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Week 11 B1G Game Balls
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It’s been awhile since we’ve had some clear-cut Game Ball winners who stand out from the rest of the pack. But, with so many lopsided outcomes this week, there was bound to be some separation.
For the past several weeks, we’ve seen about 20 candidates worthy of a Game Ball and we’ve had to make a few cuts. This time, that wasn’t really the case. There were still several tremendous stat lines, but it wasn’t quite as cluttered in Week 11.
Here are the Game Ball winners from Week 11 in the B1G.
Mike Weber, Ohio State RB – After suffering through nagging injuries and struggling to make an impact, Weber finally had his moment on Saturday against Michigan state. He rushed for a career-high 162 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s blowout win. And he did it all on just nine carries.
Tuf Borland, Ohio State LB – Stepping in for typical starters Jerome Baker and Dante Booker, Borland more than made up for the absence of his teammates. He finished the day with 11 tackles, two stops for loss and a sack as the Buckeyes defense stifled the Spartans offense.
Jared Sparks, Purdue QB/WR – He’s listed as a quarterback in the program but Sparks has been used as a receiver frequently this season. And while it didn’t result in a victory, the move made quite the impact against Northwestern. Sparks caught 11 passes for 130 yards against the Wildcats on Saturday. That has to be a record for a quarterback.
Bennett Skowronek, Northwestern WR – The Purdue-Northwestern game was apparently all about the receivers. Skowronek made an impressive touchdown grab late in the first half to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead heading into the locker room. He hauled in seven receptions for 117 yards and one score.
Jacob Robinson, Indiana DL – Robinson was spectacular for the Hoosiers and a nightmare for the Illinois offensive line. He posted a game-high 3.5 tackles for loss and two tackles to go along with seven stops on the afternoon. His effort helped Indiana get its first B1G win of the season.
Demry Croft, Minnesota QB – It’s starting to become apparent why P.J. Fleck likes the skill set Croft brings to the Minnesota offense. While he wasn’t overwhelming with his arm — 9-of-15 for 105 yards — the quarterback rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns as the Gophers cruised to a 54-21 win over Nebraska. Croft completely embarrassed the Huskers defense in Minneapolis.
J.D. Spielman, Nebraska WR – Not many bright spots for the Huskers in the loss to the Gophers, but the freshman receiver did have a terrific outing. He had nine catches for 141 yards for Nebraska. It wasn’t nearly enough to keep the Huskers in the game, though.
Chase Winovich, Michigan DL – Usually six tackles doesn’t get you a Game Ball. But four of those stops were tackles for loss, which is pretty impressive. Winovich has been a force on Michigan’s defensive line all season and Maryland had no answer for him on Saturday.
Josh Jackson, Iowa DB – Jackson was Iowa’s only form of offense against Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon in Madison. He recorded two interceptions in the game, returning both for touchdowns. That gives Jackson five picks in the last eight quarters of football. That’s pretty good. He also had three tackles and another pass break-up.
Jonathan Taylor, Wiscsonin RB – Here’s a surprise. The freshman continues to bulldoze through defenses on a weekly basis and he did it again, this time to a stout Hawkeyes front. He never reached the end zone, but he piled up 157 yards on 29 carries for the Badgers in the 38-14 victory.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB