Big Ten Power Rankings: Battle for the Basement
Week 12 holds major implications on who will be representing either side of the conference in Indianapolis. More importantly though, the race for the bottom is just as compelling as Nebraska, Northwestern, and Indiana all are trying to avoid what certainly is to befall them.
CFP Rank: #4
Last Week: #19 Purdue (W 59-31)
Next: #7 Michigan. St
That was the performance the national media has been waiting for from the buckeyes. CJ Stroud looks to have complete control of the offense now that he has practically a year of experience and that has this team peaking at the right time. Ohio. St racked up nearly 400 yards of offense in the first half to put a talented Purdue team away early. Back from injury, wideout Garrett Wilson scored 4 touchdowns on the day (3 receiving, 1 rushing) to compliment another massive performance from Jaxon Smith-Njigba (9 rec, 139 yards). Add in 263 yards on the ground and the Buckeyes totaled 624 for the game against a Purdue defense that had proven to be salty. The defense still needs work as evidenced by allowing 481 yards in their own right, but there are few (if any) teams capable of slowing down this offense enough for it to matter.
CFP Rank: #6
Last Week: @Penn. St (W 21-16)
Next: @Maryland
A collective sigh of relief could be heard throughout the entirety of the midwest after TE Erick All's galloping 48 yard touchdown scamper. Before the junior from Fairfield, Ohio's heroics, it looked as though the Wolverines were poised once again to fold in presence of a big game. Early decisions by Penn. St's coaching staff left the door wide-open for Michigan to take this game over and the never seized it. The ensuing battle was won by the Wolverines seemingly because their physical play took a toll on a Nittany Lion defense that had stood tall all day. Hassan Haskins did enough in the absence of Blake Corum toting the rock 31 times for 156 yards while Cade McNamara put together another gutsy performance good enough for the W. Michigan travels to Maryland next week before the HUGE showdown in Ann Arbor against the Buckeyes in what surely looks to be a playoff elimination game.
CFP Rank: #7
Last Week: Maryland (W 40-21)
Next: @ #4 Ohio. St
A nice rebound performance at home against a good passing attack in Maryland puts the Spartans right back on track for the Big Ten title and possible playoff hopes. Kenneth Walker III kept his name in the Heisman conversation with another 143 yards on 30 carriers. Payton Thorne provided an efficient 22-30 performance for 287 yards and 4 touchdowns. Michigan State will need to have the same type of balance this week as they head into "The Shoe" to take on the Buckeyes. There is still great reason for concern on the defensive side of the ball as Maryland's Tahlia Tagovailoa threw for 350 yards. The silver lining here is that the Spartans only allowed two of those to be touchdowns and also recorded a pick. Still, without more improvement in the nations 4th worst pass defense, next weekend could get ugly.
CFP Rank: #15
Last Week: Northwestern (W 35-7)
Next: Nebraska
Another week, another 100+ yards rushing for freshmen Braylon Allen. The 17 YEAR OLD carried the ball 25 times for a career high 173 yards. The performance now gives Allen 834 yards for the season after not seeing any real action until week 5 of the season. Allen is averaging 7.1 yards per carry and unfortunately for the rest of the West looks like the next great Wisconsin running back. The nations top ranked defense was stout once again but did allow over 100 yards rushing for only the second time this season in the game. A home game next week against Nebraska and a visit to Minneapolis to battle for the Axe is all that stands between Wisconsin and another trip to Indianapolis. The reaction of Iowa fans...
Last Week: Minnesota (W 27-22)
Next: Illinois
For the seventh year in a row, The Floyd of Rosedale will stay in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes picked up their second straight win in many ways because of the youth movement in the offense. Iowa has finally found players capable of game breaking plays at the wide receiver position in Keagon Johnson and Arland Bruce IV as well as figuring out how to use Charlie Jones speed outside. Add in a QB in Alex Padilla with the capacity of extending plays with his legs and the Hawks should be tough to beat from here on out. If it had not been for the explosive plays from the above mentioned players the Hawks would have lost this game. Minnesota dominated the game in almost every statical category except for explosive plays. If the Iowa defense can find their early season form and avoid missed tackles, 10-2 should be expected.
CFP Rank:
Last Week: @ #4 Ohio. St (L 31-59)
Next: Northwestern
It's been mentioned many times before, Purdue has blackout game one week, is hungover for the following week and gets blown out. To Purdue's credit, a few early and weird mistakes allowed this game to get out of hand. The offense still put up huge numbers in the pass game as Aiden O'Connel continues to make a claim for a spot on an All Big Ten team after another near 400 yard performance with 4 touchdowns. The defense though, as many had wondered, failed miserably against another spread attack. The Boilermakers sit at 6-4 with games against bottom dwellers Northwestern, and Indiana left on the schedule. With a New Years day bowl game still a possibility, it'd be a shame if this team came out flat against either opponent.
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| Purdue continues to prove it is as predictable as a drunk sorority girl |
CFP Rank:
Last Week: #6 Michigan (L 17-21)
Next: Rutgers
Chalk up the loss to Michigan on coaching. James Franklin's baffling decisions on when and when not to kick field goals in this game cost the Nittany Lions at least 6 points in this game. The greatest head scratcher being a fake field goal call on 4th & Goal from the 2 after having already ran a fake punt in the game. This game served as a microcosm of the 2021 Penn. St football season and frankly it ended with the way all but one of their losses has, with the better team winning. If Franklin can't pick this team back up off the mat, games against a hot Rutgers team at home and a trip to East Lansing to end the season could result in a 6-6 season in Happy Valley... Ouch.
CFP Rank:
Last Week: @ #20 Iowa (L 22-27)
Next: @Indiana
Talk about poor coaching decisions costing a team a W, PJ Fleck may have made the worst of the decisions this weekend. With Minnesota having just stripped Iowa of the football at the Iowa 49 and 5 minutes remain until half time, Fleck called up 8 run plays to bleed out the clock and kick a field goal before half time. In a rivalry game that you have been absolutely dominated in since taking over in Minneapolis you would expect a head coach to want to be aggressive and go try and take the game away from the Hawkeyes. Add in that Minnesota hasn't won in Iowa City since 1999 and the decision becomes so negligent Fleck should be fined. The "Goofers" held the ball for 40 MINUTES in this game, won the turnover battle, and gained over 100 more yards than Iowa..... and still lost. If they failed to bring home the bacon with those stats it's fair then to ask, "Will they ever win?"
Last Week: @Indiana (W 38-3)
Next: @Penn. St
Greg Schiano has what was the second worst team in football behind Kansas positioned for a bowl game in only his second year back. I wonder how that makes Texas fans feel?
CFP Rank:
Last Week: Bye
Next: @ #20 Iowa
Every Iowa fan will be on pins and needles waiting for Saturday game to see what form of sorcery old Bert concocted for the game during the bye week. The former Iowa player and Wisconsin head coach would love nothing more than to beat the Hawkeyes year in and year out during his time at Illinois. The important question to ask about this game is will Illinois throw the ball more than 5 times?
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| Bert's tat is as touched up as Illinois' passing attack |
CFP Rank:
Last Week: @ #7 Michigan. St (L 21-40)
Next: #6 Michigan
It snowed on Saturday here in Northern Indiana. This led me to breakdown to my fiancé's pleads to put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. We have some garland hanging around now, as well as a wonderful mini christmas tree in the bathroom that provides the perfect lighting for when I want my bowel movements to have a more intimate feel. Honestly, it may stay up all year.
CFP Rank:
Last Week: Bye
Next: @ #18 Wisconsin
How well will an offense that just fired all of their coaches over a bye week and have grad assistants running practice do against the nations top ranked defense on the road? Thats what I thought. Video from a practice last week in Lincoln surfaced revealing some of the offense.
CFP Rank:
Last Week: @ #18 Wisconsin (L 7-35)
Next: #19 Purdue
I'm incredibly disappointed that these two bottom teams don't get to duke it out this year for their choice of what corner of the WRBL mansion they get to sit and stare at for the next year. Northwestern at the moment has the more favorable schedule coming down the stretch but losses to Purdue and Illinois could doom them.
CFP Rank:
Last Week: Rutgers (L 3-38)
Next: Minnesota
Indiana basketball beat Norther Illinois 85-49 on Friday giving the Hoosiers the same number of wins as their football team has.
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