It was another drama-filled weekend of Big Ten football. This was supposed to be a tune-up weekend for the contenders as they prepared for the stretch run but a few got more than they bargained for. Minnesota nearly took the Floyd of Rosedale from Iowa before the Hawkeyes hung on to victory and the Wolverines needed double overtime to brush off Indiana.

Ohio State 28, Illinois 3

The Buckeyes welcomed back J.T. Barrett and cruised to victory in Champaign with Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott leading the way. Elliott ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns, with the majority of the yards and both scores coming after the break. It was Elliott’s 15^th straight game of 100-plus rushing yards and Zeke has put himself in a position to make a run for the Heisman Trophy.

The Silver Bullets stepped up once again against the Illini, allowing just a Taylor Zalewski field goal in the 2^nd quarter. Illinois could only manage 20 rushing yards on 25 carries for a measly 0.8 YPC. Ohio State heads home for Senior Day against Michigan State and Illinois goes to Minnesota to try to get to bowl eligibility.

Michigan State 24, Maryland 7

Aided by five Maryland turnovers, the Spartans were able to get by in the absence of starting QB Connor Cook. Cook injured his shoulder early in the game and did not play in the 2^nd half for precautionary measures but he is expected to return in Columbus. Tyler O’Connor was 6-11 for 44 yards with a touchdown and an interception in backup duty.

The Terrapins outgained Michigan State in this one (289-262), but the Spartans’ ability to get timely turnovers put them over the top. Riley Bullough made a huge play just before the end of the 1^st half when he picked off a Perry Hills pass and took it back 44 yards for a score. Maryland will try to break a 7-game losing streak when they host Indiana this weekend and Michigan State looks to repay Ohio State for what they did in East Lansing last November.

Northwestern 21, Purdue 14

Northwestern is quietly having a very good season in 2015. The Wildcats have climbed back in to the top 20 of the polls and won their 8^th game of the season when they took down Purdue. Warren Long had two rushing touchdowns in the 1^st half for Northwestern and Justin Jackson scored the game-winning touchdown late in the 4^th quarter to go with his 116 yards on the ground.

David Blough had another solid outing for the Boilermakers in defeat. Blough connected with Domonique Young on a 68-yard score on Purdue’s first play from scrimmage but was never able to find the end zone again to go with his 287 yards passing. Things don’t get any easier for the Boilermakers as they go to Iowa and Northwestern also hits the road for a Top 25 battle against Wisconsin.

Nebraska 31, Rutgers 14

Nebraska kept its bowl hopes alive for another week by going to New Jersey and pulling out a win over Rutgers. Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw three interceptions for the Cornhuskers but also threw three touchdowns to make up for the picks. Rutgers fell behind 21-0 not even 20 minutes into the game and never fully recovered.

A pair of Scarlet Knight touchdowns split the halftime interval to pull Rutgers within 7 but they would get no closer as Armstrong found Cethan Carter for his second score of the game on Nebraska’s next possession. The Huskers take a week off to get ready for a visit from Iowa while Rutgers takes a trip to West Point to take on Army.

Michigan 48, Indiana 41 (2OT)

It took a Jake Rudock touchdown pass to Jehu Chesson as time expired in the 4^th quarter to force overtime but the Wolverines managed to pull out a victory in Bloomington. Rudock found the end zone twice more in the overtime periods to finish with 440 yards passing and six touchdowns. Chesson had himself a career day as well, catching 10 passes for 207 yards and four scores.

Jordan Howard was his usual beastly self against the Wolverines, rushing for 238 yards and two TDs while also catching a touchdown pass from Nate Sudfeld. The Wolverines head to Happy Valley for their final road game of the season this week and the Hoosiers will try to break a 6-game skid at Maryland.

Iowa 40, Minnesota 35

It was the LeShun Daniels Show in Iowa City on Saturday night under the lights. Daniels ran for a career high 196 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Hawkeyes to victory and the first 10-0 start in school history. C.J. Beathard also found the end zone twice on the ground to put Iowa within one win of the B1G Championship Game.

Mitch Leidner had a solid game for the Gophers, throwing for 259 yards and a touchdown. K.J. Maye was Leidner’s favorite target, hauling in 7 passes for 106 yards. Minnesota needs a pair of wins to end the season to get to a bowl game and they’ll start that journey against Illinois on Saturday. Iowa will be at home against Purdue as they look to wrap up a berth to the B1G Championship.

Is there any way Purdue knocks off Iowa to open the door for Wisconsin to return to the B1G Championship? Who do you have winning the marquee matchup of the week in Columbus?

Welcome back to my weekly column, A Look Around the Country. I’m highlighting notable games from the previous week, the week ahead and of course, the Heisman and Playoff race. Special features include an in-depth look at the Ohio State and a Michigan update, mainly for folks to bask in their misfortunes. Feel free to comment with your opinions, I hope you enjoy!

Notable Games Last Week

Clemson 23, Florida State 13

The Tigers solidified their Number One ranking against the Seminoles with a 10 point win at Memorial Stadium. Florida State stayed close for most of the game but could not close. Moving forward, Clemson has a cake walk into the ACC Title Game where they will most likely play North Carolina who is no slouch. With a win there, they are in.

Oklahoma State 49, TCU 29

The Pokies made a huge statement in Stillwater after demolishing TCU, who was a preseason playoff favorite. They completely shut down Trevone Boykin who had been putting up crazy numbers against everyone they played so far. Okie State closes the season against Baylor and Oklahoma and if they win those, I’d say they’re in the Playoff.

Nebraska 39, Michigan State 38

Another week, another crazy ending. The Huskers were able to pull off the impossible (I say impossible because that touchdown shouldn’t have counted) and upset Michigan State. Mike Riley was finally able to get a big win in Lincoln which should help as they close the season. Michigan State is now out of playoff contention barring craziness.

Alabama 30, LSU 16

The Tide made a huge statement as they shutdown Leonard Fournette and the rest of the Tigers on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is quickly looking like one of the top teams in the country and now control their own destiny in the playoff picture.

Big Games This Week

Ohio State at Illinois

J.T. Barrett will be back in action as the Buckeyes head to Champaign for the right to the Illibuck Trophy. Illinois has traditionally been a pesky out for Ohio State so they will have to stay focused and not overlook this weekend especially considering what is looming on the schedule. This will be the last tune-up for Urban Meyer’s squad before heading into the stretch run.

Saturday, November 14 at Noon on ABC

Alabama at Mississippi State

Coming off a big win over LSU, Alabama will travel to Starkville to take on the Bulldogs. These are usually the types of games that Alabama loses so we will see if Nick Saban is able to get the Tide a win. I expect a great game as Dak Prescott has been playing lights out lately and seems to be peaking at the right time. Don’t be surprised if Dan Mullen pulls off the upset.

Saturday, November 14 at 3:30 on CBS

Oklahoma at Baylor

The second week of the Big 12 round-robin will kick off as Baylor will finally get an opportunity to show that they are for real. The Sooners may be peaking at the right time and if they can somehow win out they might find themselves in the playoff. The same goes for Baylor as they will have to win out in a grueling schedule to have a chance to be in the playoff.

Saturday, November 14 at 8pm on ABC

Michigan Update

The Wolverines destroyed Rutgers and now only have 2 games (Indiana and Penn State) between them and the Buckeyes. Harbaugh has done a masterful job with this team and I am sure they are already watching film on Ohio State. It is going to be an atmosphere for the ages in Ann Arbor in 3 weeks.

Heisman Watch

1. Derrick Henry, Alabama

2. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

3. Leonard Fournette, LSU

4. Deshaun Watson, Clemson

My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

*Editor’s Note: This will be a volatile poll every week based on performance in the past week and resume to date, very similar to the Playoff Committee.

1. Ohio State

2. Clemson

3. Baylor

4. Alabama

Just Missed the Cut

5. Oklahoma State

6. Notre Dame

7. Iowa

8. Stanford

9. Oklahoma

10. LSU

Iowa took another step towards an undefeated regular season and a trip to Indianapolis in early December (it can be more fun than it sounds – I promise) when they held on to beat Indiana. Penn State lost any chance it had of representing the Big Ten East in Indy when they dropped a tight affair at Northwestern. Nebraska knocked off Michigan State late to end any chance of a three-way tie at the top of the East.

Northwestern 23, Penn State 21

It looked like Northwestern was going to run away with one early, as the Wildcats jumped out to a 20-7 halftime lead. Saquon Barkley’s second touchdown of the day gave the Nittany Lions the 21-20 lead early in the 4^th quarter which is where it would stay until Jack Mitchell won the game for Northwestern with a 35-yard field goal with :09 on the clock.

The running backs were the stars of the show, with Barkley racking up 120 yards to go with his pair of touchdowns and Justin Jackson shouldering the load with 186 yards for a Clayton Thorson-less Wildcat bunch. Penn State gets a week off to heal and rest up for a home game against the Wolverines and Northwestern will take on Purdue in Evanston.

Iowa 35, Indiana 27

When Griffin Oakes hit a 28-yard field goal to cut the Hawkeye lead to 21-20 early in the 4^th quarter, it looked like the Hoosiers’ upset bid might be in the cards. However, Iowa took the punch and responded with one of their own in the form of a 9 play, 75 yard drive that culminated in LeShun Daniels Jr.’s second rushing touchdown of the day.

C.J. Beathard combined with George Kittle on the Hawkeyes’ next drive from 10 yards out to put the game out of reach. Jordan Howard was impressive yet again for Indiana, rushing for 174 yards on 22 carries that included two 2^nd quarter touchdowns that gave the Hoosiers the lead. Iowa heads back home to face Minnesota and Indiana will welcome some visitors from Ann Arbor.

Michigan 49, Rutgers 16

Another day, another blowout suffered by the Rutgers football program. Once again, the Scarlet Knights proved just how inept they can be, scoring no offensive touchdowns and finishing the day with 225 yards of total offense. Janarion Grant took a kickoff back to the house that was the only trip to the end zone on the day for Rutgers.

The Wolverines easily outmatched their opponents, thanks in large part to a solid outing from QB Jake Rudock. Rudock had his best game, statistically, as a Wolverine, completing 18-25 for 337 yards and two touchdowns. Rutgers needs to win out to gain bowl eligibility and they’ll start that road next week at home against Nebraska while the Wolverines will be on the road as they head to Bloomington.

Nebraska 39, Michigan State 38

In the upset of the day, Michigan State went in to Lincoln and left with their tails between their legs. Tommy Armstrong Jr. took Nebraska 91 yards in just 38 seconds to win the game with a controversial touchdown pass from 30 yards out to Brandon Reilly. Armstrong finished the day with 320 yards passing and two touchdowns each on the ground and through the air.

Connor Cook did a lot for the Spartans, throwing for 335 yards and four scores, but it wasn’t enough to keep Michigan State undefeated. Sparty will look to get back on track on home turf next week against Maryland and Nebraska will head to Rutgers with bowl eligibility still a possibility.

Ohio State 28, Minnesota 14

It wasn’t always the prettiest game for Ohio State, but Cardale Jones stepped up in J.T. Barrett’s absence and got the job done. A win is a win and that’s all Ohio State needs to keep doing to earn another spot in the College Football Playoff. Jones finished the night with 187 yards passing and a touchdown pass to Michael Thomas. Jones also sealed the victory late in the 4^th with a 38 yard touchdown run.

Ezekiel Elliott hit the 100-yard plateau for the 14^th straight game for the Buckeyes while K.J. Maye was the star for the Golden Gophers, hauling in 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota will hit the road against another undefeated team next week in Iowa while the Buckeyes will head to Champaign to battle for the Illibuck.

How are you handicapping the B1G East race now that Michigan State has fallen? Will Iowa take care of business and continue their stranglehold on the B1G West against Minnesota?

It was a big week for some of the top teams in the B1G. Penn State took care of Illinois to remain near the top of the East while the Wolverines found a way not to lose in Minnesota to do the same. Wisconsin stayed the course and remain primed to pounce should undefeated Iowa slip up down the stretch.

Penn State 39, Illinois 0

The Illini’s trip to Penn State was anything but happy after they were completely dominated all day by the Nittany Lions. Christian Hackenberg had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 266 yards and two touchdowns while also catching a 14-yard TD from Nick Scott.

Illinois just couldn’t get anything going on offense, managing just 167 yards of offense and 12 first downs on their way to being shut out. The Illini lost their third straight game and will look to get back above .500 with a win at Purdue while Penn State will try to move to 5-1 in conference play at Northwestern.

Purdue 55, Nebraska 45

9-4 and Bo Pelini at the helm is looking pretty good right about now, huh, Nebraska fans? Mike Riley’s squad now sits at 3-6 on the season after a pitiful performance in West Lafayette. The Cornhuskers turned the ball over five times, with Purdue cornerback Anthony Brown grabbing three interceptions for himself.

David Blough threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns for the Boilermakers while also adding a 56-yard touchdown run that gave Purdue the lead for good with 5 minutes left in the 1^st quarter. An undefeated Michigan State team awaits Nebraska when they return home this week and Purdue looks to start a winning streak at home against Illinois.

Wisconsin 48, Rutgers 10

Corey Clement returned for the Badgers and it appears so did the Wisconsin rushing attack. Clement carried the ball just 11 times but managed to find the end zone on three of those carries and compiled 115 yards in his first game action in eight weeks.

The Badger defense did its part, allowing no offensive touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights and holding them to a lone first half field goal. Rutgers gained just 165 yards and scraped together 8 first downs over the course of the game but somehow managed to win the time of possession battle. Rutgers will head to Ann Arbor for another tough test and Wisconsin will take a trip east for their first B1G visit to Maryland.

Iowa 31, Maryland 15

There is a very real possibility of Iowa being 12-0 heading in to Indianapolis the first weekend of December. It was a slow day on offense for the Hawkeyes, with C.J. Beathard throwing for just 183 yards and the team racking up just 293 yards of total offense.

Desmond King sealed things midway through the final frame when he picked off Perry Hills and took the interception 88 yards to the house. Maryland will look to find a win for the first time since mid-September when Wisconsin visits College Park and Iowa starts their stretch run with a matchup against the Hoosiers in Bloomington.

Michigan 29, Minnesota 26

It took a goalline stand on 4^th down as time ran out (which may or may not have been aided by several defenders lining up in the neutral zone), but the Wolverines managed to get out of Minnesota with their B1G East Division title hopes still somewhat within reach.

Despite being outgained 461-296 and losing the turnover battle 2-0, the Wolverines pulled out a victory after Wilton Speights found Jehu Chesson from 12 yards out with less than minutes to play. The Wolverines are back in the Big House to take on Rutgers this weekend and Minnesota comes to Columbus for a primetime matchup with the Buckeyes.

Is Iowa a legitimate playoff contender? Is Mike Riley already dead in the water at Nebraska after being embarrassed at Purdue?