Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 9 Big Ten game.
Rutgers 44, Liberty 34
Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 7
Penn State 28, Michigan State 7
Minnesota 52, Maryland 10
Indiana 38, Nebraska 31
Michigan 45, Notre Dame 14
Illinois 24, Purdue 6
We live in a world where Illinois will probably go bowling. It has to beat Rutgers next week, and then it has to go to Michigan State and Iowa, but if all goes according to form, the Northwestern game in Champaign should be for the sixth win.
That’s how you prove the Wisconsin win wasn’t an aberration. In the miserable conditions, Brandon Peters only completed 3-of-6 passes for 26 yards, but the running game rolled for 242 yards on 131 from Dre Brown. There weren’t an turnovers, the O controlled the clock, and the defense was dominant against the sputtering Purdue passing game. The D line was fantastic.
Jack Plummer only hit 8-of-20 passes for 71 yards and a pick, And Aidan O’Connell connected on 7-of-13 throws for 65 yards and a score. The passing game just didn’t work against an Illinois D that was flying around and didn’t let Purdue get into any groove.
That’s no it for Purdue, but at 2-6, it’s close. The Boilermakers have Nebraska, at Northwestern, at Wisconsin and Indiana to go. They’re not winning out.
Iowa 20, Northwestern 0
Oh Northwestern. Aidan Smith tried to get the passing game going, but he only threw for 138 yards and a pick. Iowa didn’t allow a thing on the ground – giving up 64 yards and fewer than two yards per carry – and there just weren’t any sustained drives. The offense isn’t getting any better.
All Iowa had to do was not screw up. Nate Stanley only completed 12-of-26 passes for 179 yards and a score, and the running game only came up with 123 yards, but Tyrone Tracy came up with the one big pass play for a score, and that’s all the Hawkeyes needed. It wasn’t a special performance, and it wasn’t anything pretty, but it was a road shutout in the Big Ten West. Take it and move on.
Now the Hawkeyes are bowl eligible, but there’s still time to win the West if Minnesota falters at least one other time along the way. There’s two weeks off to prepare for the date at Wisconsin, and then comes Minnesota, Illinois, and a trip to Nebraska. It’s gravy time, but the offense has to be a whole lot sharper to make a real push for anything big.
Northwestern keeps playing great defense, but it doesn’t matter – the offense just isn’t doing anything. Even at 1-6, it’s not totally inconceivable that the Wildcats can win out. They have to win at Indiana next week. Do that, and with Purdue, UMass and Minnesota at home, and the regular season finale at Illinois to close, it’s not totally crazy, but … nah. There’s just no O.
Rutgers 44, Liberty 34
Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 7
Penn State 28, Michigan State 7
Minnesota 52, Maryland 10
Indiana 38, Nebraska 31
Michigan 45, Notre Dame 14
NEXT: Rutgers 44, Liberty 34; Ohio State 38 Wisconsin 7
Rutgers 44, Liberty 34
Well good for you, Rutgers. It might have just been against Liberty, but it was a win as an underdog, the offense got to do something right, and the program that’s had absolutely no fun so far got to have just a little bit of something to enjoy.
The running game and Johnny Langan went off. The young quarterback completed 15-of-21 passes for 192 yards and two scores, and he ran for a game-high 118 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line finally put together a nice performance, and the offense – after a rough first quarter – turned it on by controlling the clock for almost 41 minutes.
That might be it for the fun with at Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State to go. But in a lost year that’s going to see massive changes in the offseason, the team got a double-digit win. Yay, Rutgers. The players deserve it for what they’ve gone through.
Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 7
This will forever be known as the Chase Young game. The superstar defensive hybrid came up with six tackles, four sacks, and five tackles for loss with two forced fumbles. He took his game up a few notches as he ruined everything the Badgers tried to do, but …
The Buckeye offensive line deserves the credit for the win. JK Dobbins ran for 163 yards and two scores, and Justin Fields threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns with a touchdown, but the O line dominated the game as it went on. This was supposed to be the game for the Badger offensive front, and it was the OSU front five that helped make everything else go.
Jonathan Taylor only ran for 52 yards, but he didn’t have anywhere to go. The overall OSU team speed was on full display – the D swarmed all over Wisconsin all game long. The only Badger touchdown came on the most perfect pass you’ll see all season long on a Jack Coan throw to AJ Taylor, but on the ensuing drive, the OSU O line took over on a march for a score.
Now the Buckeyes get a break with a week off before getting Maryland and Rutgers. And then it’s on against Penn State and with the date at Michigan to close.
Wisconsin can still be in the hunt for the Rose Bowl, but it has to win out, and it needs a little bit of help. Iowa, at Nebraska, Purdue, at Minnesota – the Badgers should be 4-0, but the offensive front has to get it back right away after two straight underwhelming performances.
Illinois 24, Purdue 6
Iowa 20, Northwestern 0
Penn State 28, Michigan State 7
Minnesota 52, Maryland 10
Indiana 38, Nebraska 31
Michigan 45, Notre Dame 14
NEXT: Penn State 28, Michigan State 7; Minnesota 52, Maryland 10
Penn State 28, Michigan State 7
This should’ve been perfect for Michigan State. The weather was awful, it was all set to come down to the defenses taking over and … Michigan State had nothing. The Penn State passing game was just fine, Sean Clifford threw through the rain for four scores, Pat Freiermuth carved up the Spartans for 60 yards and three scores, and it was never really a game.
The Penn State defense had something to do with that. Micah Parsons led the way with another All-America-caliber performance – 12 tackles with a broken up pass – Michigan State’s running game never busted out anything big, and Brian Lewerke completed just 16-of-34 passes with a pick.
And now comes the respect for the Nittany Lions. With Oklahoma losing and Notre Dame getting bombed by Michigan, everything is coming together at just the right time for James Franklin’s club, at least when it comes to the polls. The team finally gets some time off before dealing with the trip to Minnesota. Win that, and with Indiana, at Ohio State and Rutgers to go.
Michigan State will find a way to get to six wins and a bowl. At 4-4, it needs two wins – at Rutgers is one, Maryland is another. But it’s about more than that, especially if the Spartans get by Illinois next. Something has to happen to make the season special, and that can only come at Michigan in a few weeks. Forget about winning that if the O doesn’t find something it can rely on fast.
Minnesota 52, Maryland 10
Minnesota sidestepped the landmine. Maryland was supposed to be healthier, and it didn’t matter. Maryland was supposed to be rested, and it didn’t matter. Maryland was supposed to have nothing to lose, and it didn’t matter. Minnesota was supposed to be tired, looking ahead to Penn State, and not quite consistent enough. Instead, the Gophers played like they really and truly are ready to take the next step up in competition. They were dominant from the start and didn’t let up.
The running game continues to kick it in. Maryland didn’t have any answers after the Gophers started blasting away, allowing 321 yards and close to six yards per carry. Best of all, considering what’s coming up next, the O held the ball for almost 43 minutes.
Michigan, at Ohio State, Nebraska, at Michigan State. Good luck, Maryland. 3-9 isn’t how this is supposed to go in Mike Locksley’s first year.
No, really. Where’s the Maryland offense? Josh Jackson was expected to be back at quarterback, but he only got in for two passes. Tyrrell Pigrome hit six of nine passes, but one pick went for a pick six. RB Anthony McFarland came back, and he didn’t do much of anything with his ten carries. There are no answers, and the O isn’t improving, getting down 45-3 before finally coming up with a touchdown late in the fourth. This is going great.
Playtime is over. Minnesota still hasn’t beaten anyone who’s guaranteed of going bowling, and now comes Penn State, at Iowa, at Northwestern, and Wisconsin. It’s still unbeaten going into November, and there’s interest on a national level. This is going great.
Illinois 24, Purdue 6
Iowa 20, Northwestern 0
Rutgers 44, Liberty 34
Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 7
Indiana 38, Nebraska 31
Michigan 45, Notre Dame 14
NEXT: Indiana 38, Nebraska 31; Michigan 45, Notre Dame 14
Indiana 38, Nebraska 31
Bowl eligibility. Indiana has been knocking on that door for the last few years, only to have it slammed shut time and again. Now, with a terrific 251-yard passing day from Peyton Ramsey, and 14 catches for 178 yards from Whop Phlyor, it’s swag bag time. Everything else from here on is just gravy, but with Northwestern up next, there’s a chance to bad the resumé a bit before getting to try playing giant killer against Penn State and Michigan.
The offense was just fine, even without Adrian Martinez. Nebraska put up over 500 yards of total offense, Noah Vedral and Luke McCaffrey combined to hit 19-of-22 passes, the O only lost the turnover margin by one, and it ran wild for 220 yards. None of it seemed to matter because the secondary couldn’t do enough to generate a big stop to take control of the game. The O had a few late chances, but stalled.
Forget making a big move in Year Two under Scott Frost, will the Huskers even go bowling? They should beat Purdue, but that’s not a given on the road. Wisconsin? Uh oh. At Maryland, yeah, but that’s not a sure thing, either. Iowa? They have to win two of their last four, and they’re not playing well enough to do it.
Michigan 45, Notre Dame 14
Well there goes that “can’t win a big game” thing, at least for the moment. In the driving rain, this was a game for the ground attack, and Notre Dame’s was stuffed and Michigan’s wasn’t. Zach Charbonnet ran for 74 yards and two scores, and Hassan Haskins ran 20 times for 149 yards averaging close to eight yards per pass. The Michigan offensive front beat up the Irish for 303 rushing yards, and the D allowed just 47 yards.
The secondary didn’t allow Ian Book to do a thing. The Irish QB completed just 8-of-25 passes with a score, with almost nothing happening down the field. There are three good deep plays, but that was it. There was no keeping up once the Wolverines got up early.
Considering the miserable conditions, there were no turnovers, four penalties, and outside of a few questionable plays by QB Shea Patterson, it was a nearly-perfect overall performance. This was the Michigan we were all waiting for.
With Maryland up next, the showdown against Michigan State to follow, and at Indiana and Ohio State to close, there’s still a whole lot of work to do, and there’s still a whole lot that has to happen to think about winning the East, but for now, if you’re Michigan, you just got a big win in cathartic, blowout fashion. Just enjoy.
Illinois 24, Purdue 6
Iowa 20, Northwestern 0
Rutgers 44, Liberty 34
Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 7
Penn State 28, Michigan State 7
Minnesota 52, Maryland 10
