In a week of Big Ten football that seemed predictable, many games went in a totally different direction. Minnesota fumbled away a fifth road loss this week versus Northwestern. Penn State and Wisconsin both returned to prime form and blew out their opponents. USC, as many expected, took a humbling defeat at the hands of rival Oregon.
Here are the scores from this weekend in Big Ten football for Week 13, along with my analysis for each team:
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Ohio State 42-9 vs Rutgers
The Buckeyes continue to cruise this season through opponents, but this upcoming week will be their first test since Week 1, when they played Texas. The run game is turning it around at the right time, as Bo Jackson has had 3 100-yard rushing performances in the last 4 games. They may need both the passing attack and the run game to be on point versus rival Michigan this week.
Northwestern 38-35 vs Minnesota
An average Northwestern offense was able to score at will against Minnesota. The road woes continue for the Gophers as they now move to 0-5 on the road. If only this team could just play games on the road. The Gophers’ defense is just not good enough for football games. This defense has given up over 450 total yards for a third straight game. No lead is safe with this defense. Preston Stone looked like Julian Sayin. Another disappointing season for the Gophers.
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Oregon 42-27 vs USC
Oregon followed the same blueprint that opponents who have taken the Trojans down used. Oregon did not play its best game; it had many starters out in this game, and it still displayed that they are one of the best teams in the country, dominating the Trojans. USC displayed that it is still a ways away from being a College Football Playoff team. However, the Trojans are trending in the right direction.
Iowa 20-17 vs Michigan State
Michigan State came out of the gates hot against Iowa, going up 17-7, but this is a team that still does not know how to finish games, and they let another game slip away. Mark Gronowski secured another win with his late-game heroics. This was not the impressive win by the Hawkeyes, but these are usually the games they consistently pull out.
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Michigan 45-20 vs Maryland
Michigan got a nice win, and they dominated the Terrapins. Without Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, this run game still had their way as Bryson Kuzdal ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns. Bryce Underwood was the superior freshman starting quarterback in this game, playing a clean game and putting up more efficient production than Malik Washington. The Wolverines can not enjoy this win too much, as now it is time to prepare for the game of the year and another matchup versus rival Ohio State.
Penn State 37-10 vs Nebraska
Fans were chanting Terry Smith’s name, and he led Penn State to another win. This time around, this was a convincing 37-10 blowout victory versus Nebraska. This team wants Terry Smith as their head coach, and their play showed that for a second week. Minus Notre Dame, Penn State has the best running back duo in the country. Kaytron Allen ran for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns as Nicholas Singleton ran for 44 yards and chipped in 2 touchdowns too. This is a different Penn State team, and with this win, things should be trending in the direction of Terry Smith keeping this job.
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Wisconsin 27-10 vs Illinois
What a turnaround for Wisconsin, going from their fans booing the team, to this weekend, the fans rushing the field after getting a big upset. As ironic as it is, the better football team won this game. The Badgers’ defense has been good all season, and it is really hitting its stride as of late. The Badgers dominated the ground and Darrion Dupree was huge with his 131 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns,. This team needs a quarterback and they could be a dangerous team. Illinois, what a revealing loss for them.
Washington 48-14 UCLA
UCLA is officially back to being one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. They stood no chance against Washington. The Huskies roll on the road surprisingly and are gearing up to take on the 10-1 Oregon Ducks and potentially play spoiler.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Biggest winners and losers from Week 13 in Big Ten football
