The stage is set for next week's title game.
Michigan was playing its best football of the season heading into yesterday's matchup with Ohio State. None of that mattered as the Buckeyes unleashed yet another scoring barrage to take down the Wolverines by a score of 56-27.
Give the Michigan offensive line some credit. They did a heck of a job containing Chase Young and allowed Shea Patterson to throw for over 300 yards. The rushing attack didn't do a whole lot and Jim Harbaugh's defense had all kinds of problems keeping up with J.K. Dobbins and his 200+ yards and four touchdowns.
True freshman wideout Garrett Wilson did his best Chris Olave impression as yet another Buckeye youngster delivered in a big way on the season's biggest stage. Ryan Day's offense put up close to 600 yards as it continues to run circles around Don Brown's defense.
The Big Ten's other top matchup went down in the Twin Cities, and the stage is now set for this year's conference championship game.
No. 12 Wisconsin 38, No. 8 Minnesota 17
Paul Chryst and the Badgers have once again captured Paul Bunyan's Axe and the West Division title. Wisconsin was a road favorite in Minneapolis, and this one wasn't even close after the half. A 10-7 lead at intermission turned into an insurmountable one when Wisconsin scored 14 points in each of the final two quarters.
It wasn't the most prolific rushing total for Jonathan Taylor, but the Heisman contender's performance helped pave the way through the snowy conditions. Taylor rushed for 76 yards and two scores, but he also helped out in the passing game with a 28-yard touchdown reception. Jack Coan threw for 280 and two scores, including a 47-yard strike to Quintez Cephus who had 114 on the day.
Tanner Morgan had a respectable performance for the Gophers, but the ground game had its struggles. Morgan threw for 296 yards with two touchdowns and a pick. Rashod Bateman was the game's leading wideout with six catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. The Minny rushing game managed just 76 yards on 30 carries.
No. 17 Iowa 27, Nebraska 24
The Hawkeyes hit the road as a six-point favorite, but many had this game circled as one of the weekend's potential upsets. Unfortunately for Scott Frost and the Huskers, the upset bid fell short and they have once again failed to reach a bowl game.
Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley had his struggles on the road as the senior connected on just 11 of 24 attempts for 99 yards and an interception. The ground game had it going, though, as true freshman Tyler Goodson and the backfield came through in a big way. Goodson rushed for 116 yards and a score on just 13 carries. Wideout Ihmir Smith-Marsett also dashed for a 45-yard touchdown as the team combined for 225 and a pair of scores.
It wasn't much better for the Cornhuskers whose passing attack totaled just 100 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Nebraska stormed back in the third quarter with two touchdowns. Dedrick Mills rushed for 94 yards, but Adrian Martinez struggled as the Husker sophomore totaled just 94 yards of offense. Cam Taylor-Britt had one of the game-changing plays when he delivered on a 38-yard interception return for a score.
In the end, it was Iowa kicker Keith Duncan who delivered the game-winner. His clutch 48-yarder gave Kirk Ferentz his ninth win of the season and keeps the Huskers from bowling for the third-straight year.
| TEAM | W-L | RANK | PREV. |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 12-0 | 1 | 1 |
| WISCONSIN | 10-2 | 2 | 3 |
| PENN STATE | 10-2 | 3 | 2 |
| Michigan | 9-3 | 4 | 4 |
| MINNESOTA | 10-2 | 5 | 5 |
| IOWA | 9-3 | 6 | 6 |
| INDIANA | 8-4 | 7 | 7 |
| ILLINOIS | 6-6 | 8 | 8 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 6-6 | 9 | 9 |
| NEBRASKA | 5-7 | 10 | 10 |
| PURDUE | 4-8 | 11 | 11 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 3-9 | 12 | 13 |
| MARYLAND | 3-9 | 13 | 12 |
| RUTGERS | 2-10 | 14 | 14 |
No. 10 Penn State 27, Rutgers 6
If you were expecting the Nittany Lions to bounce back in a big way following the loss in Columbus, then you'll be surprised to see the score of this one. James Franklin found himself up just 7-3 at the half before adding some more points and pulling away a bit.
In Penn State's defense, quarterback Sean Clifford was held out of this one and backup Will Levis wasn't asked to do a whole lot as a passer. Following a nice performance in Columbus, Levis threw for just 81 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He did manage 108 yards on the ground, but it was Journey Brown who did the heavy lifting. The PSU tailback ran for 103 yards and scored all three of the team's touchdowns.
Isaih Pacheco had a solid showing against a tough Nittany Lion rush defense. He ran for 102 yards on 18 carries while quarterback Johnny Langan added 222 yards of total offense. Justin Davidovicz booted a pair of field goals to at least get Rutgers on the board.
Michigan State 19, Maryland 16
This is what it's come to for Mark Dantonio. It took two fourth-quarter field goals for the Spartans to top the Terps in East Lansing. The good news is that his team is bowl eligible. The bad news is pretty much everything else.
Brian Lewerke threw for 342 yards but was picked off twice in the first quarter. He added another 26 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown. Cody White hauled in four passes for 83 yards, but it was kicker Matt Coughlin doing most of the scoring with his four field goals.
I can't even keep up with who's playing quarterback for Maryland anymore. This time it was Josh Jackson and he completed just 11 of 27 passes for 141 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Anthony McFarland had a big day with eight carries for 134 yards. The explosive tailback got loose for a 63-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Dontay Demus Jr. had 96 receiving yards and a touchdown in the losing effort.
This game also included what may have been my favorite occurrence of the weekend. Michigan State senior defensive back Josh Butler has dealt with more than most folks his age (Link). He also loves his dogs, as evidenced right HERE. Shoutout to all parties involved for allowing this to happen.
Josh Butlers parents both passed away while he was in college.
— Daren Stoltzfus (@DarenStoltzfus) December 1, 2019
So today on senior day he walked out with his 2 dogs.
What a moment. Dogs are the best. Whoever decided to allow Josh to do this -- they're the best. All the feels. Wow. pic.twitter.com/FjJbBpFOy7
Northwestern 29, Illinois 10
Northwestern had lost eight of its last nine games with the only win coming against UMass. The Wildcats left Champaign with their first conference win despite hitting the road as nearly a nine-point underdog. It was a solid ending to an otherwise disastrous 2019 season.
Pat Fitzgerald's offense had a different look to it as true freshman Coco Azema led the way on the ground. Azema made the switch from cornerback and it paid off in a big way as he rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries. Quarterback Andrew Marty threw for just 55 yards but did connect with Riley Lees for a score.
Lovie Smith's offense had a horrendous showing with just 160 yards and six-yard touchdown rush from Dre Brown in the second quarter. The ground game recorded just 14 yards on 26 attempts and Illini passers threw for just 146 yards with an interception.
After appearing in the Big Ten championship last season, the Wildcats finish 2019 at the bottom of the West Division. The rivalry win does give Fitgerald five in a row against the Illini, however.
Indiana 44, Purdue 41
The Hoosiers needed double overtime to reclaim the Old Oaken Bucket from the Boilers. The two teams combined for over 1,100 yards and 85 points, but it was a Peyton Ramsey touchdown rush that decided things in the second extra frame.
Ramsey had a massive day putting up 379 yards of total offense to go along with five scores. True freshman tailback Sampson James topped the century mark and found the end zone. Whop Philyor had a fine performance with eight catches for 138 yards and two scores.
This catch by @BoilerFootball's David Bell is simply amazing. Flat out lays out.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 30, 2019
Indiana 21, Purdue 10 in this battle for that Bucket. pic.twitter.com/fNroa3L5DK
Aidan O'Connell and the passing game led the way for Jeff Brohm's bunch. O'Connell threw for 408 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Zander Horvath was the game's leading rusher with 164 yards and two scores. Brycen Hopkins and David Bell again delivered in a big way. Hopkins caught eight passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Bell added nine for 136 and another score.
Tom Allen's eight wins are more than any Indiana team has seen dating back to 1993.
All is right in the world with the Buckeyes atop the Big Ten and fresh off another beatdown of the Wolverines. The defense wasn't perfect in Ann Arbor, and we'll see if Shaun Wade can make it back for the Badgers in Indy. But all in all, it was yet another great weekend for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes.
I'm not surprised that Wisconsin topped Minnesota, but I would have guessed that it'd be closer than what it was. I'm sure P.J. Fleck is disappointed, but no one had the Gophers putting together the kind of season that they've had thus far. Props to them for a great turnaround from last year's 7-6 showing.
Our power rankings remain pretty similar to last week, but we've flipped Penn State and Wisconsin even though a case can absolutely be made for the Nittany Lions remaining at No. 2. We've still got Michigan ahead of Minnesota and Rutgers obviously finishes the season dead last again.
Next week's Big Ten Championship Game will kick off Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8:00 p.m. from Indianapolis. Stay dialed into 11W this week for all sorts of coverage on the Buckeyes and Badgers.
