What is the answer to the age old question: how the west was won? Well, it was won by someone backing in and the team with the best path completely flatlining in the final month of the season. Classic Big Ten West stuff, truly.
Team of the Week – Ohio State – A+ – Obviously the Hoosiers were overmatched even before injuries started to take a toll, especially at the quarterback position, but we haven’t seen sixty minutes of complete, utter, dominance by the Buckeyes yet this season. We did against Indiana. They racked up 662 yards, 27 first downs, 7/14 on third, and put up 56 points. Defensively they held IU to just 269 yards, 3/17 on third, and just 14 points. If this OSU team shows up against Michigan or in Indy or in the CFP, they can win the whole enchilada.
Indiana – Incomplete – Not fair to grade a depleted Indiana team in the Shoe. This was always going to be a blowout and nothing was learned about Indiana.
Illinois – F – With the division basically on the line Illinois…laid an egg. Their reliable defense crumbled, giving up 379 yards and a season high 31 points. Their discipline was nonexistent with 12 penalties for 121 yards. Offensively they called first down pass after first down pass. They had six first down passes in the second half, all of them incomplete. Many of them were deep 20+ yard pass attempts, too. Why? You have a great running game. This play calling made zero sense. Still a bowl season and still a vast improvement compared to the Lovie Smith era, but this was their chance to win the division and they’ve blown it with losses to Michigan State and Purdue – both at home – and now head out to Michigan. Brutal.
Iowa – C+ – Iowa produced 146 yards of offense. Thankfully for us Hawk fans, Cooper DeJean had himself a day. His pick six and long punt return to set up a score accounted for 114 desperately needed yards and points. The defense was phenomenal, the special teams incredible, and the offense…bailed out. The best thing you can say about Iowa’s day with the ball is outside of one bad fumble (poor ball control by QB Spencer Petras plus awful blocking on the play) that set up UW’s lone touchdown, Iowa played clean. No disastrous turnover. Wisconsin was the opposite – 3 turnovers and one was a terrible interception returned for a touchdown. I know it is easy to laugh and say Iowa had a short field thanks to the blocked punt so that isn’t real offense. But here’s the thing, UW’s defense is really, really good. Plenty of teams have struggled to move the ball against them. Iowa took advantage of the opportunities given in the special teams that gave them short fields and avoided the critical mistake for the rest of the game. This isn’t me defending the Ferentzs either. The offense is horribly coached…but until that coach is fired, we need to be realistic.
Maryland – F – Danger, danger! Has anyone seen Maryland’s offense? This is two weeks in a row where Taulia has struggled and no one else around him is making plays. UM was held to just 134 total yards, 74 of them through the air and a paltry 60 rushing yards (on 37 carries). On the flip side the Maryland defense, which was never expected to be that good, got shelled. PSU racked up 413 total yards with 249 of them on the ground with a bruising 5.8 yards per carry. This was a slaughter.
Michigan – A – In the gambling guide I talked about Michigan playing to the weather and running about 50 times and trusting the defense against Nebraska’s banged up quarterback room. Well they ran it 49 times and held NU to just three points. They are an old school, nasty, punishing Big Ten squad. Blake Corum continued his stellar season with 162 yards out of Michigan’s 264 total rushing yards. I’m not sure he’s been flashy enough to get invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony, which is a shame, but he has to be first team all Big Ten and has to be an All American. Outstanding season from him.
Michigan State – C+ – Well they won…and Mel Tucker remains undefeated in one score games…and they got to five wins with Indiana as their next game so a bowl is certainly in play…but those defensive issues reared their ugly head yet again. Rutgers moved the ball seemingly at will with 460 total yards and 236 through the air for Gavin Wimsatt – easily his best game of the year. So how in the world did Sparty win? Well, I’m not entirely sure. The stats definitely favor RU save for one: penalties. RU had eight more penalties than MSU which accounted for 58 more penalty yards. The most damaging of these penalties came when the game was tied at 7 just before halftime. On third and goal at the 8…pass interference. MSU scored the next play. Momentum is usually overblown and a cliché, but when the second half starts RU punt, MSU touchdown drive to go up 21-7 it is hard to ignore the impact (momentum or not) that yielding 7 instead 3 was at the end of the half. Play it the other way, 10-7 at half. RU punt, MSU touchdown, 17-7 looks a whole lot different than a two touchdown margin.
Minnesota – A – Is Northwestern officially bad enough that these are just inflated grades? Like, cool, you beat NU by 28 while completing just seven passes for 64 yards. I’m still going to give an A because Mohamad Ibrahim went off (like I predicted. I said 150+ in the gambling guide, he had 178…..I also know everyone predicted he’d have a big day) and the defense yielded very little. It’s just not as hard as, say, Purdue’s assignment.
Nebraska – Incomplete – Just like Indiana this team faced a major uphill battle even fully healthy this week. Instead they limped in without their starting quarterback and we learned zip about NU this week.
Northwestern – Uh (?) – Well when your starting quarterback gets hurt then his back up goes 3/11 before getting hurt himself, what grade do you give? An F since they lost by four touchdowns or an incomplete because their top two on the depth chart at the most important position couldn’t complete the game? Who knows, who cares, another loss in a brutal season for the ‘Cats. I don’t even like NU and I’m hoping Fitzy blows that staff up so at least this program can become interesting again.
Penn State – A+ – What can be said about their dominate 30-0 shutout / blowout of Maryland that wasn’t mentioned above? Well how about Nicholas Singleton’s crazy stat line: 11 rushes, 122 yards, 2 TDs, long of 45. That is a day at the office. Wowza.
Purdue – A – Read the Illinois grade and just flip everything I said. PU’s oft-maligned defense showed up. The offense was humming. The play calling crisp. Aidan O’Connell also did whatever it took to win, including running. This dude never runs! He had two runs for 33 yards and a season long rush for 24 yards. Gutsy performance by him and the Boilers. They are back in the divisional title race and will now become the biggest Gopher fans on the planet as they need Iowa to drop another game.
Rutgers – C- – I pretty much said everything I wanted to in the MSU grade regarding RU’s alarming penalty yardage in this game and some of the impact it had so I’ll just reiterate a massive positive, the offense was moving!!! Wimsatt looked like the real deal more than a shaky newbie. That’s huge. RU just isn’t good enough yet to overcome penalties or blocked field goals. But I do think they have their QB issues solved now…right? Yes? Hopefully? Fingers crossed!
Wisconsin – F – They outgained Iowa…and that’s the positives of the game. Braelon Allen was locked down and had a wretched day with just 40 yards on 17 carries. The line failed to give him clear running lanes most plays so as a result we saw a lot of east-west desperation while Iowa rallied to the ball. On top of that three turnovers, a blocked punt, a key 41 yard punt return given up, and – quite honestly – wretched play calling. QB Graham Mertz was struggling with the weather and looks the Iowa defense was giving him yet he threw nearly 20 first half passes. His pick six was a dreadful pass that had no prayer of being completed. He straight up didn’t read Cooper DeJean. UW’s best weapon in the back, back up running back Isaac Guerendo was running with authority. Unlike Allen who dancing all game, he just rushed like a bull through whatever hole he could. The problem was he only ran it seven times. I was honestly terrified whenever his number was called. If they had give him the load, I think they would’ve stood a much better chance of taking the game. But…they didn’t. Thanks, I guess.
Game of the Week – With the tension and back and forth nature and curious calls by our boy Bert…Illinois and Purdue’s massive match-up takes this award.
Why Did I Watch This? Award – What a battle between two awful games. Hoosiers stood nearly no chance of pulling off the upset before the game. Once it was 28-7 at half, I’m sure even the most die hard Hoosier fans flipped through the channels to find some basketball. I’m sure some even have an old VHS of their 1987 title run to pop in. Then we get the Maryland clunker. They got shutout but also were down 27-0 at half. I’m sure some Terps fans found a nice DVD of the 2002 title game to watch.
Gambling Report Card:
- Purdue at Illinois – UI (-4.0)
I confidently said I was still a believer in Illinois. I would like to revise that statement. I am still kind-of, sort-of a believer in Illinois but their path to Indy was destroyed by their own silliness. Still, get to go bowling!
- Indiana at Ohio State – OSU (-40.0), Over (62.5)
Had the feeling that if OSU went big and covered, it was probably with a big BIG number. 56 was pretty dang big! Indiana managed a first quarter touchdown (strange) and a garbage time touchdown (thank god) to get us up to 70 total points. OSU also covered as 56-14 was just enough. Crucial double winner as I’ve been in a bit of a slump.
- Wisconsin at Iowa – UI (pick ’em), Under (35.5)
Dollars to doughnuts, UW has the better offense but that doesn’t matter with UI’s killer defense and MASSIVE edge in special teams, especially since UW doesn’t even have a dedicated coordinator. So yeah, I felt really good about my Hawks winning at home. The under looked to be under threat late but thankfully Iowa decided to just run out the clock so the 24-10 Iowa win remained under…barely.
- Maryland at Penn State – PSU (UW, -10.0)
I feel like betting against Mike Locksley in November is just easy money. UM is the bizarro Iowa. They play insane offense with zero defense, win a lot early, fade late, Iowa some how, magically, thankfully, has a nice winning streak in November while Maryland is 2-10 in November games under Lox.
- Nebraska at Michigan – UM (-30.5)
I know already bragged in UM’s grade but I want to toot my own horn some more. From the gambling guide: “With the quarterback woes at Nebraska, give me the Wolverines. With the freezing temps all across the Midwest, I’m avoiding the over. I could see UM running it 50 times this game and just getting out of there 35-0 and calling it a day.” Michigan ran it 49 times and won 34-3. What a narrow cover! But more importantly what a great prediction! I would actually be fine losing the bet with that good of a prediction pulled out of my butt.
- Rutgers at Michigan State – Points (MSU -10.0)
MSU is too inconsistent to be double-digit favorites in my opinion. They proved me right with their six point win against the Knights.
- Northwestern at Minnesota – UM (-17.0)
Without their secret weapon of a monsoon, NU returned to the weekly blowout we have come to reliably bet on.
Week Record: 7-1-0
Season Record: 57-43-2
Big Ten and Counting 