As average as the Big Ten is this year, it's a highly competitively conference. On Saturday, three of the five conference games were decided by a combined 10 points, with the 7-point victory Ohio State had over Purdue being in overtime. On the other side of things, though, it is an extremely average conference and even unbeaten Ohio State appears to be just slightly better than average some weeks. Then needed overtime to get by 3-4 (0-3 in Big Ten play) Purdue at home. Indiana fell to Navy out-of-conference 31-30. Wisconsin clobbered a once 4-0 Minnesota team 38-13, to send the Gophers to 4-3 on the season. Penn State defeated 4-3 Iowa 38-14 on the road to give the Hawkeyes their first conference loss. Nebraska dominated Northwestern on the road, but due to turnovers and penalties, needed a late score to come from behind and defeat the Wildcats 29-28. Lastly, Michigan kicked a game-winning field goal to upend in-state rival Michigan State by the final score of 12-10, to drop the disappointing Spartans to 4-4.
We may very well see a make-it-or-break-it kind of Saturday next weekend in the Big Ten conference. Purdue will be coming off three losses to face Minnesota on the road. Both teams are winless in conference and may be fighting for their bowl lives in this one. If Purdue loses, they'll fall to 3-5 and 0-4 in conference. If Minnesota loses, they'll drop to 4-4 and 0-4 in Big Ten play. The 4-4 Michigan State Spartans (1-3 in the Big Ten) will go on the road to face 6-2 Wisconsin. If the Spartans lose this one, they too will be fighting for their bowl lives. Iowa goes on the road to play Northwestern. At 4-3, a loss would send the Hawkeyes to the .500 mark and leave them wondering if they will be bowling in the post-season this year. Indiana will face Illinois in what could be a game to decide who the worst team in the conference is. The two hottest teams in the conference - Ohio State and Penn State - will square off in what could be seen as the real Big Ten Championship game when all is said and done. The two teams are a combined 7-0 in the conference, but due to team NCAA violations, neither will be able to compete in the Big Ten title or a bowl game. The suddenly resurgent Michigan Wolverines will travel to Lincoln to take on Nebraska. If Michigan wins the game, they'll be up two games (including the tie-breaker) on Nebraska in the Legends division and could be well on their way to facing Wisconsin in the conference championship. If Nebraska wins, however, then the Legends division race becomes a great deal more interesting. With Ohio State and Penn State ineligible, as I mentioned, to compete in any post-season game and with Purdue, Illinois and Indiana being a combined 0-9 in conference play, Wisconsin is now pretty much guaranteed a berth in the Big Ten championship game, representing the Leaders division.
While it has been quite the disappointing season in the Big Ten, if nothing else, the conference should provide for some very tightly-knit, entertaining games going down the stretch. Well, that's bound to occur until the conference title game, when it will be likely that the third-place team in the Leaders division - Wisconsin - will square off against the first-place team in the Legends division. While watching the game, I'll probably need to keep on asking, "Why is Wisconsin playing in this game," before remembering that it's because both Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible to play.
We may very well see a make-it-or-break-it kind of Saturday next weekend in the Big Ten conference. Purdue will be coming off three losses to face Minnesota on the road. Both teams are winless in conference and may be fighting for their bowl lives in this one. If Purdue loses, they'll fall to 3-5 and 0-4 in conference. If Minnesota loses, they'll drop to 4-4 and 0-4 in Big Ten play. The 4-4 Michigan State Spartans (1-3 in the Big Ten) will go on the road to face 6-2 Wisconsin. If the Spartans lose this one, they too will be fighting for their bowl lives. Iowa goes on the road to play Northwestern. At 4-3, a loss would send the Hawkeyes to the .500 mark and leave them wondering if they will be bowling in the post-season this year. Indiana will face Illinois in what could be a game to decide who the worst team in the conference is. The two hottest teams in the conference - Ohio State and Penn State - will square off in what could be seen as the real Big Ten Championship game when all is said and done. The two teams are a combined 7-0 in the conference, but due to team NCAA violations, neither will be able to compete in the Big Ten title or a bowl game. The suddenly resurgent Michigan Wolverines will travel to Lincoln to take on Nebraska. If Michigan wins the game, they'll be up two games (including the tie-breaker) on Nebraska in the Legends division and could be well on their way to facing Wisconsin in the conference championship. If Nebraska wins, however, then the Legends division race becomes a great deal more interesting. With Ohio State and Penn State ineligible, as I mentioned, to compete in any post-season game and with Purdue, Illinois and Indiana being a combined 0-9 in conference play, Wisconsin is now pretty much guaranteed a berth in the Big Ten championship game, representing the Leaders division.
While it has been quite the disappointing season in the Big Ten, if nothing else, the conference should provide for some very tightly-knit, entertaining games going down the stretch. Well, that's bound to occur until the conference title game, when it will be likely that the third-place team in the Leaders division - Wisconsin - will square off against the first-place team in the Legends division. While watching the game, I'll probably need to keep on asking, "Why is Wisconsin playing in this game," before remembering that it's because both Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible to play.
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