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Wow.
Week 7 was something else in Big Ten country.
Oregon assimilated itself as the team to beat with an exhilarating 32-31 win over Ohio State, while Penn State survived a back and forth battle to best USC 33-30. Three teams stayed in the top 5 of the AP poll; they just shuffled places a bit (No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State).
It was a lot to digest, but we’re here for it.
What’s in store in Week 8? Let’s take a look at the B1G’s biggest storylines …
An offensive offense
Defending national champion Michigan is coming off a loss to Washington, which snapped its 24-game Big Ten regular-season winning streak, and now travels to face an Illinois team (2:30 p.m. CT, CBS) whose only loss was at Penn State. The Wolverines had a bye this past week, so new starting quarterback Jack Tuttle will have an extra week to put behind the 2 turnovers in the final 10 minutes of that Huskies loss to learn from his mistakes. Meanwhile, the Fighting Illini solved their Purdue problem — they had lost 7 of their previous 8 to the Boilermakers — but it didn’t come easy. Illinois almost wasted a 27-3 halftime lead. Bret Bielema’s squad has a chance to score a big win in Memorial Stadium’s 100th anniversary season before it travels to Oregon the following week.
IU’s dream season
Nebraska and Indiana enjoyed a bye last week ahead of their clash this week (11 am, CT, FOX). The last time we saw the Cornhuskers, they put forth a great defensive effort against Rutgers in a 14-7 win, but the offense left some question marks. Quarterback Dylan Raiola was just 2-of-9 for 14 yards in the second half, pass protection wasn’t great and the run game stalled. Points will be needed in this one against an IU offense led by Ohio transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who threw for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns to help IU stay unbeaten in a 41-24 victory over Northwestern its last time out. The Hoosiers have matched their best start to the season at 6-0, equaling the 1967 squad. This is a winnable game for the Hoosiers to continue a dream campaign.
Other notable B1G nuggets
USC at Maryland: Both teams are enduring trying seasons. Lincoln Riley’s squad did respond very well from last week’s loss to Minnesota, but it cannot finish. By mid October, ‘SC is out of both the B1G and national race after blowing a 20-6 halftime lead. Meanwhile, the Terrapins are facing a second-half schedule that features USC, Minnesota, Oregon, Rutgers, Iowa and Penn State. A bowl berth is looking bleak.
Oregon at Purdue: The Boilermakers have lost 5 straight after a season-opening win over Indiana State, and they now have to face 3 of the country’s best teams: No. 2 Oregon, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 3 Penn State over the next 4 games. Yikes. Meanwhile, Dan Lanning’s squad may have to work against the letdown factor after its big win over Ohio State.
Wisconsin at Northwestern: The Badgers rode the legs of Tawee Walker, who compiled a career-best 198 yards and scored 3 touchdowns in a 42-7 victory over Rutgers. Quarterback Braedyn Locke added 240 passing yards and a touchdown and ran for another for the surging Badgers. David Braun’s squad, though, had a standout effort in a 37-10 win over Maryland last Friday night. The Wildcats took advantage of Maryland’s season-high 4 turnovers and limited them to 59 rushing yards. This could be a tricky road test for Luke Fickell’s Badgers.
UCLA at Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are coming off a disastrous showing in a 42-7 home loss to Wisconsin. Greg Schiano’s squad was shut down on the ground, which is a staple of its offense. And the defense, which had been a strong suit, allowed 309 yards on the ground. This week the Scarlet Knights will get a Bruins squad that suffered a difficult home loss to Minnesota. Again, offense was a challenge as DeShaun Foster’s team failed scored 20 points for the 6th consecutive time this season. To make matters worse, UCLA blew a 10-0 lead. Rutgers has a chance to get right, but this game probably isn’t going to be pretty. Only Kennesaw State has scored fewer TDs (7) than UCLA (8) this season, and KSU has played 1 fewer game.
Iowa at Michigan State: The Spartans had a bye this past week but are still mired in a 3-game losing streak. They now face a Hawkeyes team that is coming off an easy 40-16 home victory over Washington. Kirk Ferentz’s squad was led by a strong rushing attack, recording 220 yards, once again featuring Kaleb Johnson (21 carries for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus a receiving score). Can Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles give the Spartans enough error-free play, and can the defense contain Johnson?
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.