by Sean Szymczak
Another slugfest of a Big Ten football weekend.
Northwestern took it to Maryland and got their most impressive win of the season in front of all 20 students in the stands.
Braedyn Locke stepped up for Wisconsin and their defense gave Ohio State all they could handle, but the Buckeyes walked out of Madison with a win.
The Hoosiers pushed Penn State in Happy Valley and had the game tied late in the 4th until a rare deep ball won the game for the Nittany Lions.
The Huskers walked all over Purdue, while Minnesota did the same to the down-and-out Spartans.
Not much movement at the top this week, but the bottom half of the Big Ten looks as congested as ever.
The Floor Slap’s Week 10 Big Ten Power Rankings
1) Michigan (8-0, 5-0 B1G)
Last Week: 1
Week 9 Result: bye
The sign-stealing saga seems to be getting worse by the day. I think there is a very real scenario where Michigan is not permitted to participate in the post-season even if they finish 12-0. But that all depends on how quickly the facts can be gathered. Until then, we can only judge Michigan based on what we’ve seen on the field this season.
Up Next: Purdue vs Michigan (-32.5), Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC
2) Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 B1G)
Last Week: 2
Week 9 Result: W 24-10 at Wisconsin
Defense: elite. Treveyon Henderson: back. Kyle McCord: still a question mark. Egbuka is expected to return next week which would be huge for this offense. But McCord needs to display better decision-making and more consistent accuracy is the Buckeyes want to compete for a national title.
Up Next: Ohio State (-18.5) vs Rutgers, Saturday at 12pm EST on CBS
3) Penn State (7-1, 4-1 B1G)
Last Week: 3
Week 9 Result: W 33-24 vs Indiana
Allar’s 50-yard TB bomb to seal the game gave Nittany Lion fans some hope for what this offense can be moving forward. But the offense still looked clunky and out of rhythm for the majority of the game. There is still a lot to clean up on both sides of the ball if Penn State wants to knock off Michigan in a couple weeks.
Up Next: Penn State (-10.5) vs Maryland, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on FOX
4) Rutgers (6-2, 3-2 B1G)
Last Week: 4
Week 9 Result: bye
If Ohio State is going to lose before their finale against Michigan, it’ll be this weekend. Rutgers is fresh off a bye and is sure to have some tricks up their sleeve on offense. Gavin Wimsatt’s legs will be a huge determining factor in the game, as the Buckeyes haven’t seen a QB as mobile as him yet this season. Rutgers will need to take care of the ball, convert any redzone opportunities they get into TDs, and get pressure on Kyle McCord if they want to pull off the upset.
Up Next: Ohio State vs Rutgers (+18.5), Saturday at 12pm EST on CBS
5) Iowa (6-2, 3-2 B1G)
Last Week: 5
Week 9 Result: bye
There might be more punts than 1st downs in this game. But at least we get to watch a football game played on a baseball diamond, right?
Up Next: Iowa (-5) vs Northwestern, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on Peacock (game at Wrigley Field)
6) Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2 B1G)
Last Week: 6
Week 9 Result: L 10-24 vs Ohio State
Led by Ricardo Hallman, a Wisconsin secondary that has been inconsistent this season played their best game of the season. QB Braedyn Locke shook off a rocky start to come up with some huge throws on 3rd down which kept the Badgers in this game. He certainly has what it takes to keep Wisconsin in the Big Ten West race. But they’ll need even more out of him moving forward, as it appears Braelon Allen will miss the rest of the season with a broken ankle.
Up Next: Wisconsin (-9.5) at Indiana, Saturday at 12pm EST on BTN
7) Minnesota (5-3, 3-2 B1G)
Last Week: 8
Week 9 Result: W 27-12 vs Michigan State
Minnesota continues to run the ball into the ground on offense and come up with a few big plays on defense every game. If they can limit the turnovers (they had 3 on Saturday), they have every chance to win the West. But they’ll need to avenge last year’s loss to the Illini in order to reach that goal.
Up Next: Illinois vs Minnesota (-2), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
8) Nebraska (5-3, 3-2 B1G)
Last Week: 9
Week 9 Result: W 31-14 vs Purdue
The Huskers held Purdue to under 200 total yards, 0-3 on 4th down, forced 3 turnovers, and returned a blocked kick which put the game on ice early in the 3rd quarter. The fact that Nebraska is still committing unforced turnovers is concerning, but there doesn’t seem to be an offense in the division that can put points up on this defense. Especially with injuries piling up for many teams. Don’t be surprised if we see Nebraska playing in Indy for the Big Ten title.
Up Next: Nebraska (-3) vs Michigan State, Saturday at 12pm EST on FS1
9) Northwestern (4-4, 2-3 B1G)
Last Week: 12
Week 9 Result: W 33-27 vs Maryland
Even if Northwestern doesn’t win a game the rest of the season, David Braun is my Big Ten Coach of the Year pick. From a talent perspective, this team seems continuously outmatched along the offensive and defensive fronts. But on Saturday, Brendan Sullivan stepped up in place of Ben Bryant and picked apart the Terp secondary. Believe it or not, a win over Iowa could put Northwestern in the driver’s seat in the West.
Up Next: Iowa vs Northwestern (+5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on Peacock (game at Wrigley Field)
10) Maryland (5-3, 2-3 B1G)
Last Week: 10
Week 9 Result: L 33-27 at Northwestern
A typical Locksley letdown was probably inevitable at some point this season. But that was the excuse against Illinois. Fresh off a bye, I expected Maryland to come out with a fire on both sides of the ball. But the entire offense once again fell squarely on Taulia’s shoulders. And the defense got pushed around all day by a Northwestern offense that 13 pgg over their past three games. Changes need to be made on that side of the ball if Maryland wants to hang in there against Penn State.
Up Next: Penn State vs Maryland (+10.5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on FOX
11) Illinois (3-5, 1-4 B1G)
Last Week: 10
Week 9 Result: bye
The Illini appear to be on the outside looking in on the muddied Big Ten West race. But they can still play spoiler for other teams. If they want to beat Minnesota on the road this weekend, Luke Altmyer will once again have to be a force with his legs. Defensively, Newton & Randolph are going to have to clog the middle of that offensive line and force Kaliakmanis to try and throw it.
Up Next: Illinois (+2) vs Minnesota, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
12) Purdue (2-6, 1-4 B1G)
Last Week: 11
Week 9 Result: L 14-31 at Nebraska
Despite getting a much needed week off, it was more of the same from the Boilermakers. They were shutdown through three quarters and scored only one offensive touchdown. Hudson Card didn’t take care of the football, the running game didn’t get a push, and the secondary had too many busted coverages. I still believe in Ryan Walters as a coach, but he has to figure something out in order to pick up a couple wins and bring some positive momentum into next season.
Up Next: Purdue (+32.5) vs Michigan, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC
13) Indiana (2-6, 0-5 B1G)
Last Week: 14
Week 9 Result: L 24-33 at Penn State
Brendan Sorsby showed a lot of maturation on Saturday and appeared to tighten his hold on the starting QB job for the rest of the season. The defensive front played with a passion we haven’t seen since September and was right in the game until the final minutes. It was great to see this kind of fight from a team that has been starved for a victory.
Up Next: Wisconsin vs Indiana (+9.5), Saturday at 12pm EST on BTN
14) Michigan State (2-6, 0-5 B1G)
Last Week: 13
Week 9 Result: L 12-27 at Minnesota
The lows keep getting lower. I fear the players have thrown in the towel on the season. Another nearly unwatchable game is on top for the Spartans this weekend as they play host to Nebraska. I’d say Michigan State had a shot at pulling the upset, but their defensive front is going to have to play much better than they did against Minnesota.
Up Next: Nebraska vs Michigan State (+3), Saturday at 12pm EST on FS1