If you have yet to catch your breath, then that is totally understandable following what transpired yesterday. Guess who's back atop our Big Ten power rankings and right in the thick of the College Football Playoff hunt?
I don't even have the words to fully describe that one just yet. It was one of the best games I've ever watched and I'm a little bit salty that I didn't accept the extra ticket from my cousin who didn't really want to attend. Alas, it was an amazing watch even from the comfy confines of my own living room.
J.T. Barrett leading the Buckeyes back against the Nittany Lions is the talk of the college football world; and for good reason. There were, however, some other happenings within the Big Ten, so let's take a look at what else went down on a Saturday to remember.
Michigan 35, Rutgers 14
It would appear that the kooky quarterback whisperer is on to his next experiment. It was an ugly start for the Wolverines, but a second-quarter change under center seemed to give Jim Harbaugh's offense a bit of a jumpstart.
Senior John O'Korn struggled mightily early on in this one completing three of six passes for just 13 yards and an interception. He also fumbled a pair of snaps before getting pulled. Redshirt freshman Brandon Peters came in before halftime and the Indiana native promptly led the Wolverines to a pair of touchdown drives. He would go on to complete 10 of 14 passes for 124 yards and a score.
Karan Higdon and Don Brown's defense were the real difference makers, however. The junior continues to lead the way in Michigans split backfield. Higdon rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Ty Isaac added 109 yards on the ground and redshirt freshman – and known Redd's Apple Ale enthusiast – Kareem Walker recorded his first career touchdown.
Janarion Grant?
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) October 28, 2017
More like, Janarion Gone.@RFootball fans know whats up. pic.twitter.com/U55dqOyCEw
Rutgers managed just 195 yards of total offense and was relatively quiet after Janarion Grant tied thing up with a 65-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Wolverine defense got to the quarterback five times and recorded 11 tackles for loss. Giovanni Rescigno was feeling the pressure all day long as he completed 8 of 16 passes for 101 yards.
| Team | W-L | Rank | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 1 | 2 |
| Penn STATE | 7-1 | 2 | 1 |
| WISCONSIN | 8-0 | 3 | 3 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 6-2 | 4 | 4 |
| MICHIGAN | 6-2 | 5 | 5 |
| Northwestern | 5-3 | 6 | 6 |
| Iowa | 5-3 | 7 | 7 |
| Maryland | 4-4 | 8 | 11 |
| Minnesota | 4-4 | 9 | 10 |
| Nebraska | 4-4 | 10 | 13 |
| Indiana | 3-5 | 11 | 8 |
| Rutgers | 3-5 | 12 | 12 |
| Purdue | 3-5 | 13 | 9 |
| Illinois | 2-6 | 14 | 14 |
Northwestern 39, No. 16 Michigan State 31 (3OT)
The Spartans came into this game as one of the hottest teams in the country. They'd won four in a row including wins over Iowa and Michigan. Traveling to Evanston is not for the faint of heart, however, and the hot streak is no more.
Clayton Thorson was the star of the day for the Wildcats as their ground game was held in check. The junior completed 33 of 48 passes for 356 yards and two scores. He added 11 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Thorson hit Flynn Nagel for a 22-yard touchdown in the third overtime and that would prove to be the game winner. Justin Jackson couldn't get a lot going on the day as he rushed for just 41 yards on 17 carries, though he did find the end zone.
The game's top performance actually came courtesy of Spartan quarterback Brian Lewerke. The sophomore threw for an absurd 445 yards and four touchdowns. He added another 30 with his legs. Three Michigan State pass-catchers topped 90 yards on the day. Cody White led all receivers with 165 yards and two scores. Darrell Stewart Jr. added 98 yards and Felton Davis III pitched in with 95 and a pair of touchdowns.
Over his last three games, L.J. Scott had rushed for 281 yards and three scores. Pat Fitzgerald's defense held the junior to just 16 yards on eight carries.
No. 5 Wisconsin 24, Illinois 10
It wasn't the most impressive performance for the Badgers, but the ground game and defense got the job done in Champaign. Jonathan Taylor was gashing the Illini as he rushed for 73 yards in the first half, but the Wiscy offense struggled when he exited in the second quarter with a leg injury. Garrett Groshek and Bradrick Shaw filled in for Taylor and combined for 91 yards. Groshek added a touchdown as well. Alex Hornibrook had a forgettable day as the sophomore completed 10 of 19 passes for 135 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Wiscy's 6-foot-6, 328-pound offensive lineman Michael Deiter – a Curtice, Ohio native – added the cherry on top late in the fourth quarter.
BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN@MichaelDeiter is bringin' home the as @BadgerFootball puts an exclamation point on a win over Illinois: pic.twitter.com/2q2OORlacY
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 28, 2017
The Illinois offense couldn't do a whole lot against a stingy Badger defense. There was less than a minute left in the game when they recorded their first touchdown. Jeff George Jr. and Cam Thomas combined for an absolutely horrendous outing at quarterback. The duo completed 9 of 31 passes for 152 yards and two picks. Cam Thomas rushed for 78 yards while Kendrick Foster added 66 and a score.
Iowa 17, Minnesota 10
It wasn't the most exciting game in Iowa City, but the Gophs did get on the board in the fourth quarter to at least make things somewhat interesting.
Nathan Stanley and Akrum Wadley led the way for the Hawkeye offense. Stanley threw for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Wadley carried the ball 16 times for 70 yards and a score. Tight end Noah Fant was on the receiving end of Stanley's 45-yard touchdown pass and he led Iowa pass-catchers with 67 yards.
The Gophers struggled on offense as they managed just 281 yards on the day. Demry Croft had a rather inefficient outing completed 9 of 29 passes for 139 yards and an interception. Rodney Smith led the way on the ground with 82 yards. Tyler Johnson was the game's leading receiver as the sophomore hauled in four passes for 92 yards.
Maryland 42, Indiana 39
The Terps used a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to take out the Hoosiers in College Park. If you're a fan of teams playing defense, then this one probably just wasn't your cup of tea as they combined for 828 yards of offense and 11 touchdowns.
Maryland used a balanced attack that featured 171 yards through the air and 174 on the ground. Quarterback Max Bortenschlager tossed a pair of touchdowns passes and one interception. Ty Johnson led all running backs with 91 yards. Lorenzo Harrison III rushed for a score and Jake Funk found the end zone twice in the game's final quarter. D.J. Moore hauled in four passes for 77 yards and a score.
Indiana's passing game actually looked much like it did agains the Buckeyes. Simmie Cobbs Jr. hauled in 10 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown while Whop Philyor and Luke Timian each recorded 13 receptions. Philyor had 127 yards and a score and Timian added 91 and also was on the receiving end of a touchdown strike. The ground game managed just 73 yards on 35 carries.
Nebraska 25, Purdue 24
This one was probably the third-best game of the weekend behind the Ohio State/Penn State and Michigan State/Northwestern battles. The Huskers scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to pull off the road victory, and Tanner Lee looked like the quarterback Nebraska fans were hoping they would see all season.
Comeback complete!
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 29, 2017
Tanner Lee finds @Thekidstan and @HuskerFBNation pulls out a 25-24 win on the road! They trailed 24-12 in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/dwWSMzPnNF
Lee completed 32 of 50 passes for 431 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also led the Huskers down the field for the game-winning score late in the fourth quarter. With the ground game getting shut down, Lee and the Nebraska receivers shouldered the bulk of the load. Stanley Morgan Jr. and Tyler Hoppes both topped the century mark on the day. Morgan caught six passes for 112 and the game winner with just 14 seconds left. Hoppes added five for 105 and also hauled in a touchdown pass.
For the Boilermakers, David Blough threw for 164 yards and a touchdown strike to Jackson Anthrop. Richie Worship was the game's leading rusher as the 260-pound sophomore from Cleveland ran for 89 yards and a score on 18 carries.
The first 2017 College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday. Right now my personal ballot reads something like this:
- 1. Ohio State, 2. J.T. Barrett, 3. Urban Meyer, 4. Larry Johnson
Beyond the instant classic in Columbus, it was a pretty mediocre week for the conference. Michigan's offense has a new quarterback running the show, and Jim Harbaugh will certainly be hoping the spark that's been provided lingers on into next weekend.
Wisconsin continues to win games all the while not looking all that impressive. Michigan State took a step in the wrong direction courtesy of Pat FItzgerald and the Wildcats. Nebraska got a nice comeback win on the road against Purdue while the Terps and Hoosiers provided a lot of fireworks on offense.
The Buckeyes rise to No. 1 in the power rankings and we've still got Penn State ahead of Wisconsin. Yes, the Badgers are unbeaten but how many people actually think they're better than the Nittany Lions? Their schedule has been one of the easiest in America and they aren't exactly blowing out their opponents.
Next weekend the Buckeyes hit the road to Iowa City for a game that many had previously circled as a potential upset. Penn State travels to East Lansing to square off with the Spartans while the Wolverines will host P.J. Fleck's Golden Gophers.
