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The B1G was able to avoid that “upset Saturday” that unpredictably strikes once a year and wreaks havoc on the B1G race and strains the College Football Playoff committee. At least it sidestepped it temporarily.
But Michigan State was able to pull off a significant upset last weekend, stunning then No. 7 Michigan in the Big House for a marquee win. It’s safe to say that Mark Dantonio and the Spartans are a key player in the conference again.
The B1G’s other three ranked teams — Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State — all cruised to victories this weekend.
It wasn’t just the conference’s elite that provided some interesting storylines as it pertains to bowl eligibility this week. Purdue’s late win over Minnesota, Brandon Snyder’s return to Iowa’s defense and Peyton Ramsey’s debut as Indiana’s starting quarterback are all noteworthy items after the weekend.
Here are some of the main notes from Week 6 in the B1G:
- Wisconsin isn’t going to have any problem running away with the West Division title. Literally, running away with it. Jonathan Taylor continued to impress against Nebraska on Saturday night, rushing for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Badgers 38-17 win over the Huskers. Nobody has been able to slow down the freshman running back yet and nobody is going to stand in Wisconsin’s way of another division title.
- It didn’t take long for Mark Dantonio to get Michigan State back on the right path. There were concerns after that 38-18 loss to Notre Dame a few weeks ago, but the Irish are actually a little better than anticipated. Who knew? The Spartans are 2-0 in the B1G after beating two quality opponents in Iowa and Michigan. Dantonio’s bunch may not be quite ready for an East title just yet, but don’t be surprised if they’re somewhere in the mix at the end of the season.
- Speaking of the Mitten State, Michigan has to figure something out offensively. The defense is playing at a championship level, but once again, the offense was a hindrance. The Wolverines are going to lose a couple more games if something isn’t figured out on that side of the ball soon.
- Purdue finally won a game while facing a little adversity. Four turnovers and a rough day running the football would’ve typically been a nail in the coffin for the Boilermakers. Instead, Jeff Brohm was able to rally his team and Purdue was able to come through in a clutch situation, beating Minnesota 31-17. That was an important win for the Boilers.
- After Michigan fell this weekend, all eyes are on that Penn State-Ohio State matchup on Oct. 28. Sure, there are a lot of things that still have to be played out, but those two teams appear to be head-and-shoulders above the competition in the conference. Assuming both teams take care of business over the next two weeks, we’ll have a frontrunner for the College Football Playoff after that contest.
- Keep an eye on Indiana in the B1G East. Yes, IU has already suffered big losses to Ohio State and Penn State, but Peyton Ramsey is the real deal. Making that switch at quarterback was a brilliant move by Tom Allen. The Hoosiers aren’t contenders in that division but they have the potential to win a lot more games this fall.
As we head towards the midway point of the college football season, one thing is for sure: this second half of the year is going to be really, really fun.
Here are the bowl projections after Week 6 action:
- Heart of Dallas Bowl: Indiana vs. UTSA
- Pinstripe Bowl: Iowa vs. Wake Forest
- Foster Farms Bowl: Northwestern vs. Stanford
- Holiday Bowl: Michigan vs. Oregon
- Music City Bowl: Minnesota vs. Florida
- Outback Bowl: Purdue vs. Kentucky
- Citrus Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas A&M
- Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. USC
- Orange Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Georgia
- College Football Playoff, Rose Bowl: (No. 3) Penn State vs. (No. 2) Clemson
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