The weekend's Big Ten slate was a good one. The Buckeyes had the strange 4:00 p.m. start time so it was nice to have a couple rivalry games to check out in the latter portion of the day. One of those games turned out to be especially enjoyable.
Ohio State put up 62 points against the Terps, and the offense certainly appears to be finding its groove at the right time. The true test comes in three weeks, but a lot of progress has been made since the Oklahoma debacle. Greg Schiano's defense is also making strides as the line continues to dominate and the secondary has stepped up as well.
There are some big changes in our power rankings, so let's cut to the chase.
Michigan State 14, No. 7 Michigan 10
The last time the Wolverines hosted the Spartans we got to witness one of the most lol-worthy plays in recent memory as Michigan's punter botched a snap and handed Mark Dantonio a win. The rivalry's most recent edition wasn't quite as dramatic, but the outcome was the same as the Spartans yet again took down the Wolverines in the Big House.
Everyone was probably expecting a low-scoring affair, and that's exactly what went down on an ugly, rainy night in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines looked especially sloppy and were plagued by five crucial turnovers and some atrocious offensive line play. John O'Korn threw for 198 yards and was picked off three times by the Spartan defense. The ground game was also held in check as they totaled just 102 yards while averaging 2.6 per carry.
Michigan with five turnovers, 2.6 yards per carry and 10 points against Michigan State tonight. Harbaugh now 1-4 versus MSU/OSU.
— Chris Lauderback (@Chris11W) October 8, 2017
Michigan State's offense was almost as bad as they actually put up worse numbers, ending the day with just 252 yards. The Spartans did something the Wolverines couldn't do: they took care of the football and didn't turn things over a single time. The turnover battle and Michigan State defensive line were the biggest factors working in the Spartans' favor.
Brian Lewerke threw for 94 yards, rushed for 61, and found the end zone twice. The Spartans totaled 158 yards on the ground and just 94 through the air. Michigan State's defensive line dominated the Wolverine front and had O'Korn running for his life throughout the night.
The Spartans have now topped the Wolverines eight times in their past ten meetings.
No. 4 Penn State 31, Northwestern 7
It was a rough start for Saquon Barkley in Evanston as the Nittany Lion tailback was held to -1 rushing yards in the game's first two quarters. He then got things going in the second half. The junior scored twice in the third quarter – including a 53-yarder – and would end up rushing for 75 yards on 16 carries.
Trace McSorley had another solid performance completing 25 of 34 passes for 245 yards and a score. Saeed Blacknall and DeAndre Thompkins led the way with 74 and 57 yards respectively. McSorley's lone touchdown pass game via a 10-yard strike to backup quarterback Tommy Stevens.
It wasn't the best day for Clayton Thorson, Justin Jackson, and the Wildcat offense. Thorson threw for 142 yards with a pair of interceptions. Jackson was held to just 66 yards on 16 carries. Northwestern ruined Penn State's shutout bid when backup quarterback Matt Alviti found the end zone with less than two minute remaining in the game.
| Team | W-L | Rank | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 6-0 | 1 | 1 |
| OHIO STATE | 5-1 | 2 | 3 |
| WISCONSIN | 5-0 | 3 | 4 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 4-1 | 4 | 7 |
| MICHIGAN | 4-1 | 5 | 2 |
| IOWA | 4-2 | 6 | 8 |
| PURDUE | 3-2 | 7 | 10 |
| INDIANA | 3-2 | 8 | 9 |
| MARYLAND | 3-2 | 9 | 5 |
| MINNESOTA | 3-2 | 10 | 6 |
| Nebraska | 3-3 | 11 | 11 |
| Northwestern | 2-3 | 12 | 12 |
| Illinois | 2-3 | 13 | 13 |
| Rutgers | 1-4 | 14 | 14 |
No. 9 Wisconsin 38, Nebraska 17
It continues to amaze me how little fanfare Jonathan Taylor is receiving. The national folks aren't paying enough attention as the true freshman is being overshadowed by Saquon Barkley, but this weekend's game should change things a bit. Taylor rumbled for 249 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries against the Huskers. His 75-yard second-quarter scamper was especially brutal for the Nebraska defense.
The Wisconsin passing game didn't need to do a whole lot. Alex Hornibrook completed nine passes for 113 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Quintez Cephus hauled caught four passes for 68 yards and a score.
The Nebraska offense was again led by the usual suspects. Tanner Lee threw for 262 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Devine Ozigbo topped the century mark for a third straight game as he ran for 112 yards. Stanley Morgan Jr. led all wideouts with four receptions for 115 and a score.
Purdue 31, Minnesota 17
The Boilermakers used 18 fourth-quarter points to take down P.J. Fleck and the Golden Gophers. Elijah Sindelar threw for 248 yards and a touchdown while splitting time with David Blough. Blough added 59 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Markell Jones scored what would prove to be the game-winner with just over a minute remaining. Purdue then converted the two-point conversion to go up by a score of 24-17. On the ensuing drive, linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley picked off a Minnesota pass and took it to the house.
Sending the waterlogged fans home happy. @BoilerFootball just sealed it on a pick 6, but here's the TD run that gave the Boilers the lead: pic.twitter.com/AIegSXPAhp
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 8, 2017
The Gophs did most of their damage on the ground, rushing for 227 yards as a team. Shannon Brooks ran for 116 yards while Rodney Smith chipped in with 88. Conor Rhoda threw for just 101 yards with a pair of scores and the interception.
Iowa 45, Illinois 16
This one was surprisingly close through three quarters. The Hawkeyes led 24-16 heading into the final frame, but the offense then exploded for three fourth-quarter touchdowns en route to a respectable 29-point victory.
It's no surprise, but Nathan Stanley and Akrum Wadley again led the Iowa offense. Stanley through for 247 yards with three touchdowns while Wadley tallied 115 and a score. Noah Fant led all receivers with 78 yards on three receptions. Safety Brandon Snyder returned from a torn ACL and wasted no time making an impact. The junior returned an interception 89 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Jeff George Jr. made his first start of the season for the Illini and things didn't go so well for the sophomore. George completed less than 50 percent of his passes for 246 yards and no scores. He was also intercepted three times on the day. The Illinois ground game did find some success, totaling 200 yards on 30 carries. True freshman Mike Epstein rushed for 83 yards on just seven carries. Ra'Von Bonner – a fellow true freshman and Cincinnati native – added 47 yards and a score.
Indiana 27, Charleston Southern 0
If you saw Indiana versus Charleston Southern on the schedule and got excited about it, then you're a better person than myself. This one was the snoozer of the week in the conference, but hey the Hoosiers are now 3-2.
The Indiana passing game returned to its week-one form as Peyton Ramsey's first start was an impressive one. The freshman connected on 32 of 41 attempts for 321 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Ramsey also added 54 yards with his legs. Taysir Mack had a big day as he notched seven receptions for 111 yards and two scores. Simmie Cobbs Jr. caught 10 passes – still one less than he caught against Ohio State – and accounted for 98 yards.
Charleston Southern's option attacked totaled 134 yards on the day with none of those coming through the air. I feel really bad for anyone who watched this game.
So that was a big weekend of college football.
Michigan State shoots up our rankings and the Spartans are one of the season's surprises thus far. Dantonio's defensive line looks like a dangerous unit, but the Michigan offensive line didn't do itself any favors. Ohio State hosts the Spartans on Nov. 11 so the team will have a little over a month to get the trenches up to speed following the Branden Bowen injury.
Wisconsin was impressive once again, and if you have the Badgers ahead of the Buckeyes in your own conference rankings then I probably wouldn't argue with you. The one thing I'll say about Wisconsin is that Hornibrook and that passing game really won't strike fear into anyone. The offensive line and running game have been very impressive, though.
I am starting to feel a little bad for Maryland. They were really fun to watch against Texas. Then their backup quarterback was looking pretty good. Then the backup's backup was looking okay. Now they are on their fourth-stringer. Yikes.
Next weekend's slate has the Buckeyes traveling to Lincoln as the Huskers will look to avenge last season's 62-3 massacre. Wisconsin hosts Purdue and the Spartans hit the road to take on the Gophs. The Wolverines and John O'Korn will be flopping into Bloomington.
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) October 8, 2017
