Conference play has officially kicked off for most of the Big Ten members. Let’s run down all the games from across the Big Ten this week!
The Blowouts
No.6 Oregon 41, Oregon State 7: After handing Oklahoma State one of its worst losses ever, the Ducks have once again flexed their muscle by thrashing another Big 12 team, only this time it was a rivalry game. Oregon State was largely subdued by Oregon’s air blitz, which saw Ducks quarterback Dantae Moore throw for 305 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, all to different receivers. On defense, it was as if the Beavers ran into a wall, as they only gained 147 yards on the day.
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No.24 Notre Dame 56, Purdue 30: This game was not a blowout going into the half, as Purdue played touch through the first 30 minutes and only trailed Notre Dame 35-23. Their offense showed some life early on and looked much better than it had at any point last year. With that being said, final scores matter. The Boilermakers had no answer for the Notre Dame ground game as they tallied 258 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Despite Purdue’s offense showing life in the first half, Notre Dame shut them down in the second half, leading to the win.
Washington 59, Washington State 24: Don’t be surprised to see Washington ranked at some point this season. The Huskies have a dynamic offense with a solid enough defense to win a lot of games. The same was true here as quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns in the win over their in-state rival. Running back Jonah Coleman continues to dominate on the ground, recording two rushing touchdowns this game. On defense, the Huskies recorded 3 sacks and 3 turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Maryland 27, Wisconsin 10: The final score in this game makes it seem a lot closer than it was. Make no mistake, the Terrapins dominated the Badgers. Wisconsin’s only touchdown of the day came with less than 30 seconds left in the ball game. Maryland quarterback Malik Washington recorded 265 passing yards and two touchdowns in his first-ever Big Ten game. The defense stepped up as well, recording six sacks and an interception.
No. 19 Indiana 63, Illinois 10: Illinois completely unraveled this game, getting dominated on both sides of the ball. It’s not often that you can say that about a ranked team; however, Indiana was able to impose their will for the vast majority of the game. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for 267 yards and five touchdowns while the Hoosier running backs added 312 yards and 3 touchdowns. On defense, Indiana kept the pressure up, recording seven sacks on the day. The Hoosiers dominated on special teams as well, recording two touchdowns. This all-around dominating performance makes Indiana our BIG TEN STAR OF THE WEEK.
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The Best Big Ten Games of the Week
No.25 USC 45, Michigan State 31: It feels weird to put this game here, especially since USC was up by three scores late in the fourth, but at least Michigan State didn’t look completely helpless, so they land in this spot. Both teams’ quarterbacks had a solid outing, with the Spartans’ Aidan Chiles throwing for 212 yards and three touchdowns and the Trojans’ Jayden Maiava throwing for 234 yards and three touchdowns. The difference came in the ground game as the USC running game gashed the Michigan State defense for 289 yards and three touchdowns. The only good note for the Spartans’ defense is that they had a fumble recovery; however, they recorded 0 sacks and 0 tackles for loss.
No.21 Michigan 30, Nebraska 27: Okay, now for the actual best Big Ten game this week. Michigan’s rushing attack looks to be among the nation’s elite, as they piled up 290 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, which is good for 9.4 yards per carry. Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola looks better and better every week as well, recording 308 yards and three touchdowns through the air this week. He did have an interception, which cannot happen in a game like this; however, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood also lost the ball on a fumble. At the end of the day, it was the Wolverines’ defense that was the difference maker, as they recorded seven sacks and nine tackles for loss on the day.
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