It was the final weekend of regular season play. On one hand that is saddening because it means the 2017 season is nearing its end. On the other hand it's always comforting to know that Urban Meyer is the head coach in Columbus and Jim Harbaugh continues to have zero success in the sport's greatest rivalry.
There really weren't a whole lot of surprises this week as most of the top teams recorded blowout wins against lesser opponents. With conference championship games going down next week, the Big Ten remains very much in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth.
No. 5 Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 0
I know it was just a 5-6 Minnesota squad, but I think it's safe to say that the Badger ground game is good enough to give any team in America problems. Jonathan Taylor and the Wiscy defense were up to their usual tricks yesterday, and the Golden Gophers simply had no answer for a potent Badger offense.
Taylor ended the day with 20 carries for 149 yards and a score. The touchdown came via a 53-yard jaunt that looked way too easy for Paul Chryst's offense. Alex Hornibrook has had an up-and-down kind of season, but the sophomore had a fine outing in Minneapolis. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns. At the end of the day, it was a 456-yard performance for the nation's fifth-ranked team.
Wisconsin's defense is holding steady at No. 2 in the nation, and they delivered once again on Saturday. Minnesota managed just a measly 133 yards of total offense. Quarterback Demry Croft completed three of nine passes for 40 yards. Rodney Smith added 82 on the ground.
The Badgers have gone unbeaten in the regular season for the first time since 1912, and their social media team had no qualms poking fun at P.J. Fleck's boat-rowing shenanigans.
14 in a Row.
— UW-Madison (@UWMadison) November 25, 2017
On, WWWWWWWWWWWWWWisconsin. #AxeGame pic.twitter.com/Nm3ZU5cExg
No. 10 Penn State 66, Maryland 3
| Team | W-L | Rank | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 12-0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 10-2 | 2 | 2 |
| Penn State | 10-2 | 3 | 3 |
| Michigan State | 9-3 | 4 | 4 |
| MICHIGAN | 8-4 | 5 | 5 |
| NorthwesterN | 9-3 | 6 | 6 |
| Iowa | 7-5 | 7 | 7 |
| Purdue | 6-6 | 8 | 10 |
| Minnesota | 5-7 | 9 | 8 |
| Indiana | 5-7 | 10 | 9 |
| Rutgers | 4-8 | 11 | 11 |
| Nebraska | 4-8 | 12 | 12 |
| Maryland | 4-8 | 13 | 13 |
| Illinois | 2-10 | 14 | 14 |
Penn State annihilated Maryland in its home stadium yesterday, and I suppose that isn't a surprise to anyone really. The Terps have been plagued by quarterback injuries dating all the way back to the Sept. 2 game against Texas, and the offense couldn't get things going against the Nittany Lion defense.
The Penn State ground game gashed the Terps for 286 yards and six scores. Saquon Barkley ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns, but surprisingly he wasn't the one doing the bulk of the damage. Backup quarterback Tommy Stevens led all rushers with 113 yards and three scores, and he did it all in the second half. Trace Mcsorley was given some rest after totaling 273 yards and three scores of his own. Mike Gesicki hauled in two touchdown passes, bringing his season total to nine.
D.J. Moore was one of the few bright spots for the Terrapin offense. The junior hauled in eight passes for 100 yards. His 80 receptions on the season is a new school record.
No. 16 Michigan State 40, Rutgers 7
Following a 3-9 campaign in 2016, Mark Dantonio and the Spartans have bounced back with a 9-3 regular season. It's been quite the turnaround as Michigan State picked up its ninth win on the road against Rutgers.
The Spartan defense was the story of the day as they held the Scarlet Knights to just 112 yards of total offense while forcing three turnovers. The stat of the game, however, was probably the time of possession. Michigan State held the ball for almost 48 minutes and compiled 431 yards of total offense. That absurd time of possession figure is believed to be a new NCAA record.
Brian Lewerke totaled 278 yards of offense and found the end zone twice. Gerald Holmes led the way on the ground with 59 yards and a score. L.J. Scott pitched in with 54 yards while Madre London added 22 and a touchdown of his own. Felton Davis III was the game's leading receiver with six receptions for 72 yards.
Raheem Blackshear hauled in a 42-yard touchdown reception, and that was about the only excitement for Chris Ash and the anemic Rutgers offense.
No. 22 Northwestern 42, Illinois 7
Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats have quietly put together a nice season. It's been quite the opposite for Lovie Smith and the Fighting Illini. You know things aren't going so well when one of your players gets ejects for throwing a flag at an official.
Tito Odenigbo was ejected for tossing the flag back at one of the refs. pic.twitter.com/NBKDHYpG4z
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 25, 2017
Justin Jackson and the Wildcat ground game pounded the Illini on Saturday. Jackson notched 18 carries for 144 yards and a score. Overall, the rushing attack ran for 306 yards and four scores while averaging 6.5 per carry. Jeremy Larkin, Jesse Brown, and Jelani Roberts also pitched in with touchdowns. Clayton Thorson threw for 140 yards with a touchdown and one interception.
After going up 7-0 in the game's first quarter, the Illinois offense couldn't get anything going. They put up just 239 yards on the day and were plagued by a trio of turnovers. Cam Thomas' 23-yard scamper was the lone score.
Iowa 56, Nebraska 14
For one half of the Friday afternoon game, it looked like the Iowa team that has had question marks all season long. Then, in the second half, the Hawkeyes looked like the team that is capable of beating pretty much anyone in the Big Ten. This one was tied at 14 at the half, and then Iowa proceeded to score 42 unanswered points in the game's final two frames. Kirk Ferentz's offense totaled 505 yards, which is somehow actually more than it put up against the Buckeyes (487).
Akrum Wadley ran for 159 yards and three scores while leading the way for the Hawkeye offense. Ivory Kelly-Martin added 90 and another score on the ground. Nathan Stanley tossed a pair of touchdowns to Noah Fant. The sophomore had 116 yards on just three receptions and #sources say that averaging nearly 40 yards per catch is pretty good for a tight end. On the other side of the ball, the Hawkeyes allowed just 267 yards and recorded three interceptions.
In the books. A 4-8 Husker season is the worst since 1961. Mike Riley, 19-19 in three years.
— Brian Christopherson (@Husker247BC) November 25, 2017
Tanner Lee threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns, but the Husker quarterback was plagued by the trio of picks. Stanley Morgan Jr. had a big day hauling in seven passes for 74 yards and two scores. He's now caught 10 touchdown passes on the season.
The Nebraska administration wasted little time making a change at the top. But in all seriousness Mike Riley actually seems like one of college football's good guys and I wish him the best in whatever is next. I'll never forget the images of him helping a local high school clean up trash following one of Nebraska's satellite camps.
Purdue 31, Indiana 24
The Hoosiers scored 14 points in the game's final quarter, and an onside kick recovery would have given them the chance to tie things up in West Lafayette. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be, and the Boilermakers are officially bowl eligible.
Elijah Sindelar and Markell Jones were too much for the Indiana defense. Sindelar threw for 159 yards and a pair of scores. Jones had a career day totaling 217 yards on 31 carries. Wideout Jackson Anthrop found the end zone on a pair of end arounds. Isaac Zico and Anthony Mahoungou were on the receiving end of the Sindelar scoring strikes.
Richard Lagow completed 32 of 60 passes for the Hoosiers. He totaled 373 yards with a trio of touchdowns to go along with one interception. Taysir Mack and Simmie Cobbs Jr. both had big days. Mack caught seven passes for 132 yards and a score. Cobbs hauled in seven for 105 and a touchdown.
The Boilermakers have now doubled their win total from 2016. Not a bad start to the Jeff Brohm era.
We've known it for a week now, but Ohio State and Wisconsin will play for the Big Ten championship next Saturday in Indianapolis. The Badgers will most assuredly find themselves in the field of four if they capture the conference crown. Things remain interesting for the Buckeyes as they too are very much in the hunt. The Iron Bowl didn't exactly help things, but could a convincing win over the Badgers be enough?
Our final regular season power rankings look about like one would expect. The Badgers and Buckeyes are right at the top with Penn State and Michigan State rounding out the top four. The Wolverines have one more loss than Northwestern, but I think it's reasonable to think Michigan is a better team. Props to Pat Fitzgerald on a fine season, though.
The Hawkeyes are impossible to get a good read on, and I'll probably spend the rest of my days wondering what the hell happened on that fateful night in Iowa City. I suppose it's just one of those mystifying things that happens from time to time. Elsewhere Nebraska and Maryland were extremely disappointing this season, but I'll cut the Terps some slack due to all the injuries the offense went through. Illinois didn't win a single game in the conference. Yikes.
All eyes will be on Indianapolis next Saturday night. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. on FOX.
A little reminder of what transpired three years ago:
