Big Ten Recap - Week 13

At this point in the season a few of these results come as no surprise. Michigan State took out some frustration against hapless Rutgers shutting them out 27-0 on the road. The Spartans now have a decent shot at bowl eligibility with a home game against Maryland next week. Illinois continues to show that they’re improving as a program, but not quite there yet. The Illini were unable to pull-off the upset, but gave the Hawkeyes a challenge in a game that was within one score until Iowa’s Keith Duncan kicked a field goal with 2:44 remaining to extend the lead to 9 points. The Gophers outstanding WR-duo of Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman dominated again, this time against the Wildcats. They combined for 4 of the 5 Minnesota TDs (Bateman with 3), and had over 200 yards receiving on the day.

In the biggest surprise of the weekend (to me at least) Nebraska walloped Maryland 54-7 in College Park. The Terps were coming off a bye week after a brutal 3-game stretch against Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio State - but were unable to respond against a Cornhuskers team they were favored to beat. They’re now in a 6-game losing streak with a trip to East Lansing on Saturday to try and salvage some positive ending to the season. Losing to Penn State seems to have ignited Michigan on both sides of the ball. They looked dominant against the Hoosiers, and look to carry that momentum into their game against Ohio State next week. And lastly, Purdue got run over by the Jonathan Taylor train to the tune of 222 yards on the ground. The Boilermakers have beaten the teams they’re supposed to in the conference this year, and lost handily to the ones they’re not. There’s young talent to be excited about, but another finish near the bottom of the Big Ten West is a disappointment.

Scoreboard

Michigan State 27, Rutgers 0

Iowa 19, Illinois 10

Minnesota 38, Northwestern 22

Ohio State 28, Penn State 17

Nebraska 54, Maryland 7

Michigan 39, Indiana 14

Wisconsin 45, Purdue 24

Major Storylines

• As if Penn State fans needed a reminder, Chase Young is having an incredible season for the Buckeyes. After Saturday’s performance he now has 16.5 sacks and 7 forced fumbles on the year despite missing two games. In a world where non-QBs could actually win the award, he’d be a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.
• Minnesota and Wisconsin play next week in the de facto Big Ten West championship game. The two rivals feature two of the best offenses in the conference, although they couldn’t be more different stylistically. The Gophers will bring the conference’s leading passer and two of the best receivers, while the Badgers have Jonathan Taylor and a dominant running game. This game always means a lot for the two teams involved, but this year the game will have the national spotlight.

Next Week:

(#17)Iowa at Nebraska

(#2)Ohio State at (#13)Michigan

Northwestern at Illinois

Indiana at Purdue

Rutgers at (#8)Penn State

(#12)Wisconsin at (#10)Minnesota

Maryland at Michigan State