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1 takeaway from every B1G team in Week 4

Ryan O'Gara

By Ryan O'Gara

Published:

It was another eventful week in the Big Ten. There were wild finishes (hello, Michigan State), players quitting mid-game and an upset to MAC school. Here is 1 takeaway from each team:

Wisconsin — It’s time to bench Graham Mertz

What other takeaway is there after a day on which Wisconsin’s defense was once again outstanding in the 41-13 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame? The Irish had 242 total yards and got sacked 6 times, but they won by 28 because Mertz threw 4 interceptions. Two of those were returned for TDs, while the other 2 led to 10 points. No team can win like that. Mertz has now completed just 56.8 percent of his passes for 1 TD and 6 INTs. He is averaging a putrid 5.9 yards per attempt.

Michigan — The Wolverines can be effective through the air

I’m sure Michigan fans are somewhat freaking out by that second-half performance in which the Wolverines got just 2 first downs (1 of which was via penalty) and no points in the 20-13 win over Rutgers. But on a day when Michigan’s elite rushing attack struggled, Cade McNamara still did some damage through the air, averaging 10.2 yards per attempt. He only threw it 16 times, but at least he was efficient when he did. McNamara being a threat will be key for No. 19 Michigan (4-0) moving forward.

Ohio State — Not the most cohesive group right now

We’re used to everything being perfect for Ohio State in the Ryan Day era, at least relative to the competition in the Big Ten. That’s why it’s been a little shocking to see some dissension in Buckeye Land, especially during the 59-7 win over Akron. Linebacker K’Vaughn Pope appeared to quit during the middle of the game. According to reports, he was upset about not rotating in and got into a heated altercation with several coaches on the sideline, tossed his gloves into the crowd and was escorted into the locker room. Then, he tweeted this:

So yeah, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in Columbus. This comes after fellow linebacker Dallas Gant entered the transfer portal earlier this week. Both were considered potential starters during the spring. That’s been Ohio State’s weakest position thus far, so losing depth there is not good. Gant played 41 snaps in the opener against Minnesota, and Pope played 24 in last week’s nail-biter against Tulsa.

Iowa — The Hawkeyes can’t just run to a Big Ten title

Iowa is in prime position to win the West and potentially reach the College Football Playoff. But it won’t get there just by running the ball, because the run game isn’t good enough. The Hawkeyes produced just 54 rushing yards in their 24-14 win over Colorado State (the same team that lost to Vandy). Tyler Goodson had just 57 yards on 18 carries. Fortunately for Iowa, Spencer Petras made some terrific throws, notably to Keagan Johnson.

Michigan State — Jayden Reed is a star

The former Western Michigan transfer had his moments last year for the Spartans, but he has taken it to another level this season — and he did so again in primetime against Nebraska. He caught a 35-yard TD pass in the second quarter to open the scoring, but it was his 62-yard punt return that allowed the Spartans to reach overtime and eventually beat Nebraska 23-20. He has game-breaking ability similar to Penn State’s Jahan Dotson. Just electric.

Penn State — The Nittany Lions have a legit No. 2 weapon

Parker Washington has shown glimpses, but the sophomore wideout had his big breakout in the 38-17 win over Villanova, going for 148 yards and 2 TDs on 5 catches. Penn State needs a secondary weapon to Jahan Dotson, and Washington is a welcome candidate. He needs to do it against Big Ten defenses, but still, good for Washington.

Northwestern — Evan Hull gives the Wildcats hope

Northwestern may have the worst offense in the Big Ten. Losing stud RB Cam Porter in the preseason didn’t help. But Evan Hull’s emergence in his absence has been a bright spot. In the 35-6 win over Ohio, he ran for 216 yards and 2 TDs on 22 rushing attempts. He has averaged at least 4.9 yards per rush in all 4 games this season.

Maryland — Terps are locked in

What else can you say at this point? With a showdown with fellow unbeaten Iowa looming, Maryland rolled Kent State 37-16 behind 384 passing yards and 3 TDs from Taulia Tagovailoa. Think beating MAC teams is automatic? It isn’t, ask Minnesota.

Nebraska — Defense continues to excel; as for the rest of the team …

Nebraska’s defense has been terrific this season, and it was again in limiting a Michigan State team averaging over 520 yards to just 245. The Huskers held the country’s leading rusher, Kenneth Walker III, to just 61 yards on 19 carries. If Scott Frost could get an offensive attack to match this defense, then Nebraska would have something. But as usual, Nebraska wasn’t great on the ground aside from QB Adrian Martinez, who ran for 2 scores.

Purdue — The Boilermakers can win with … defense?

It’s admittedly really strange to see Purdue win a defensive slugfest like the 13-9 victory over Illinois. Just about every other B1G team can win a low-scoring affair, but the Boilermakers hadn’t won a game in which they scored 13 points or fewer since scoring 9 against Michigan on Nov. 9, 1996. Illinois isn’t Alabama or anything, but the Illini had scored 30 or more in 2 of 4 games this season. On a day when David Bell didn’t play due to a concussion vs. Notre Dame, Purdue will surely take it. Will Aidan O’Connell replace Jack Plummer permanently? He has come in in relief in back-to-back games, this time leading the comeback.

Indiana — Michael Penix Jr. isn’t losing the job for now

The Indiana QB had been the most disappointing player in the Big Ten, but he played much better in the 33-31 win at Western Kentucky. He threw for 373 yards on 35-of-53 passing. Most importantly, he didn’t throw an INT after 6 in 3 games to start the season. With Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State up next, this is a nice confidence boost. Same goes for his trusty WR Ty Fryfogle, who has battled drops this season but came up with 98 yards on 10 receptions Saturday.

Rutgers — The undefeated start was no fluke

Rutgers did what it has all season — play great defense, take care of the ball (until the final possession) and grind. Despite the 20-13 loss at No. 19 Michigan, the Scarlet Knights should be encouraged that they held the nation’s No. 1 rushing attack to 112 yards. Rutgers had more yards (352 to 275), more first downs (21 to 16), converted more on third down (44 percent to 36 percent), allowed fewer sacks (0 to 1) and had fewer penalty yards (42 to 59). The Scarlet Knights (3-1) came up a little short on the scoreboard, but there’s a lot to love here.

Minnesota — Tanner Morgan’s struggles put team in tough spot

It’s hard to be one-dimensional and win — even against a MAC program like Bowling Green. The Golden Gophers’ 14-10 loss as 31-point favorites was embarrassing enough, but even more so considering Tanner Morgan was 5-of-13 for 59 yards and 2 INTs, averaging a meager 4.5 yards per attempt. Remember when Morgan was one of the best QBs in the country in 2019?

Illinois — Lack of aggressiveness hurt Illini

Bret Bielema has said he has evolved as a coach, but the analytics crowd won’t like his decision in the fourth quarter in the 13-9 loss to Purdue. Facing fourth-and-2 from the Purdue 34 with a 9-6 lead, he elected to punt rather than go for it or attempt a 51-yard field goal. Purdue drove 94 yards for the game-winning score. Bielema said he would make the call “100 times over.” Clearly though, it was the wrong call on this day.

Ryan O'Gara

Ryan O'Gara is the lead columnist for Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGara.