While the No.1 Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) were playing “a down game” that culminated in a 21-point win over Maryland, (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) how did the rest of the Big Ten that was in action shake up around them?
No. 6 Penn State thumps Washington 35-6 in “white out” game.
The National Championship appearance cooldown has been all too real for the Huskies (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) as their trip to Happy Valley marked a new nadir in their season. Penn State (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) has been less than perfect many times this season but still made the Huskies look like light work in front of their frenzied crowd. Washington’s transfer quarterback Will Rogers was 10/13 with an interception before being forced out due to injury. The rest of the Huskies — who mustered just 193 total yards — didn’t fare much better against a deeply talented Nittany Lions team.
Penn State takes on Purdue next week while the Huskies look to rebound against UCLA.
No. 2 Ohio State blows out Purdue 45-0
With their only blemish a one-point loss to the Ducks in Eugene, the Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) continue to be every bit the contender they seemed to be in the preseason. All but three of Ohio State’s games have resulted in wins by more than three scores with Saturday’s matchup with Purdue (1-9, 0-6- Big Ten) perhaps the most one-sided. The Boilermakers’ season of Big Ten irrelevance met a new low point with them mustering 206 yards of total offense while going just 2-12 on 3rd down.
Ohio State will be in search of another blowout against Northwestern while the Boilermakers will host Penn State.
No. 8 Indiana stays undefeated with 20-15 win over Michigan
Head coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers continue to be the most improbable story of this season. A year removed from a 3-9 season, Cignetti has Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) into the top-10 and into legitimate playoff consideration. Meanwhile, for the Wolverines (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten), their post-championship struggles continue, dropping to .500 and needing to beat Northwestern in Week 13 to earn bowl eligibility. Indiana will enter a bye week before a showdown with Ohio State.
Rutgers rallies late to beat Minnesota 26-19
A battle between two of the more perpetually average teams in the conference turned into one of the more competitive matchups this week had to offer. Rutgers (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw for three touchdown passes as the Scarlet Knights scored 12 fourth-quarter points to top Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten). The Golden Gophers entered with four-straight victories, but looked outmatched on the road, missing a key chance to return near the top of the conference standings. Rutgers will take on Maryland next week while Minnesota will sit idle.
UCLA outlasts Iowa 20-17 at the Rose Bowl
The first home win in the tenure of UCLA’s new head coach DeShaun Foster was a quality one with the Bruins (4-5, 3-4 Big Ten) edging past a talented Iowa squad (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten). Don’t look now, but what started as a forgettable season for the Bruins now looks like it could end in bowl eligibility. UCLA will need to win two of its remaining three games to reach that mark, with contests remaining against Washington, Fresno State and lowly USC. For the Hawkeyes, their trip out west was one to forget as they threw the ball just 15 times on the night — a rebuke to their less-offensive ways after scoring 40 or more points in three of their prior four games.
The Bruins will look to stay hot against Washington while Iowa will limp into the bye.
