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The season is winding down, and Indiana’s dream campaign came to a screeching halt.
Self-inflicted wounds did in the Hoosiers, who couldn’t get out of their own way in a 23-point loss to Ohio State at the Horseshoe. They may not be eliminated from College Football Playoff contention, but they may need some help from other teams.
Meanwhile, Penn State is still alive and well. And Nebraska will finally be in a bowl game again!
What’s in store for Week 14? Let’s take a look at the B1G’s biggest storylines …
The Game
We know anything and everything can happen in a rivalry game. But do we really think Michigan has a chance against Ohio State in Columbus?
The Buckeyes beat previously unbeaten Indiana 38-15 this past Saturday behind 2 passing touchdowns and a rushing score from Will Howard as well as a defense that sacked Kurtis Rourke 5 times and held the Hoosiers to season-lows for points and total yards. OSU took advantage of IU’s miscues, led 14-7 at the break and took control in the second half. The offensive line that was retooled due to injuries played very well. Now, a win over Michigan would put them back in the B1G championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines put together their best offensive performance of the season in a 50-6 rout of Northwestern in Ann Arbor this past weekend. Kalel Mullings ran for 92 yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns. Davis Warren had a career-high 26 completions for 195 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It was Michigan’s highest-scoring game since it had 52 points twice last season. But this Ohio State defense is a different animal; Indiana scored 42 against Northwestern and needed several pass interference calls to find the end zone twice against the Buckeyes. Can the Wolverines’ offense stay hot? It’s a tough ask.
Paul Bunyan’s Axe
Minnesota at Wisconsin (Friday): The Golden Gophers put forth one heck of an effort in their 26-25 home loss to Penn State this past weekend. They had a 10-0 lead and didn’t allow the Nittany Lions to score until Drew Allar connected with Omari Evans for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 10:48 left in the 2nd quarter. The Nittany Lions didn’t have their first lead until it was 23-22. Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer’s streak of 206 passes without an interception finally ended when he was picked off by Dominic DeLuca in the 2nd quarter. He also lost a fumble on the first play of the 4th quarter. Both turnovers set up field goals for Penn State.
The Gophers will hit the road to face a Badgers squad that fell to Nebraska 44-25 this past weekend. It was the Badgers’ first loss to the Cornhuskers in the past 11 meetings. Wisconsin dropped its 4th consecutive game one week after a near-upset of top-ranked Oregon. Quarterback Braedyn Locke was 20-of-30 for 292 yards and 3 touchdowns, but his 4th-quarter interception extended his streak of getting picked off at least once to 8 games. The Badgers need to beat Minnesota for Paul Bunyan’s Axe to avoid their first losing record since 2001 and an end to their 22-year bowl streak.
Pac-12 title game rematch
Washington travels to Oregon for a rematch of last year’s Pac-12 title game. The Ducks are coming off a bye, but the last time we saw them they survived a scare at Wisconsin. They were in a precarious situation, down 13-6 and facing 4th-and-9 from Wisconsin’s 41-yard line when the 4th quarter started. But Dillon Gabriel connected on a 15-yard completion to Terrance Ferguson, and the Ducks proceeded to dominate the 4th quarter. Expect a more focused Ducks team after the bye.
Meanwhile, the Huskies are also coming off a bye and potentially have a new starting quarterback. Demond Williams Jr. replaced starter Will Rogers and led 3 second-half scoring drives in a 31-19 win over UCLA in U-Dub’s last time out to clinch bowl eligibility. These teams simply don’t like each other, so we’ll see if Jedd Fisch’s squad is up to the challenge in Eugene.
Other notable B1G nuggets
Nebraska at Iowa (Friday): The Cornhuskers are riding high after becoming bowl eligible with their 44-25 win over Wisconsin this past weekend. Dylan Raiola threw for 293 yards and a touchdown on 28-of-38 passing, and Dante Dowdell ran for 3 scores to help snap a 4-game losing streak and beat the Badgers for the first time in 11 meetings. Dana Holgorsen coordinated a balanced offense, so the Hawkeyes will have their hands full. Iowa, meanwhile, used Kaleb Johnson’s 164 rushing yards to power it to a 29-13 victory over Maryland. Jackson Stratton really didn’t have to do too much because the Hawkeyes relied on the run game. And Iowa’s defense was strong. The Hawkeyes may need more out of their passing game to beat the Huskers though.
Purdue at Indiana: There is a chance this one gets ugly with IU coming off the loss at Ohio State and perhaps wanting to send a message that it’s offense is better than it showed in back-to-back performances against Michigan and Ohio State. The Hoosiers set season-lows for most offensive stats against Michigan, only to replace those with smaller totals against the Buckeyes.
The Boilermakers have been a complete mess offensively all season, and the Hoosiers still have College Football Playoff aspirations. But there’s no doubt they need help. A convincing win could be on the horizon.
Illinois at Northwestern (Wrigley Field): The Wildcats put up a stinker in a 50-6 loss to Michigan last weekend. Quarterback Jack Lausch was just 10-of-21 for 106 yards and matched a career high with 2 interceptions. The Wildcats had just 10 rushing yards and were sacked 6 times. Meanwhile, the Fighting Illini won a wild game on the road against Rutgers. Pat Bryant scored the winning touchdown with 4 seconds left for his 9th touchdown of the season tp cap off a win that featured 3 lead changes in the final 3:07. Illinois is the better team, so the ‘Cats will have their hands full.
Rutgers at Michigan State: The Scarlet Knights almost had their first in-conference 3-game win streak since joining the Big Ten but lost a heartbreaker to Illinois this past weekend. Greg Schiano’s team now plays a Spartans squad that is coming off a win over Purdue behind a strong showing from quarterback Aidan Chiles, whose Spartans are a win away from being eligible for a bowl with first-year head coach Jonathan Smith. MSU scored 3 touchdowns and a field goal on its 4 drives in the first half to take a 24-3 lead, but the second half was ugly. Rutgers will be a tough out.
Maryland at Penn State: The Nittany Lions have overcome their loss to Ohio State and stayed alive and well in the CFP mix behind Drew Allar’s 244 passing yards and clutch play late in a 26-25 win at Minnesota this past weekend. They secured a third straight 10-win season and went 5-0 on the road for the first time since 1985. Win against Maryland, miss the B1G title game and a CFP berth is on the horizon.
Dave Miller has covered the college football landscape nationally since 2009 with stops at National Football Post and Campus Insiders. In addition to contributing to Saturday Tradition, he can be seen on Stadium Network.