10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to in the Big Ten after Week 9

It’s the Big Ten, so you’ve come to expect it, but it was another weekend full of craziness around the conference. The wacky Big Ten West took a huge turn on Saturday, and suddenly it’s Northwestern alone at the top in the division after Wisconsin, Iowa and Purdue all lost.

We also have a new hero in East Lansing, and a few people who stood up when they needed to.

Here are 10 things I’m absolutely overreacting to after Week 9:

1. With a name like Rocky Lombardi, you’ve got to be a winner

Mark Dantonio gave sophomore Rocky Lombardi his first career start Saturday against Purdue, and he didn’t coddle his rookie. He threw him into the fire, literally. Lombardi, subbing for the injured Brian Lewerke, was 26-for-46 passing for 314 yards and two touchdowns, and no one would have ever guessed that a game plan would call for 46 passes with a rookie at the controls. Lombardi played great. He found open receivers and spread the ball around, with five different guys catching three passes or more. Bravo!

2. Mark Dantonio finds a way when we least expect it

I should know better than to question Mark Dantonio after all these years. I didn’t think the Spartans had a chance against Purdue, not with all those injuries. A new quarterback, no big-time receivers and an opponent on a roll all spelled trouble to me. Instead, Dantonio dialed up the perfect game plan. They made Purdue QB David Blough uncomfortable all night and he let Lombardi play. That’s solid coaching right there.

3. Say hello to Northwestern, your Big Ten West leader

Northwestern’s 31-17 win over Wisconsin was huge and wildly impressive. It’s one thing to win, it’s another to complete dominate. Turnovers certainly helped, as was overcoming a lot of turnovers of their own. Winning games unimpressively doesn’t really matter in the end. A win is a win is a win. Freshman running back Isaiah Bowser had a second-straight big day, gaining 117 yards on 34 carries in his second career start. The Wildcats are leading the Big Ten West now by a game, with league games left against Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. Can they really do this?

4. Disappointing day for Jonathan Taylor and the Badgers

There were concerns that Wisconsin might be trouble Saturday with starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook missing the game because of a concussion and the defense without several injured starters. But one thing we’ve learned to never doubt was that running back Jonathan Taylor could be relied on. But Taylor had two fumbles and both turned into points for Northwestern. Taylor finished the day with just 46 yards on 11 carries, and didn’t have a single run over 10 yards. His streak of eight straight games over 100 yards has ended, and in a bad way.

5. Penn State’s defense makes plays when it matters

Penn State was in an early hole and staring at a third-straight home loss Saturday against Iowa. But then the defense took over and made sure the Nittany Lions got out of Happy Valley with a victory. Iowa’s offensive, which has averaging 37.7 points per game in its recent three-game winning streak, was held in check, for the most part. Iowa was held to 3.6 yards per carry and Hawkeyes quarterback Nate Stanley was out of sorts all night (See No. 7 below) because of Penn State’s pressure. It was a big win for a team that’s still kicking itself over its two narrow losses. The Lions really could still be unbeaten.

6. Purdue’s offense finally came crashing down to earth

It’s not the first time that Michigan State’s defense has embarrassed a high-powered offense. They’ve been doing that for years under Mark Dantonio. But they really had Purdue out of sorts on Saturday, and that was shocking because Purdue had been on fire for a month, practically scoring at will. That didn’t happen in the 27-13 loss to the Spartans. Purdue rushed for only 62 yards all day (a 2.7 yard average) and QB David Blough threw for fewer yards than Michigan State rookie starting his first game. Blough threw three interceptions with no touchdown passes in a tough loss. The table was set for Purdue to steal a game on the road, with the Spartans so banged up. They failed, miserably.

7. Another forgettable night for Iowa’s Nate Stanley

Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley was only 18-for-49 passing, with 205 yards and two interceptions, and it came at a very bad time. Once again controlling its own destiny in the Big Ten West, the Hawkeyes let an opportunity slip away. Stanley was not sharp, and it was very surprising. He missed open receivers often and struggled to find the right guys. The two interceptions were killers. Frankly, I was expecting so much more from Stanley on Saturday, and I never got it.

8. Nebraska makes something out of nothing

Playing a make-up game against an FCS team in mid-October doesn’t generate much excitement in most parts, but for rebuilding Nebraska, it was good just to get a win and feel good about it in the process. Beating Bethune-Cookman 45-9 doesn’t really mean much, but after that 0-6 start, it’s still fun to go out and win a game. Ohio State is next, so it’s right back to reality for Scott Frost and his boys.

9. Maryland keeps winning games, and smiling

For everything that Maryland’s players have gone through this season, it’s always nice to see them celebrate after a big win. The Terps thrashed Illinois 63-33 Saturday, with Javon Leake rushing for three touchdowns and also scoring on a 97-yard kickoff return, the first player to do since Georgia’s Todd Gurley in 2014. The Terps still have Michigan State, Indiana, Ohio State and Penn State on the schedule, so they still need to find one win in there to get to six wins. For all they’ve gone through, getting to a bowl game would be something special.

10. Indiana’s bowl chances just about gone

Speaking of bowl chances, Indiana’s took a big hit in the Friday night loss to Minnesota. It means that getting to six wins looks unlikely for Indiana right now. After the bye week, Maryland, Michigan and Purdue await on the schedule, and I just don’t see two wins there at all. Not now. That’s a disappointment for a team that was supposed to be on the rise this year.

Tom Brew

Tom Brew has been a recognized reporter in Big Ten sports for decades. Among other projects, he writes about Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.