The powers in the Big Ten continue to flex their muscles. Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa all rolled over very formidable opponents, while Northwestern and Purdue won in the battle of who was worse. There has been a very apparent structure to the Big Ten this season; the aforementioned top three teams are in their own tier, Illinois is the worst team, by far, and everyone else is pretty much the same.
Ohio State 38, Minnesota 7
Any questions about sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s talent should be put to rest after his performance to lead Ohio State to a much needed victory over Minnesota. Pryor threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and galloped for 104 more yards and another touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver DeVier Posey was his primary target, exploding for 161 yards and both touchdowns. Defensively, the team was just as dominant. Junior quarterback Adam Weber was all but ineffective, throwing for only 112 yards and tossing up two interceptions. Without senior star wide receiver Eric Decker, who left with an injury after 27 receiving yards, the offense lacked star power. Freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray was the lone bright spot, throwing for 51 yards and a touchdown on only six throws, and adding 81 yards with his feet. After a strong start, it looks like Minnesota will have to fight for a bowl berth. With Illinois and South Dakota State on the schedule, the Golden Gophers should become eligible and possibly competitors for whatever bowl Northwestern hopes to get.
Purdue 24, Illinois 14
Illinois may have the most talented receiver in the Big Ten. It also has zero conference wins on the season. The perennial Big Ten disappointment notched another loss, led by a trio of ineffective quarterbacks. They combined for 142 yards and an interception, with no touchdowns. Luckily, they had a running game to bail them out. Sophomore Mikel LeShoure gives Fighting Illini reason to hope, rushing for 122 yards on 15 carries. Otherwise, there was nothing to look forward to. The Boilermakers combined for 220 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, led by sophomore Ralph Bolden’s 78. Purdue will have to win three of its last four games to become bowl eligible, which makes its collapse against Northwestern that much more important. Illinois should just think about next season at this point.
Penn State 35, Michigan 10
Penn State continues to roll after its devastating loss to Iowa, this time claiming Michigan as a victim. Senior quarterback Daryll Clark threw for 230 yards and four touchdowns, and the running game combined for 166 yards on the ground. The defense, though, was the most impressive. It held Michigan’s two exciting freshman quarterbacks to a completion percentage under 40 percent, combining for 140 yards and two interceptions. It also did not allow any Michigan running back to gain more than 50 yards in the game, giving the Wolverines no offense to work with. Penn State, which travels to Evanston next weekend, looks primed for a run for a BCS bowl. Michigan, on the other hand, has dropped three out of its last four after starting out with four straight wins. Now, with a record that rivals that of Northwestern, it is fighting for a bowl.
Iowa 15, Michigan State 13
There’s just something about Iowa this year. Junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi hit sophomore wide receiver Marvin McNutt with a 7-yard pass as time expired to end Michigan State’s upset bid. It was the story of defenses, though. Although there were no turnovers forced in the game, neither team was able to pound it into the end zone more than once. It was a battle of Big Ten football, with running attacks and defenses dominating. It might not be as sexy as the huge scores other leagues put up, but it was a very sound football game. Now, with Iowa undefeated heading into the final stretch, it has a legitimate shot at the BCS National Championship game. Michigan State, which is sitting at .500, is still in good shape to make a run at the Outback or Alamo bowls if it can carry over its momentum.