Despite some momentary struggles, Ohio State accomplished its goal going into the weekend and that was clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. Wisconsin held off a pesky Iowa team to improve to 6-1 in conference play and will clinch their spot opposite Ohio State in Indianapolis with a win in their final regular season game.

Ohio State 42, Indiana 27

The Buckeyes looked shaky against Indiana, even trailing in the third quarter after a 90-yard Tevin Coleman touchdown run, one of three on the day for him. When they looked their shakiest, they turned to a player many turned their back on just a week ago. Jalin Marshall returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown to regain the lead and Ohio State would never give it back.

Marshall set an Ohio State record by scoring four touchdowns in one half, adding three receiving touchdowns to his punt return. Indiana returns to Bloomington to finish their season while Ohio State will remain in Columbus and take on That Team Up North.

Illinois 16, Penn State 14

Illinois came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Penn State thanks to a David Reisner field goal with just eight seconds left in the game. Both offenses struggled in this one, with neither team hitting the 300 yard total offense mark. Christian Hackenberg went just 8-16 for 93 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Mike Dudek was consistent throughout for the Illini, catching 11 passes for 115 yards as Illinois moved to within a game of bowl eligibility. Penn State will head back to Happy Valley to host Michigan State and Illinois will go on the road to take on in-state rival Northwestern.

Minnesota 28, Nebraska 24

Ohio State’s win over Minnesota looks even better this week after the Golden Gophers were able to go on the road and knock off Nebraska. Tommy Armstrong threw for over 200 yards and Ameer Abdullah rushed for 98 but it wasn’t enough to take down Minnesota at home.

Despite throwing for just 135 yards, Mitch Leidner led the way for the Gophers, rushing for 110 and two scores. David Cobb added 80 and another score on the ground as Minnesota kept their hopes of a rematch against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game alive. Nebraska will go on the road at Iowa to finish out the regular season and Minnesota hits the road again as they travel to Camp Randall.

Northwestern 38, Purdue 14

Northwestern kept their slim bowl hopes alive by dominated Purdue in West Lafayette. Justin Jackson ran for 147 yards and two scores to lead the Wildcats to victory. Trevor Siemian left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury but that didn’t slow Northwestern down, as Zack Oliver came in and did his job.

The Wildcat defense was extremely tough on the Boilermakers, especially in the run game. Akeem Hunt managed just 60 yards on 20 carries and Purdue as a team combined for just 61 yards on the ground. Northwestern will host Illinois this week while Purdue goes on the road to take on the Hoosiers.

Michigan State 45, Rutgers 3

After losing to Ohio State at home two weeks ago, Michigan State has been nothing short of dominant, making quick work of both Maryland and Rutgers. This week, the Spartans jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead on the back of Jeremy Langford. Langford finished the day with 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Michigan State’s vaunted defense showed up again, holding the Scarlet Knights to just 234 yards of total offense. The Spartans picked off Rutgers three times as they cruised to another victory. Michigan State will go on the road next week to take on Penn State and Rutgers will also be away from home as they go to Maryland to close out the regular season.

Wisconsin 26, Iowa 24

Once again, it was the Melvin Gordon show for Wisconsin. On the week he would lose his single-game rushing yards record, Gordon made it to the 2,000 yards mark on the season. Gordon rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns on the day, bolstering his Heisman resume even more.

Jake Rudock did what he could to give the Hawkeyes a chance to win this game, throwing for 311 yards and two scores, but it was barely not enough. Iowa will host Nebraska next week and Wisconsin will host Minnesota in a play-in game for the Big Ten Championship.

Maryland 23, That Team Up North 16

Despite not having their best player in Stefon Diggs, Maryland was able to go into Ann Arbor and knock off the Wolverines for their seventh win of the season. C.J. Brown threw for 165 yards and ran for 87 and a score, but it was Wes Brown’s 1-yard touchdown run with less than six minutes left in the game.

Devin Gardner threw for 106 yards and an interception to go with 82 rushing yards in his final home game as a Wolverine. Maryland will go back to College Park next week to host Rutgers and That Team Up North will make a trip into extremely hostile territory to take on Ohio State.

What are your predictions for the upcoming slate of games? Will it be Wisconsin or Minnesota taking on the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game? Let us know below!

 

Sit down and shut up you little twerps, it’s the final quarter of the season and it is time for midterms. The Buckeyes kind of blew out/kind of almost lost to the Goofs of Minnesota Saturday and there are only two tests left in the 2014 season. This isn’t about them however, this week is all about how much you have been paying attention to this crazy college football year.

Did you do your homework? Did you take notes? Find the harsh reality now…

 

Here is your 2014 final quarter midterm; the answer key is located at the bottom (no peeking):

 

1. What does the J.T. stand for in J.T. Barrett?

___________________________

2. Where is the strongest media bias located in the country?

___________________________

3. If Team A beats Team B and both have the same record while playing near identical schedules, who should be ranked higher?

___________________________

4. If a three loss team falls 59-0 in the forest, should they still be ranked?

___________________________

5. Who should Ohio State start at quarterback in 2015?

___________________________

6. Which team has more rushing yards than Wake Forest this season?

___________________________

7. Northwestern is a team that plays in the state of Illinois, please define:

___________________________

8. Please explain the San Jose Punt Phenomenon of 11/15/2014:

___________________________

9. How many rib bones does Ezekiel Elliott show on a given Saturday?

___________________________

10. Would you rather fight 100 duck sized Joey Bosa’s or one Joey Bosa sized duck?

___________________________

 

Your Grade: ___________________________

 

O.k. you little cheats, pencils down! Grade yourself on the honors system.

 

Here is the answer key:

 

1. What does the J.T. stand for in J.T. Barrett?

John Heisman

2. Where is the strongest media bias located in the country?

Eugene, Oregon. Somehow the Ducks slip by the media sensibility goalie every year and are considered the darlings of College Football only to be a bigger letdown than Dumb and Dumber To (I haven’t seen it but I’m an ASSumer). They already laid one egg this year against a decent Zona team but I bet they are good for one more. They moved in front of Florida State last week in the playoff poll for some reason, who knows why. Enough people are sick of Winston and FSU that nobody seems to have a problem with it.

If they finally break through this year and win a playoff game then I will eat some crow with a side of duck. The SEC certainly gets a lot more credit than they deserve and many losses are forgiven somehow, but they win the big one a lot.

I’m still not sure what Oregon has done to earn all of this street cred… I guess they beat Wisconsin a few years ago?

3. If Team A beats Team B and both have the same record while playing near identical schedules, who should be ranked higher?

Team B. I don’t come up with the material, I just give out the tests…

I still think the committee will come to their senses after a few weeks and move Baylor ahead of TCU but don’t be surprised to see chaos head down south before the season’s over.

4. If a three loss team falls 59-0 in the forest, should they still be ranked?

Yes. Forget the murder at the hands of Alabama, or the two other losses that weren’t all that close- The Texas A&M Aggies creeped into the top 25 last week.

Can you imagine a Big Ten team being ranked with a 7-3 record with wins over:

South Carolina, Lamar, Rice, SMU, Arkansas, Louisiana-Monroe and Auburn?

Luckily the Aggies fell out after a loss to Mizzou on Saturday- I’m assuming this, too lazy to double check the polls because… I’m over it.

5. Who should Ohio State start at quarterback in 2015?

If you answered this question with J.T. Barrett or Braxton Miller then you get zero points. The correct answer is “Who the hell cares?” This currently pointless debate will have plenty of time to be beaten to death from mid-January to August next year. Enjoy this current run Buckeye fans.

6. Which team player has more rushing yards than Wake Forest this season in one game?

Melvin Gordon.

Gordon had 408 yards in one game against Nebraska. Wake Forest has 341 yards rushing on the season…

Farooq can put it like only he can:

 

7. Northwestern is a team that plays in the state of Illinois, please define:

Bipolar: A team that manages to beat Wisconsin and Penn State soundly on the road, then wins in overtime against a once top 5 Notre Dame… Also lost to Cal, Northern Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan and Iowa (48-7)…

What the hell?

 

8. Please explain the San Jose Punt Phenomenon of 11/15/2014:

A truly spectacular case in which a team loses to Hawaii and scores zero points:

WITHOUT PUNTING ONCE!!!!! WHAT I DON’T EVEN!!!!!

That makes less sense then those tiny water bottles that John Beilein likes to drink.

 You got to respect a man so cautious he won’t even risk over hydration.

9. How many rib bones does Ezekiel Elliott show on a given Saturday?

Four. And I bet he’s got at least half a dozen hidden under there- He leaves that part to the imagination, which makes him even more a catch.

10. Would you rather fight 100 duck sized Joey Bosa’s or one Joey Bosa sized duck?

100 Duck sized Joey Bosa’s. You’re dead either way but just imagine trying to fight off that many pony tailed dreamboats. That’s a beautiful way for an Ohio State fan to reach his/her demise.

 

 

Bonus: Annunciation is everything in Broadway:

 

 

Double Bonus: The greatest pump up song of any kids childhood:

 

 

 

In a game that will likely decide the Big Ten West champion, Wisconsin took Nebraska behind the woodshed on the back of a record-setting day of Melvin Gordon. Ohio State battled the elements and themselves to beat Minnesota, leaving the Buckeyes one win away from returning to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game. Penn State, Iowa, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Michigan State all came out victorious this weekend.

Ohio State 31, Minnesota 24

J.T. Barrett broke three Ohio State records in this game, which, at 15 degrees at kickoff, was the coldest game that the Buckeyes had played since 1964. Barrett ran for a quarterback-record 189 yards, set the record for longest TD run by a QB with his 86 yarder, and became Ohio State’s single-season touchdown record-holder as he is now responsible for 38 Buckeye touchdowns.

David Cobb was impressive for the Golden Gophers, rushing the ball 27 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns as Minnesota fell to 7-3 on the season. The Gophers will travel to Nebraska next week while the Buckeyes return to the Horseshoe to welcome the Hoosiers of Indiana.

Penn State 30, Temple 14

Penn State turned a close game into a blowout in the second half as the Nittany Lions capitalized on five Temple turnovers to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2011. Akeel Lynch ran for 130 yards and a touchdown and Bill Belton added 92 on the ground to go with a score of his own.

Christian Hackenberg was just 12-26 for 112 yards but the Nittany Lions didn’t need him to be at his best for this one. Penn State makes a trip to Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini on Saturday.

Iowa 30, Illinois 14

Iowa went into Memorial Stadium and dominated the Illini to get the bad taste of their blowout loss to Minnesota out of their mouths. Iowa outgained Illinois 587-235 in total offense, including 304-88 on the ground. Mark Weisman led the way for the Hawkeyes with 134 rushing yards.

Jake Rudock finished with 210 passing yards and two scores as Iowa moved to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes will go back home this week to play Wisconsin and Illinois will host Penn State.

Wisconsin 59, Nebraska 24

Nebraska started the game off hot, jumping out to an early 17-3 lead. That’s as good as it would get for the Cornhuskers, as Wisconsin would score the next 56 points to blow out their opponents. Melvin Gordon added to his already impressive Heisman resume with his greatest performance yet. Gordon broke LaDainian Tomlinson’s 15-year-old record for most rushing yards in a game with 408. Oh, and he did it in just three quarters as he sat out the entire 4th quarter.

Nebraska struggled all day, managing just 180 yards of offense. Ameer Abdullah was not at his best, getting burnt repeatedly in pass protection and rushing for just 69 yards in the game. Wisconsin now holds the edge in the race for the Big Ten West and will look to continue their run next week when they go to Kinnick Stadium to take on Iowa. Nebraska will try to rebound back at home when Minnesota comes to Lincoln.

Northwestern 43, Notre Dame 40 (OT)

Northwestern went in to South Bend and knocked off the Fighting Irish thanks to a Jack Mitchell field goal in overtime after Notre Dame missed a field goal on their opening possession of overtime. The Wildcats bounced back in a huge way after rushing for a whopping negative 9 yards rushing last week to gain 263 yards on the ground.

Justin Jackson carried the majority of the load, rushing for 149 yards and a touchdown as Northwestern kept their slim bowl hopes alive with the win moving them to 4-6 on the season. The Wildcats go to Purdue next weekend to continue their march towards bowl eligibility.

Rutgers 45, Indiana 23

Rutgers became bowl eligible as they ran away from Indiana in the second half after going into the break trailing 13-10. The Scarlet Knights outscored the Hoosiers 35-10 over the final 30 minutes behind 217 yards passing and two TDs from Gary Nova, with both touchdowns going to Leonte Carroo.

If not for Melvin Gordon, the Big Ten’s best rushing day would have belonged to Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, who carried the ball 32 times for 307 yards and a touchdown. Things don’t get any easier for Indiana, who will travel to Columbus to play Ohio State, and things will certainly get tougher for the Scarlet Knights, who make a trip to East Lansing to take on the Spartans.

Michigan State 37, Maryland 15

Michigan State bounced back from the loss to Ohio State by shutting down Maryland throughout the game, holding the Terrapins to just six yards on the ground. C.J. Brown did throw for 246 yards and two touchdowns but he was also picked off three times.

Jeremy Langford ran for 138 yards and two scores as he continues his impressive senior campaign, crossing the 1,000-yard mark in this game. Maryland travels to Ann Arbor this weekend while Michigan State hosts Rutgers while hoping Ohio State will slip up in their last two games to make the Big Ten Championship Game.

Will the Buckeyes clinch their spot in the Big Ten Championship Game this weekend? Has Wisconsin grabbed their place as well, or will there be an upset in the West over the next two weeks? Let us know what you think the matchup will be in Indianapolis!

I admit – the idea is seductive. It would be fantastic to see Urban Meyer team hoist the first CFP championship trophy, then say a few poignant words before handing it over to the redshirt freshman QB that got him there. Imagine the scarlet and gray confetti still floating about the stadium, the cameras, Carmen Ohio playing softly in the background. It would be the most rewarding end for a fan base that has been forced into spending the past few years on the defensive.

But as heretical as it may seem, if you are a College Football fan, and not just an OSU fan, you should want OSU to miss the playoffs this year. Actually, the same goes if you are a fan of any other Big10 or Big 12 team. Actually actually, the same goes if you are a fan of anything but the SEC.

That there is a disgusting amount of SEC bias present in the media, there is no doubt. While it’s fashionable to be on the anti-SEC bandwagon nowadays, savvy CFB fans have been documenting SEC bias going all the way back to 2004, when Auburn was shut out of their shot at the title, and the powers-that-be initiated the most comprehensive marketing campaign in sports history. One that led to the Frankenstein-monster we have today, where ESPN is at the mercy of its own irrationality, terrorizing the peaceful world of CFB fans for the sake of its own impulsive short-term satisfaction.

CFB fans should unite into a new goal: hope for an outcome to the 2014 season that destroys and squashes the blatant and deliberate attempts to influence CFB for one network’s monetary gain. Even Shane Falco knew to “shoot the hostage,” before dodging bullets on a surfboard in his time-travel phone booth (or something like that).

To “shoot the hostage,” the media must be forced to acknowledge the hard truth about the SEC: that it’s a conference with one or two elite teams, a handful of good ones, and a bunch of weak ones. (In other words, no different than any other Power 5 conference.)

Therefore, the best scenario going forward is for the SEC to send two representatives to the College Football Playoffs (CFP). Why? Consider the delicious chaos:

1. Including two SEC teams would, more than any other action, force a massive nationwide discussion on the role the media’s interests play in amateur sports. Simply, the media empire most responsible would be forced ever more so on the defensive, which is good, because its position can’t be rationally defended. The two selected would likely be SEC West teams, and the Mays and Fowlers of the world would have to defend the idiotic notion that a team that didn’t even win its own division should be allowed to play for national title, in lieu of the superior teams that won their divisions and conferences, “because reasons.”
2. Both SEC representatives would likely lose. One for sure. Shoot, depending on seeding, one may even eliminate the other. Based on a fair assessment of the teams (as of early November), it’s not likely that any of the potential SEC representatives could best an Oregon, or TCU, or Florida State this year. Result: SEC would fare poorly in the CFP.
3. Sending two teams to the CFP would result in the more average SEC teams sliding up into the former bowl slots, where they would be overmatched by a lot of elite teams. Teams like OSU, TCU, Michigan State, Nebraska, Arizona State or Oregon, etc., would likely feast on the remaining members of the SEC who didn’t get selected. Shoot… even Michigan might win a December 20th bowl against an SEC bottom-feeder in Hoke’s last game. Result: SEC would fare more poorly in bowl games than they usually do.

To sum up: imagine a scenario where OSU finishes an excellent season with a high-profile bowl trophy, perhaps against an overmatched SEC opponent in the Citrus Bowl. One where the SEC does poorly in both the CFP and in the rest of the bowls. One where the B1G and perhaps the Pac 12 does well. One that starts with ESPN having to defend their conference’s superiority, and ends with egg all over Chris Fowler’s face.

This would not only validate the critics’ points of view, but humiliate and embarrass those caught with ulterior motives. It would also raise the possibility that next year’s rankings might start out a little more realistic than in years past… and in FY15, that improved objectivity would further benefit teams like Ohio State that are positioning themselves for a real championship run.

With their win over Michigan State in East Lansing, Ohio State is now the only Big Ten team without a loss in conference play. Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin all remain at one loss in the Big Ten West, setting up what’s sure to be a hectic final three weeks of the regular season in the Big Ten.

Penn State 13, Indiana 7

Penn State got back in the win column for the first time in five tries with their victory in Bloomington. Indiana took the lead late in the second quarter when Mark Murphy intercepted Christian Hackenberg and returned it 47 yards for a score. The lead was short-lived however when Bill Belton took a handoff 92 yards to the house.

A pair of Sam Ficken field goals in the second half ended up being the difference as Penn State improved to 5-4 on the season while Indiana remained winless in conference play and fell to 3-6 overall. The Nittany Lions return home next weekend and will host Temple while Indiana will make a trip to Piscataway to take on Rutgers.

Minnesota 51, Iowa 14

Minnesota dominated Iowa in this rivalry game to take home the Floyd of Rosedale. Iowa scored the first touchdown of the game on their opening drive when Mark Weisman pounded the ball in from a yard out. After that, it was all Golden Gophers. Minnesota rolled off 51 straight points after the Weisman touchdown before Iowa got a late score with less than a minute to play.

Mitch Leidner was 10-13 passing for 138 yards but added four touchdowns, three of which went to Maxx Williams. The Golden Gophers held the Hawkeyes to just 205 yards of offense as they kept pace with one loss in the Big Ten West. Minnesota hosts Ohio State on Saturday while Iowa will go to Illinois for their final road game of the season.

Wisconsin 34, Purdue 16

Melvin Gordon added to his Heisman resume with another big game, this time rushing for 205 yards and a touchdown. Gordon also reeled in three passes from Joel Stave for 47 yards and another touchdown. Stave threw for a season-high 219 yards and two touchdowns.

Purdue struggled offensively, especially in the run game. The Boilermakers managed just 26 yards on the ground as they fell to 3-7 on the year. Wisconsin moved to 4-1 in the Big Ten, setting up a showdown at the top of the Big Ten West next week when they host Nebraska. Purdue has the week off before hosting Northwestern at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Michigan 10, Northwestern 9

Northwestern scored the potentially game-tying touchdown with three seconds left in the game but decided to go for two and the win and failed when Trevor Siemian slipped in the backfield. Siemian threw for 273 yards on the day and a touchdown to go with two interceptions. The Wildcats combined for -9 rushing yards on the day.

De’Veon Smith led the Wolverines to victory with 121 yards and the Wolverines’ only touchdown of the day. Devin Gardner had just 109 yards passing and was picked off twice in an offensive struggle. Northwestern will visit Notre Dame next weekend and the Wolverines have the week off to prepare for a visit from Maryland.

Ohio State 49, Michigan State 37

On Saturday night in East Lansing, the Buckeyes made a statement and got their revenge for Michigan State ripping away their national title chances last season. By doing so, Ohio State kept themselves in the playoff picture for this year. J.T. Barrett had one of his best games of the season against one of the best defenses in the country. The redshirt freshman threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns while running for 86 yards and two more scores.

Jeremy Langford had 137 yards and three touchdowns rushing. Connor Cook threw for 358 yards and two TDs but was just 25-45 passing the ball as the Spartans lost their first conference game of the season. Michigan State will look to rebound when they visit Maryland and the Buckeyes will go on the road again to play Minnesota.

Who do you think will take control of the Big Ten West when Wisconsin welcomes Nebraska to Camp Randall? Nebraska winning out until the Big Ten Championship Game would be the best-case scenario for Ohio State as they look to climb in the top four. Give us your prediction below!