Big Ten Recap: Purdue Back To Respectable, Nebraska In Trouble
Big Ten play begins next week so for some teams around the league it was their last chance to pick up a tuneup win before the conference slate begins. Some teams took advantage of that opportunity, while a few did not.
Overall, the Big Ten had a solid week. The top dogs all took care of business, with each of the ranked teams picking up double-digit victories. The rest of the league experienced different levels of success, with one enduring a disappointing defeat.
The league was 9-2 in its 11 matchups this week. Check out all of the Big Ten scores, as well as a few notable takeaways from around the league.
Scores
Illinois - 23, No. 22 South Florida - 43
No. 7 Michigan - 29, Air Force - 13
Nebraska - 17, Northern Illinois - 21
No. 10 Wisconsin - 40, BYU - 6
Minnesota - 34, Middle Tennessee State - 3
Iowa - 31, North Texas - 14
Rutgers - 65, Morgan State - 0
Purdue - 35, Missouri - 3
No. 8 Ohio State - 38, Army - 7
No. 5 Penn State - 56, Georgia State - 0
Northwestern - 49, Bowling Green - 7
Teams on bye: Indiana, Maryland and Michigan State
Notable Takeaways From This Week
-Purdue Will Contend For Bowl Game: For a third straight week Purdue has looked solid and it might finally be time to respect the Boilermakers under new head coach Jeff Brohm. Purdue improved to 2-1 on the season after an impressive 32-point road victory against Missouri on Saturday. The Boilermakers' two victories aren't against powerhouses -- Ohio being the other win -- but after winning no more than three games in a season over the past four years, it may finally be time for Purdue fans to consider planning for a bowl trip this holiday season. Next week's matchup against Michigan will be a true indicator of whether Purdue is for real or not.
-Nebraska Is In Trouble: Losing to Oregon on the road is a respectable loss. Losing at home to Northern Illinois is not. Saturday's home defeat to the Huskies was embarrassing for a program that some considered would contend in the Big Ten West Division this year. Even worse for Nebraska is their quarterback situation -- Tanner Lee has thrown seven interceptions in the last two games with two being returned for touchdowns on Saturday. Fans in Lincoln can forget about winning the West Division, and can now turn their focus to worrying about just making a bowl game this year.
-Top Teams Take Care Of Business: The four ranked Big Ten teams all took care of business on Saturday with each picking up double-digit victories. That included No. 5 Penn State ( 56-point victory), No. 7 Michigan (16-point victory), No. 8 Ohio State (31-point victory) and No. 10 Wisconsin (34-point victory). Of all those teams, Wisconsin had arguably the best week by completely dominating BYU on the road. Least impressive of those four? Probably Michigan who continue to struggle offensively.