:

Northwestern at Penn State
Michigan State at Indiana

Iowa- 31
Minnesota- 13

The Golden Gophers crashed back to reality after a surprising 4-0 start. Iowa was able to score three quick touchdowns in the second quarter, and never looked back after taking a 24-0 halftime advantage. Hawkeyes RB Mark Weisman rushed for 177 yards to help bring the bronze pig trophy back to Iowa City.

Up Next:

Iowa at Michigan State (10/13)
Northwestern at Minnesota (10/13)

Purdue- 51
Marshall- 41

Purdue was the sole Big Ten team to get one more out-of-conference game out of the way. The game surprisingly went back and forth most of the day, but two pick-sixes helped propel Purdue to a 3-1 record. Purdue QB Caleb TerBush connected on 27 and 37 passes for 294 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

Up Next for Purdue: Michigan

Idle: Michigan

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