BOOM
2025 cornerback Jordyn Woods flips from Cincinnati and commits to Ohio State.
Week 10 was a crucial one across the country with top-25 matchups spanning throughout the day. Ohio State kicked off at noon and struggled mightily at times against Nebraska. It was disappointing to see many of the same problems persist even after the open week, but I suppose the running game and the play of Brendon White were two of the positives from a mostly lackluster performance.
The Buckeyes still have plenty to work on and they're running out of time to turn things around. Those who had hoped for some marked improvements were probably left wondering what exactly was being worked on over the last two weeks. Despite the ongoing struggles, Urban Meyer and Co. may very well control their destiny in terms of the College Football Playoff.
Meanwhile, the top team in our power rankings continues to scratch names off the list for what has thus far been a very successful revenge tour.
No. 5 Michigan 42, No. 14 Penn State 7
This was a bloodbath that only helped to solidify the Wolverines’ spot atop the Big Ten power rankings. Penn State couldn't do a thing against Don Brown's defense and Shea Patterson and the running game had another terrific outing for the Maize and Blue. Backup quarterback Dylan McCaffrey was in the game with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, so that's a pretty good indicator of how things went in Ann Arbor.
James Franklin elected to flip-flop the quarterbacks a bit thanks to Trace McSorley's knee injury, but it mattered nil in this one. McSorley and Tommy Stevens combined to go 8 of 17 for 118 yards and two interceptions. Miles Sanders was a non-factor rushing for just 14 yards on seven carries. The Nittany Lion offense managed just 186 yards on the day with 75 of them coming on the lone touchdown drive at the end of the fourth quarter.
In Rashan Gary's return to action, Michigan recorded five sacks, forced three turnovers, and mocked Trace McSorley's patented celebration in yet another dominant showing. While a Stevens' rushing score finally got PSU on the board with less than two minutes left in the game, the Nittany Lion backup certainly didn't have his finest moment in the third quarter:
62 yards ... To. The. (Big) House.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 3, 2018
Brandon Watson's pick-six increases @UMichFootball's lead to 28. pic.twitter.com/jrJTFmfPNm
Michigan relied heavily on its running game yet again with Karan Higdon leading the way. Higdon rushed for 132 and a score while Patterson and Chris Evans also recorded rushing touchdowns. As for the passing game, Patterson didn't have to do a whole lot in this one, but he was solid nonetheless. The Ole Miss transfer completed 11 of 17 passes for 144 yards and a pair of scores. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Zach Gentry were on the receiving end of the touchdown strikes.
This was a massacre through and through. One professional sports handicapper reported that Ohio State would be a one-point favorite against the Wolverines right now, and that was a major surprise to me. You have to think the money would be flowing fast and furious in Michigan's direction.
No. 4 Notre Dame 31, Northwestern 21
Northwestern had a chance in this one despite being down 24-7 early in the fourth. The Irish had the ball with three minutes left, and a Wildcat stop would have given them the ball back down by six points at the most. Instead, on third down and four, quarterback Ian Book faked a handoff and dashed to the outside for a 23-yard touchdown that would seal the deal.
It was a respectable showing for the Wildcats, but they just couldn't find much rhythm on offense. Clayton Thorson completed 16 of 29 passes for 141 yards and a score. Isaiah Bowser led all rushers with 23 carries for 93 yards. Thorson also added two rushing touchdowns but on the day he managed -10 yards on the ground thanks to a few sacks.
Book was pretty spectacular for the Irish. He threw for 343 yards and two scores while adding another 56 with a touchdown on the ground. Dexter Williams was mostly held in check with just 56 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Chase Claypool was the game's leading receiver with 8 receptions for 130 yards.
| Team | W-L | Rank | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN | 8-1 | 1 | 1 |
| OHIO STATE | 8-1 | 2 | 2 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 6-3 | 3 | 3 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 5-4 | 4 | 5 |
| WISCONSIN | 6-3 | 5 | 6 |
| Penn State | 6-3 | 6 | 4 |
| PURDUE | 5-4 | 7 | 8 |
| IOWA | 6-3 | 8 | 7 |
| MARYLAND | 5-4 | 9 | 9 |
| NEBRASKA | 2-7 | 10 | 10 |
| INDIANA | 4-5 | 11 | 12 |
| ILLINOIS | 4-5 | 12 | 13 |
| MINNESOTA | 4-5 | 13 | 11 |
| RUTGERS | 1-8 | 14 | 14 |
Michigan State 24, Maryland 3
The Spartans picked up win No. 6 on the road against the Terps as Mark Dantonio's squad faced a potential trap game before hosting the Buckeyes next weekend. This one wasn't really close as Michigan State's defense put on quite a showing in College Park.
The Maryland offense managed just 100 yards of total offense and one field goal against the stingy Spartan defense. It was a long week for the Terps with the D.J. Durkin reinstatement, public backlash, and then eventual termination. Things didn't get much better in front of Saturday's home crowd. Kasim Hill completed just 8 of 21 passes for 74 yards while the ground game went for a measly 26 yards on 29 carries.
Sparty's rushing attack did more than enough in this one in totaling 269 yards and three touchdowns. The biggest play of the game was an 80-yard Connor Heyward touchdown in the fourth quarter. Heyward went for 157 and two scores on the day. Brian Lewerke wasn't really needed as the redshirt junior threw for just 87 yards and a pick. He did add another 45 with his legs.
Purdue 38, No. 16 Iowa 36
This was the conference's best game of the week. The Hawkeyes held a one-point lead through most of the fourth quarter until Spencer Evans booted a 25-yard game-winner for the Boilermakers as the clock ticked down to zero.
David Blough and the Purdue offense didn't have any problems against the country's No. 4 defense. Blough threw for 333 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior wideout Terry Wright had 200 yards on the season heading into this one, but he went off for 146 yards and three scores against Iowa. Isaac Zico added 74 and a touchdown while Rondale Moore was held in check with six catches for just 31 yards.
Were getting to the point where you have to wonder if Louisville will even be able to afford Jeff Brohm given the offers he might get this offseason.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 3, 2018
It was a typical Hawkeye performance on offense as Kirk Ferentz relied heavily on the ground game and tight ends. Nathan Stanley threw for 275 and a score while the rushing attack managed 118 yards and found the end zone four times. Toren Young led the way with 45 yards while Mekhi Sargent scored twice. Noah Fant was Stanley's favorite target with 85 yards through the air and T.J. Hockenson hauled in the lone touchdown pass.
The chances of Iowa representing the West in Indy were already minimal, but the loss may all but eliminate those hopes.
Wisconsin 31, Rutgers 17
The Badger ground game pounded Rutgers yesterday, but this one did end up being a bit closer than most probably expected. Wisconsin had a comfortable lead heading into the final frame until a pair of Scarlet Knight scores made things appear a little more respectable.
Jonathan Taylor was the story of the day – per usual – for Paul Chryst's offense as the sophomore rumbled for 208 yards and three touchdowns. Alex Hornibrook missed last week's game with a concussion, and he was shaky in his return this weekend. He tossed two interceptions before exiting with another head injury. Danny Davis hauled in six passes for 60 yards and a score.
Raheem Blackshear was just about all the Scarlet Knights had going on offense. He caught eight passes for 162 yards and a touchdown while adding another 38 on 10 carries. Artur Stikowski threw for 261 yards and the score.
Illinois 55, Minnesota 31
I suppose this was a surprise as one basement dweller took down another one of the conference's lowly teams. Defensive aficionados are all rolling their eyes as the two teams combined for nearly 1,100 yards of total offense.
The "70+ yard rushing TD" play seems to be working out well for @IlliniFootball today.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 3, 2018
They got one from Reggie Corbin last drive, and this time @DreBrown27 hits the house: pic.twitter.com/rDTvdBwMrF
A.J. Bush Jr. and the Illini ground game once again had things rolling. The big plays were the story of the day for Lovie Smith. Bush threw 216 yards and rushed for 127 with four total touchdowns. Tailback Reggie Corbin rushed for 213 and two scores while averaging over 16 per touch. Two of the junior's touchdowns went for 70+ yards. Junior Dre Brown also found the end zone via a 72-yard run.
Tanner Morgan threw for 258 yards and two scores for the Gophs. Mohamed Ibrahim and Rashod Bateman were the stars for P.J. Fleck's offense. Ibrahim rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Bateman hauled in seven passes for 175 yard and a pair of scores.
You're kidding yourself if you think anyone in the Big Ten is playing close to the level of Michigan right now. The performance against the Nittany Lions had to be one of the better all-around efforts from any team this season and they've now outscored Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Penn State by a combined total of 101-27.
Michigan's got Rutgers and Indiana before The Game which means it will be 10-1 heading into the final week of the season. We'll see how things are looking in three weeks when the Wolverines make the trip to Columbus, but for now they're likely to slide into the No. 4 spot in the playoff rankings.
Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers now have three wins over ranked opponents, but they continue to be a little unpredictable from week to week. Michigan State had no problems in what was a bit of a trap game against Maryland and the Wildcats put up a valiant effort against the country's No. 4 team.
The top three in our power rankings remain unchanged, but Penn State and Iowa both fall a bit due to the losses. Northwestern still controls the West while the East should come down to the Nov. 24th showdown at the Shoe.
Next week's top matchups include the Buckeyes heading to East Lansing, Iowa taking on Northwestern, and the Nittany Lions hosting the Badgers.
