The No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, on bye last weekend, have already secured their place in Dec. 7’s Big Ten Championship Game. With three teams vying for the remaining spot, and many more seeking bowl eligibility, there was plenty of conference action to watch last weekend. Which games stood out for their postseason importance?
Undefeated Hoosiers hosed by No. 2 Buckeyes 38-15
No. 5 Indiana (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) got a reality check in Columbus at the hands of the nation’s best defense. Ohio State’s defense silenced Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who went just 8/18 for 68 yards through the air. The Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten), will secure a Big Ten title berth with a win over Michigan next week. Indiana, though not eliminated, needs both Ohio State and Penn State to lose. The Hoosiers will likely make the playoffs as a one-loss team.
No. 4 Penn State sluggish, survives 26-25 at Minnesota
Penn State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) dodged a classic Big Ten upset against the bowl-bound Golden Gophers (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten). The Nittany Lions trailed until late in the third quarter, and led by just four with less than six minutes remaining. Minnesota drove deep into Penn State territory, but elected to kick a field goal and attempt a defensive stop. Instead, Penn State succeeded on three 4th-down conversions, including a fake punt, to secure the victory. The Nittany Lions are a win and an Ohio State loss from their first Big Ten Championship appearance since 2016.
Bowl-eligible Michigan steamrolls Northwestern 50-6
The Wolverines (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) secured a bowl berth by dominating the Wildcats (4-7, 2-6 Big Ten), whose hopes of reaching the six-win mark have officially been dashed. Michigan running back Kalel Mullings led the offense with a career-best three rushing touchdowns.
The Wolverines’ defense continued to play well, tallying two interceptions and six sacks. Michigan will now look to play spoiler to Ohio State in “The Game” next week. The Wolverines have won the last three matchups and know that a fourth would yet again bar their Buckeye arch-rivals from a Big Ten Championship appearance.
Nebraska eligible, beats at-risk Wisconsin 45-22
The Cornhuskers (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over the Badgers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten), whose own losing streak has now stretched to four. Nebraska’s offense excelled, led by 293 passing yards and a touchdown from true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Former Oregon running back Dante Dowdell added another three scores on the ground.
The loss puts Wisconsin, whose record stood at 5-2 after Week 8, at even greater risk of missing out on a bowl game. The Badgers will need to beat Minnesota next week if they want to keep their 22-year-long bowl-eligibility streak alive.
USC wins ‘Flu Game,’ breaks UCLA hearts following 19-13 Trojans win
Though 27 players missed USC’s Tuesday practice following a flu outbreak, the Trojans (6-5, 4-5 Big Ten) rallied to beat UCLA (4-7, 3-6 Big Ten) inside the Rose Bowl. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, who started his first game of the season last week in a win over Nebraska, started again against the Bruins.
This week, despite a modest passing statline of 19/35 for 221 yards and a touchdown, Maiava led the Trojans to another win. The result means the Bruins won’t reach automatic bowl eligibility this year.
However, with a good academic reputation and three losses coming at the hands of teams currently ranked within the AP Top 10 (Oregon, Indiana, Penn State), UCLA could be the rare five-win team to earn a bowl berth.
