Big Ten Game Balls for the Week 12 slate are ready to be handed out!

It was another fun and wild week in the league, and we almost saw the No. 1 team in the country come crashing down! Of course, “almost” doesn’t count, and Oregon found a way to rally and do just enough to get out of Madison with another win.

Elsewhere around the conference, Ohio State and Penn State continued to look like true Playoff and national title contenders with impressive wins vs. Northwestern and Purdue, respectively. Illinois was also a big winner to get back on the right track with win No. 7 and 2 games to play.

The final stretch of the season is upon us, and Thanksgiving and Rivalry Week is right around the corner. It should be an epic conclusion with the new expanded Playoff in store.

With that in mind, let’s get to the B1G Game Balls:

UCLA at Washington

  • UCLA: QB Ethan Garbers. The Bruin QB did what he could to keep the team in this one, considering he was running for his life most of the night. Washington kept Garbers from being a regular threat with his legs, but he still managed to go 27-for-44 passing for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns.
  • Washington: Edge Russell Davis II. Washington has missed Davis’ presence for most of the year after an injury in training camp. However, he reminded everyone what he is capable of against UCLA. Davis led the Husky defense with 3 sacks as the unit racked up 6 total and 9 TFLs in a win over the Bruins to get to bowl eligibility.

Ohio State at Northwestern (Wrigley Field)

  • Ohio State: WR Carnell Tate. Other Buckeyes will dominate the headlines this season, but Tate is a bona fide future NFL receiver. It was also a special moment as he returned to his hometown in Chicago for his first game with multiple touchdowns. Tate finished with 4 catches for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns, and his scores were important in giving Ohio State a cushion.
  • Northwestern: QB Jack Lausch. It felt like Lausch and the Wildcats had Ohio State’s number early on, and it’s worth wondering if the entire landscape of the game is different if he doesn’t fumble early on. Even with that miscue, Lausch was 21-for-35 for 201 yards with a completion to 8 different Wildcats and a rushing touchdown.

Michigan State at Illinois

  • Michigan State: QB Aidan Chiles. There are still plenty of areas where Chiles needs to improve moving forward. But he did not have a single turnover in this one, all while running for his life throughout the 2nd half. The Spartans could not generate enough offense late, but Chiles looked like one of the best players on the field for extended stretches.
  • Illinois: LB Seth Coleman. The Illinois offense did return to form against MSU, but it was the Illini defense that kept this one from being close at the end. Illinois finished with 5 sacks of Aidan Chiles, an important number without a takeaway, and Coleman led the team with 2 sacks.

Penn State at Purdue

  • Penn State: TE Tyler Warren. It’s not often you get a TE as the focal point of an offense, but that is the case for the Nittany Lions. Warren was Penn State’s leading rusher and leading receiver with 2 total touchdowns in the major blowout.
  • Purdue: TE Max Klare. Why not roll with the double TE game balls? After all, Klare was Purdue’s leading receiver with 7 catches for 91 yards and he was the only Boilermaker to find the end zone. No other Purdue player had more than 2 catches. Considering the way the defense looked, this feels deserving.

Nebraska at USC

  •  Nebraska: DB Ceyair Wright. This one meant a little something extra for Wright as a former Trojan himself. He delivered in his LA homecoming with a pick-6 for Nebraska and also blocked a field goal. The Husker offense could not support the effort but it had to feel good for Wright.
  • USC: QB Jayden Maiava. The performance of Maiava was not flawless by any means. But in his first start for USC, Maiava recorded 4 total touchdowns, and he engineered the 13-play, 84-yard drive in the 4th quarter to eat clock and make this one an 8-point game. It’s the kind of late-game drive that has been missing for USC this season.

Rutgers at Maryland

  • Rutgers: RB Kyle Monangai. After missing last week’s game vs. Minnesota, Monangai returned with 97 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns against Maryland. Though he finished just shy of 100 rushing yards, a 3-yard catch brought his total offense to an even 100 as the Scarlet Knights punched their bowl ticket.
  • Maryland: RB Roman Hemby. It hasn’t been an easy year for Hemby, but he posted one of his most productive games of the year with 87 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He added 59 yards on 5 catches in the receiving game, bringing Hemby’s total up to 146 yards of offense in the loss.

Oregon at Wisconsin

  • Oregon: DE Matayo Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei has been massive for Oregon this season, especially stepping up with Jordan Burch juggling multiple injury absences. Burch was once again sidelined after an injury vs. Maryland, and Uiagalelei was all over the place vs. Wisconsin. He entered the weekend 3rd in the B1G with 7 sacks, and he added another to go with 5 tackles and a game-ending interception vs. Wisconsin.
  • Wisconsin: CB Nyzier Fourqurean. Wisconsin’s defense kept the Badgers in the game, and Fourqurean finished 3rd on the Badgers with 7 tackles, a TFL and a pass breakup. He also recorded a red-zone interception off Dillon Gabriel early in this one. The Badger offense could not muster enough late in the game, but the defense had the team on the doorstep of the upset.