What a nutty (ha-ha, Ohio State lost a wild one and they are the Buckeyes, get it…GET IT?) week in the Big Ten. Ohio State fell apart in Iowa City. Penn State couldn’t handle a nine day rain delay, Northwestern won their – yup THIRD STRAIGHT overtime game, and some other stuff happened.
Team of the Week – Iowa – A+ – 55-24 against sixth ranked Ohio State. That is all you need to know. Iowa scored their most points ever against OSU and despite a totally erratic season offensively for Iowa, they certainly picked a good week to have by far their best game under new play caller Brian Ferentz. The obvious question now is, can they keep this up?
Illinois – F – Well Jeff George Jr had such a rough start that UI changed quarterbacks, again. They were held to just 80 rushing yards and had just 250 yards total en route to scoring ten measly points. In a word, this team is pathetic.
Indiana – F – The slow starting Badgers were down 7-0 after a quarter. From the start of the second on, Wisconsin won 45-10. The Hoosier defense was totally shredded by the Badgers but all hopes for an upset were dashed thanks to 3 turnovers, sloppy penalties, and a woeful 1.9 yard per carry average by the Indiana running game.
Maryland – C – Sometimes it just isn’t your day. Against Rutgers, Maryland out-gained the Scarlet Knights, won the turnover margin, and won time of possession but it didn’t matter. UM couldn’t get off the field on third down all day and their one turnover was a costly one as it was a pick six.
Michigan – B- – Yeah they won 33-10 but Brandon Peters went just 8/13 for 56 yards and a score. Higdon and Evans were amazing but that lack of balance is what got O’Korn benched. Michigan still can’t pass worth a lick and without any balance, it doesn’t matter what defense Don Brown puts together this club won’t beat Wisconsin or Ohio State.
Michigan State – B+ – Awesome day passing as Brian Lewerke connected on 33 of his 56(!!!) passes for 400 yards. The pass defense and lack of rushing prevent this from being an A game but the plus comes from the results: an upset win over Penn State as the Spartans continue to control their own destiny in the east.
Minnesota – F – Yeah Michigan has a good defense but being held under 200 yards is pretty pitiful. I’m not sure what exactly Minnesota’s gameplay is on passing. Demry Croft went just 5/12 for 74 yards. His completion percentage is just 42.5% and he has just one game of double-digit completions on the year. Gophers aren’t nearly as talented as Michigan is to get away with being this imbalanced. It is pretty clear Croft isn’t ready yet as a passer, so why not see who else the Gophers have around to try and generate some passing yards?
Nebraska – D – Passing put up a lot of yards, but it was inefficient. Rushing game went over 100 but it didn’t have much pop, either. 3 turnovers, bad on third, and more penalties spelled trouble for this Husker team that has such a narrow margin for error. All in all the little things added up to an overtime loss, dropping NU to 4-5.
Northwestern – C+ – The defense got going in the fourth and overtime as they kept Nebraska off the board in the final frame and the bonus time. Assisting the effort was Justin Jackson’s big day. He ended with 154 yards on 31 carries and a score. Based on the two picks Throson had (to offset 243 yards) and the 1/11 on third down, it is safe to say Jackson day was sorely needed as the Wildcats win their third, yes THIRD overtime game in a row.
Ohio State – F – Literally nothing went right. J.T. Barrett was late on his reads and telegraphed his throws resulting in four picks. Weber and Dobbins were taken out of the game once the lead grew and ended with just 11 carries combined. The defense was shredded. Was it fatigue from the Penn State game? Overlooking Iowa? Playing a pro style team? First real road trip? They probably all factored in but also Iowa is very young. The upside is there if they can find more consistency but when Iowa is clicking, they do have some nice players – e.g. look at the Iowa State game.
Penn State – B- – Nittany Lions were basically a mirror image of Michigan State. Tons of passing yards but little defense and no rushing. The difference came down to Penn State having 3 turnovers and -2 on the day as they really struggled after the lengthy weather break to match their crisp looking 14 point first quarter.
Purdue – A – Bowl hopes stay alive as the Boilermakers get to 4-5 thanks to taking out the trash that is the Illinois Failing Illini. Defense looked good, like all defenses do against UI, but the offense had one of their better outings. D.J. Knox had 85 rushing yards to lead a ground attack that as a team put up 209 yards. The passing game provided some nice balance as Blough and Sindelar combined for 226 yards.
Rutgers – B+ – Big day for the rushing attack as a team RU put up 239 yards and a hearty 5.2 yards per carry average. Gus Edwards did most of the damage but the real story comes from the outstanding day on third down – 8/14 – and Kiy Hester’s beautiful 52 yard pick six which pushed the lead to 17-7 in favor of Rutgers.
Wisconsin – A – 52 rushes for 237 yards as a team makes for a punishing day. Jonathan Taylor’s 29 carries for 183 made for a mesmerizing day. All in all another slowish start was overcome by a suffocating defense and superior athleticism. The starts are a tad concerning for Indianapolis and possibly beyond, but not against teams like Indiana.
Game of the Week – The drama of the Michigan State win had it all. Big plays early then the lengthy delay followed by a passing duel that ended in an upset victory. That game literally had it all…other than overtime. So it had mostly everything.
Why Did I Watch This? Award – Michigan was up 20-7 at halftime but based on how pathetic Minnesota’s offense was against the stout Wolverine defense, it felt closer to 56-7. The second half pretty much played out the same.
Gambling Report Card:
- Illinois at Purdue, PU (-14.0)
Picking against Illinois is paying off as the Failing Illini are pathetic on both sides of the ball.
- Indiana vs Wisconsin, UW (-11.5), Over (50)
Nice double up as Wisconsin got some style points against the winless (in league) Hoosier team. The 45 points put up by the Badgers were just what the doctor ordered to clear the over, too.
- Iowa vs Ohio State, OSU (-17.5)
Oops…but don’t care. Not sure Iowa has had a turning point because they have been so up-and-down BUT it was nice to have one Saturday this season where everything went right.
- Maryland at Rutgers, UM (-2.5)
Game felt like a toss up and it played out like that. Unfortunately for us betting on Maryland, Rutgers ended on the right end of this fun game, winning 31-24.
- Michigan vs Minnesota, Mich (-15.5), Over (40)
A point total that low is begging to go over. Michigan also easily covered in their 33-10 beatdown of a reeling Minnesota outfit.
- Michigan State vs Penn State, PSU (-9.0)
This pick felt pretty good in that first quarter but then the weather came and Michigan State regrouped so well and came out the better team after that break. Nice win for the Spartans and a loser bet at the book.
- Nebraska vs Northwestern, N’western (-1.0)
I was not expecting a third overtime win but the Wildcat win helped us finish off a strong week of picks and quietly got Northwestern to six wins. With Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois left, 8 wins feels like a lock. Very nice season for Fitz’s crew.
Week Record: 6-3-0
Season Record: 73-65-1
Big Ten and Counting 