By: Dakota Isgrigg | November 30th | @dakota_isgrigg | @BoilerInTexas

Another week down and the Big Ten West race is now far from over, for a couple teams at least.

Nebraska (1-4) 20 @ Iowa (4-2) 26

Rivals go at it again as Nebraska was looking to break the current 5-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes. What ensued was a hard fought game from both sides but Iowa comes out on top.

It was a game of runs as the Hawkeyes took a 10-0 lead through the first 15 minutes before the Cornhuskers pulled it even at 13-all at halftime. Iowa got a bit of a balanced offensive attack as they got one touchdown on the ground and one through the air. Spencer Petras is still growing into the quarterback role as he finished 18-30 for 193 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 pick as well. On the ground, Tyler Goodson got the bulk of the carries tallying 111 yards on the day. The rushing touchdown goes to Mekhi Sargent. The receiving corp had a quiet day with no one crossing 50 yards and the lone receiving touchdown was caught by Tyrone Tracy Jr from 6-yards out. The real scoring for Iowa came on special teams as Keith Duncan goes 4-5 on the day kicking with a long of 48-yards. His final two field goals give Iowa the final margin.

Nebraska once again comes up short this season as Scott Frost turned back to Adrian Martinez in this one who actually had a decent day although not great. Martinez finished 18-20 passing for 174 yards but no touchdowns thrown. The two touchdowns for the Cornhuskers came on the ground by Martinez and Rahmir Johnson. Through the air, even though there were no scores, Wan’Dale Robinson caught 9 passes for 75 yards with no one else crossing 31 yards receiving. It was an offensively challenged night for both teams as it came down to a costly turnover by Martinez that sealed the deal for Iowa. On the last drive of the game for Nebraska, Martinez dropped back to pass before being tackled from behind, losing the ball in the process as it fell into the hands of Zach VanValkenburg effectively ending the game as Iowa ran out the clock from there. Nebraska falls to 1-4 on the year in brutal fashion.

Up Next:

Nebraska: @Purdue

Iowa: @Illinois

Maryland (2-2) 11 @ #12 Indiana (5-1) 27

Indiana faced off against an overmatched Maryland squad and came out on top.

Maryland continues to try and figure out their identity in 2020 as the offense struggled with consistency as QB Taulia Tagovailoa threw three picks on the day that put a damper on their performance. While Taulia did throw 3 INT’s he did finish with 241 yards passing and a TD as well. The Terps struggled on the ground as they finished with only 59 yards total and no scores. Dontay Demus Jr. had himself a day finishing with 114 yards receiving on 6 catches as well as the lone passing touchdown. Maryland struggled to stop the Hoosiers on the ground even after the injury to Penix Jr for IU.

Indiana won this game, but depending on the status of starting QB Michael Penix Jr., who left the game in the 3rd quarter and did not return. With Penix out, the Hoosiers leaned on the run as they finished with 234 yards on the ground and 3 scores. Tim Baldwin Jr. led the way rushing for 106 yards, but it was Stevie Scott III who finished with 80 yards and all 3 touchdowns. The Hoosiers move to 5-1 on the season, but I’m sure all fans will be thinking of the health of their starting QB. If Penix can’t go, the Hoosiers will have some question marks moving forward towards the end of this successful season.

Up Next:

Maryland: @Michigan

Indiana: @Wisconsin

Penn State (1-5) 27 @ Michigan (2-4) 17

In the game of the week, the struggling Penn State Nittany Lions and the also struggling Michigan Wolverines met in the Big House in a classic, “Someone has to win this game!”.

Penn State! You finally did the thing! I feel like some of these lines could be recycled from my writeup after the Penn State-Nebraska game. Penn State avoids going 0-6 on this 8 game season against a Michigan squad that is also, somehow, struggling mightily. That being said, this was definitely not a great game. Sean Clifford struggled mightily finishing 17-28 for 163 yards and no touchdowns through the air. The real success came on the ground as they pounded the ball to the tune of 254 yards and 3 scores rushing. Keyvone Lee had 134 yards and a score, Clifford finished with 73 yards and a score, and then Will Levis had the 3rd. Overall they finished with over 400 yards of total offense and the defense held Michigan to under 300 on the game. But, no matter which way you look at the numbers, Penn State comes out with their first win on the season.

Michigan…. had a starting QB (Cade McNamara) who threw for under 100 yards. A receiver (Ronnie Bell) who finished with only 40 yards. The lone bright spot was Hassan Haskins who ran for 101 yards and the two lone touchdowns for the Wolverines. The offense struggled all game long. The defense couldn’t stop a toddler from gashing them on the ground. Whatever is happening in Ann Arbor this year has many fans asking questions I’m sure the administration is already crunching numbers on…

Up Next:

Penn State: @Rutgers

Michigan: Maryland

#8 Northwestern (5-1) 20 @ Michigan State (2-3) 29

This was not assumed to be a game to keep an eye on going into the weekend. That said, this does add some intrigue in the Big Ten West race.

Northwestern, did you overlook the Spartans coming off a big win over Wisconsin? It sure seems like you did. Peyton Ramsey struggled throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns on the day. They also struggled on the ground as the Spartans kept them in check all game. Drake Anderson led the way with 41 yards on 10 attempts. They did get 3 scores on the ground from Cam Porter, Kalon Gervin, and Peyton Ramsey capped it off. This was an instance where we see Northwestern’s offense struggle to play from behind. MSU went into halftime up 17-6 and that forced Northwestern to play with a bit more urgency and the offense wasn’t up to snuff. Northwestern drops a game for the first time all year and they will look to bounce back in Minneapolis next week.

Michigan State seems to only beat teams that would shakeup the college football world for a week. They beat Michigan in week 2 to shock the nation, before Michigan really fell off, and now an undefeated Northwestern team that seemed to be marching through their schedule. QB Rocky Lombardi had a solid day finishing with 167 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. On the ground, Connor Heyword almost reached the century mark for the game. The same can be said for WR Jalen Nailor who finished with 99 yards receiving and a score. Jayden Reed also scored through the air to cap the touchdowns on the day. Once again the Spartans shake up the football world with an impressive win over Northwestern.

Up Next:

Northwestern: @Minnesota

Michigan State: Ohio State

Rutgers (2-4) 37 @ Purdue (2-3) 30

This is where I will give Rutgers the credit they deserve. They came into West Lafayette and outplayed the Boilers across 60 minutes. They took the Boilers’ best shot and hit back harder. Rutgers won this game as much as Purdue lost this game. A tip of the cap to Greg Schiano as they came into Ross-Ade and won this game.

You can read my preferred thoughts on some Purdue fans on the internet as a whole: HERE

I hope you all read that and come to the same conclusion that I did. On to Nebraska. (and Purdue Basketball on Tuesday!)

Up Next:

Rutgers: Penn State

Purdue: Nebraska

#4 Ohio State (4-0) @ Illinois (2-3) &

Minnesota (2-3) @ #16 Wisconsin (2-1)

Cancelled because of COVID.

Up Next:

Ohio State: @Michigan State

Illinois: Iowa

Minnesota: Northwestern

Wisconsin: Indiana