10 B1G games from the 2019 season you should absolutely go back and watch
Staying indoors and finding activities to keep you occupied might be difficult to come by over the next few days and weeks. And, if you’re a sports fan, it can be even more troublesome with the world of competition essentially shut down.
So, for B1G football fans, there may not be a better way to pass the time than by binge-watching some of last season’s games. And, well, maybe even from previous years, as well.
And there should be plenty of places to watch these games: YouTube, Big Ten Network, previously recorded on your home cable device, etc.
To help get you started, I created a list of the 10 games that every B1G fan should re-watch from the 2019 season. There is just one caveat I’ve incorporated into this list — they’re all conference games. Non-conference matchups and bowl games were not included.
Narrowing the list down to 10 was tough enough, so including those matchups might make it impossible.
Here’s a look at 10 games B1G fans should go back and watch while at home — and yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to watch as many as possible once you get through the top 10:
10. Indiana vs. Michigan State (Sept. 28)
Quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Brian Lewerke both played outstanding in this September conference showdown, but it was the wide receivers who stood out most. IU’s Whop Philyor ended the game with 14 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns while MSU’s Darrell Stewart totaled five receptions for 117 yards and two scores.
The game was tied at 31-31 with two minutes to play until Michigan State ripped off a 75-yard drive in five plays to set Matt Coghlin up with a game-winning field goal attempt to lift the Spartans to 4-1 on the season and dropped Indiana to 3-2.
Ironically, Michigan State lost its next five games while Indiana won the next four contests.
9. Michigan vs. Penn State (Oct. 19)
You might be able to get away with just watching the second half of this one, but it’s fascinating to see how much better Michigan played after the first 30 minutes. Penn State jumped out to an early 21-0 lead and everyone was ready to bury Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines.
At halftime, though, Harbaugh made the comment that the second half would be Michigan’s “finest hour,” and running back Zach Charbonnet was able to help the Wolverines claw their way out of the cellar to make for an entertaining two quarters.
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford had one of the best outings of his season, throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for one more in the Nittany Lions’ victory.
8. Indiana vs. Purdue (Nov. 30)
A basketball game nearly broke out on the Ross-Ade Stadium turf in the season finale between the two rivals — which only seems appropriate in Indiana.
The two teams combined for over 1,000 yards and 85 points in the annual battle for the Old Oaken Bucket. It was the first time Tom Allen was able to win the rivalry game against Purdue since taking over as head coach at Indiana in 2017 and helped the Hoosiers clinch an eighth win, it’s highest victory total in decades.
This double-overtime thriller was filled with plenty of outstanding catches, suspenseful moments and all the drama you’d want in a rivalry game.
7. Penn State vs. Ohio State (Nov. 23)
A big third quarter from Penn State made this game a lot more interesting than it otherwise would have been. The Buckeyes certainly weren’t running away with this one like they did so many in 2019, but after building a 21-0 advantage, it looked Ryan Day and company would be able to put it on cruise control.
That wasn’t the case. Back-to-back turnovers by Ohio State in Penn State territory allowed the Nittany Lions to mount a bit of a comeback, closing the gap to 21-17 in the third quarter. Eventually, the Buckeyes pulled away, but it was easily the most challenging game of the regular season for OSU.
It was also the first time Justin Fields came down to earth a bit, fumbling the football three times in the contest. J.K. Dobbins was a workhorse for the Bucks, totaling 157 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries.
6. Iowa vs. Nebraska (Nov. 29)
So you like a little drama with your rivalry game? How about a game-winning kick from Keith Duncan to give Iowa its fifth-straight victory over Nebraska in the final game of the season. Oh, and that field goal prevented the Huskers from reaching a bowl game for a third-straight season.
This rivalry game in Lincoln wasn’t the most visually pleasing to watch, outside of some early fireworks from Iowa’s Ihmir Smith-Marsette, but Nebraska really made things interesting in the third quarter, scoring 14 points to create a 24-24 tie entering the fourth quarter.
But for the second-straight year, Iowa defeated Nebraska on a late field goal.
5. Wisconsin vs. Ohio State (B1G Championship, Dec. 7)
When the two teams went into the locker room, there was a really curiosity about whether or not Wisconsin would be able to steal Ohio State’s bid to the College Football Playoff. In the rematch from an October drubbing, the Badgers appeared to have the answer to the mighty Buckeyes.
Out of the locker room, though, Ohio State flexed its muscle and showed why it was the best team in the B1G, and one of the most talented in the country.
Jonathan Taylor was outstanding in the first half, but was silenced in the final two quarters. Fields, even on one leg, threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns and Dobbins racked up 172 yards on the ground.
It was really the tale of two halves, and created an incredibly entertaining finish to the B1G season.
4. Minnesota vs. Iowa (Nov. 16)
Floyd of Rosedale’s residence in Iowa City for another year was the difference between Minnesota playing in the B1G Championship Game and falling one win short of the division title. The Hawkeyes were more than happy to deliver that blow.
A week after defeating Penn State, Minnesota entered Kinnick Stadium with a perfect 9-0 record and a chance to get into contention for one of the four College Football Playoff spots. Iowa had other ideas, coming out of the gates firing.
Minnesota’s prolific offense was shut down for most of the game. A.J. Epenesa and Joe Evans had no trouble getting to quarterback Tanner Morgan, combining for four sacks in the game. The Gophers had a chance to fuel a late-game drive to try and knock off Iowa, but came up short in an exciting November rivalry bout.
3. Illinois vs. Michigan State (Nov. 9)
One of the biggest come-from-behind wins of the college football season belongs to Illinois. In the midst of a four-game winning streak, the Illini did the unthinkable, overcoming a 25-point deficit to defeat Michigan State in East Lansing.
To make it even better — well for Illinois — it was the first time the program clinched bowl eligibility since 2014. Understandably, Lovie Smith and players celebrated on the field, in the locker room and probably the entire way back to Champaign.
Illinois trailed 28-3 in the first half, but a Hail Mary heave from Brandon Peters to Josh Imatorbhebhe provided the Illini with some momentum heading into halftime. Even though Michigan State led 31-10 entering the fourth quarter, there was enough fuel left in the Illinois arsenal to fuel a 27-point quarter, posting an astonishing victory.
Imatorbhebhe finished the game with four catches, but totaled 178 yards and scored two touchdowns. Peters had 369 yards and three touchdown tosses to his name.
2. Penn State vs. Minnesota (Nov. 9)
Minnesota put itself on the map in early November. As much grief as it had grabbed from the national media about a lightweight schedule, it was finally able to prove a point against one of the big boys.
Both Minnesota and Penn State entered the game undefeated, meaning this game held B1G and College Football Playoff implications. At the time, it was arguably the biggest game of the conference’s season, with so many key matchups coming even later in the year.
The Gophers answered the call, picking apart the Penn State defense. Tanner Morgan had the game of a lifetime, completing 18-of-20 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Still, Penn State had a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter, but an interception secured the win for P.J. Fleck’s bunch. Fittingly, it ended with a memorable storming of the field from Gophers students and fans.
1. Wisconsin vs. Illinois (Oct. 19)
Talk about shocking the world. Even though Illinois made a bowl game in 2019, this was considered the upset of the college football season.
Illinois entered the game as a 30.5-point underdog in the game and gave the Badgers an incredibly tough fight. It was pretty clear early that Wisconsin wasn’t going to run away with this one — despite Taylor’s best efforts. But, given recent history, it wasn’t until the very end when people started believing Smith might be the mastermind behind the biggest upset of the year.
Back-to-back turnovers — a fumble and an interception — helped Illinois get 10 points in the fourth quarter, enough for the Illini to overcome a 23-14 deficit in the final 15 minutes of the contest. A 39-yard James McCourt field goal sealed the victory as time expired.
It was easily the greatest win of Smith’s tenure at Illinois, and arguably the single-most important victory for the program in a decade.