This wasn’t the most promising weekend in the B1G. Our Week 6 grades reflect that.

There were some tremendous individual showings, but there weren’t many teams that put together great all-around performances. To put it kindly, this was a pretty bland weekend of B1G football.

Let’s go ahead and jump into this week’s report card.

B1G East

Michigan: B+

Really the only knock on Michigan comes with that sluggish start and the special teams lapse in the first quarter. It was an otherwise great outing for Jim Harbaugh and Co. The offense racked up 42 points thanks to a healthy dose of Shea Patterson through the air and Karan Higdon on the ground. The defense was virtually impenetrable, allowing 220 yards for the game.

Indiana: B-

Yeah, Indiana is getting a higher grade than Ohio State this week despite the final result. Why? Indiana doesn’t have the same talent as the Buckeyes, and still, it traded punches with the B1G’s best for three quarters. It was an admirable performance. Peyton Ramsey was pretty darn good too, throwing for 322 yards and three touchdowns for the Hoosiers.

Ohio State: C+

It’s the first report card the Buckeyes haven’t received an “A.” Ohio State looked like a team that knew it was better than Indiana, but thought it just needed to show up to win. That mentality seemed to get kicked out of Ohio State at halftime, as the it outscored the Hoosiers 21-6 in the final two quarters. This was definitely that “hangover” game.

Maryland: C-

The Terrapins were too one-dimensional against a defense as stout as Michigan. Kasim Hill threw just 10 passes in the game and proved to be ineffective throughout. And there were too many mental mistakes from Maryland. In fact, Maryland finished the game with more penalties (12) than first downs (11). You can’t have those issues if you’re trying to pull off an upset.

Michigan State: D

How can you hold an offense to eight rushing yards and still lose a football game? It seems almost impossible. Yet Michigan State found a way. The only reason the Spartans aren’t failing this week is because the defense shut down the run and forced some turnovers. The offense provided absolutely no help. Zero. Zilch.

Rutgers: F

Nothing is getting better in Piscataway. Rutgers just lost to a team that hadn’t won a B1G game in 700 days. By three touchdowns. It doesn’t help that the Scarlet Knights had 105 penalty yards and three turnovers in the loss either.

Penn State: Incomplete

The Nittany Lions were on the bye week. They’ll take on Michigan State next Saturday.

B1G West

Northwestern: A-

Clayton Thorson has just owned Michigan State over the last three seasons. He had 373 yards and three touchdowns in Northwestern’s 29-19 win this year. Now, the Wildcats have games against Nebraska and Rutgers coming up before battling Wisconsin. Could Saturday’s upset victory spark a winning streak?

Iowa: A-

Welcome back, Nate Stanley. Iowa’s passing attack was outstanding as the junior quarterback tossed four touchdown passes in the win. If the Hawkeyes have figured something out offensively, B1G beware. Saturday was, by far, the best offensive performance of the season for Kirk Ferentz’s bunch.

Illinois: B+

The Illini ended a 13-game B1G losing streak. That alone deserves a high mark. Doing it on the road while registering 330 rushing yards adds a little something to the win. I know, I know, it’s Rutgers. Still, this is a team that hadn’t won a conference game since 2016. Let’s give them some credit.

Wisconsin: B-

Everything was working offensively. Jonathan Taylor had his fifth career 200-yard performance and Alex Hornibrook threw for 163 yards and a score. Nebraska was no match. But the Badgers gave up 500 yards of offense against Adrian Martinez and the Huskers. That’s just a tad bit concerning moving forward.

Nebraska: C-

Speaking of Nebraska, there are a lot of really good offensive performances being wasted because of bad defense and mental mistakes. Martinez threw for over 300 yards and JD Spielman had 209 yards receiving. But 100 yards in penalties and the inability to stop the run was too much to overcome.

Minnesota: D

Injuries to key positions have really changed Minnesota’s dynamic. Without Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota’s secondary is vulnerable. Without Rodney Smith, the rushing attack isn’t as explosive. The Gophers have really struggled over the last two weeks. That may continue for the rest of the season.

Purdue: Incomplete

The Boilermakers were on a bye week. They’ll take on Illinois next Saturday.

Hall Passes

Wisconsin offense: Over 300 rushing yards for the Badgers and another night of adding 40-plus points to the scoreboard. Yes, it came against a bad Nebraska defense, but it sure is fun to see Jonathan Taylor run the football when he’s in the zone.

Illinois offense: The Illini had two players rush for over 100 yards as Reggie Corbin and A.J. Bush Jr. both hit the century mark. That’s a really nice accomplishment for the Illini, even if it is against the worst rush defense in the country.

Iowa offense: It was difficult for Iowa to find the end zone early this season. Scoring nearly 50 points in a single game seemed like a pretty far-fetched expectation for this offense. But Stanley and the Hawkeyes got it done.

Northwestern defense: It was as close to a must-win situation as it comes for Northwestern, and the defense showed up. The Wildcats came up with key stops, allowed just 96 rushing yards and 19 points in a huge win over Michigan State.

Detention

Michigan State offense: The Spartans’ offense may just live in detention for the rest of the year. Or at least the offensive line.

Maryland offense: Yes, Maryland was up against one of the toughest defenses in the country. But Matt Canada couldn’t formulate anything to throw off Don Brown, at least a little bit? Even with a week off?

Nebraska defense: Probably don’t need much of an explanation here. It’s been the same story through the first six weeks of the season.

Minnesota defense: Iowa’s highest point total was 38 and it came against FCS foe Northern Iowa. The Gophers allowed the Hawkeyes to score 48 on Saturday. Not good.