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Crazy.
Is there really another word that can be used to describe Week 10 in the B1G? Iowa throttled No. 6 Ohio State, No. 24 Michigan State upset No. 7 Penn State, Northwestern won its third-straight overtime game and Purdue and Rutgers are one win closer to bowl eligibility.
Yes, the B1G’s College Football Playoff hopes took a hit, but November is already off to an incredible start.
There were plenty of tremendous performances from the past weekend in the B1G. So many, in fact, that a few players worthy of Game Balls were actually left off the list. Sorry, but there were just too many quality outings on Saturday.
Here are the Game Ball winners from Week 10:
Nate Stanley, Iowa QB – Tasked with going up against another highly-ranked opponent, the sophomore quarterback was sensational once again, completing 20-of-31 pass attempts for 226 yards and five touchdowns against the Buckeyes. All game long, Stanley made a pretty good Ohio State defense look pedestrian.
Felton Davis III, Michigan State WR – It was another huge day for the Michigan State receiver. Penn State’s defense couldn’t stop Davis, who hauled in 12 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown. He’s really emerging as one of the top pass-catchers in the B1G this season.
Chris Evans, Michigan RB – Just one part of a two-headed monster out of the backfield for Michigan on Saturday. Evans finished his day with 191 yards and a pair of scores in the 33-10 victory. It was a career day for Evans.
Ja’Whaun Bentley, Purdue LB – In a must-win game for the Boilermakers, Bentley delivered his best performance of the season. The linebacker recorded 12 tackles, seven solo stops and 2.5 tackles for loss. Bentley was an instrumental piece on a defense that surrendered just 10 points to the Illini.
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin RB – Remember when Jonathan Taylor was suppose to be questionable for the Indiana game? He looked just fine in Bloomington, rushing for 183 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. Imagine what he could’ve done if he was at 100 percent.
Kyle Queiro, Northwestern S – Queiro was a nightmare for Tanner Lee, intercepting two passes and recorded six stops for Northwestern in the win. He helped set the tone for the Wildcats, recording both picks in the first half of the contest.
Josh Jackson, Iowa CB – J.T. Barrett had throw just one interception on the season, and yet Jackson recorded three picks on the Heisman hopeful. The Iowa cornerback won’t just earn a Saturday Tradition Game Ball, he’ll likely earn some conference and national recognition in the coming days.
Karan Higdon, Michigan RB – After another triple-digit performance, Higdon has become a regular Game Ball recipient over the last four weeks. He racked up 200 yards for the second time this season and scored two touchdowns in the Michigan win. He also averaged 12.5 yards per carry against Minnesota.
Brian Lewerke, Michigan State QB – Maybe just Lewerke’s arm deserves the award. He threw for over 400 yards on 56 passes in Michigan State’s win over the Nittany Lions. He didn’t have the most efficient day under center, but he certainly effective and provided the Spartans with just enough offense to get the win.
Justin Jackson, Northwestern RB – Nebraska had no answer for the “Ball-Carrier” on Saturday afternoon. Jackson toted the ball 31 times for 154 yards and a touchdown in another overtime victory for the Wildcats. Side note: Maybe Northwestern should just take every game to overtime. After this weekend, the Cats have won three-straight in extra innings.
Joe Ferguson, Wisconsin S – Ferguson came up with two key interception for the Badgers in the fourth quarter. With Wisconsin leading just 24-17 early in the final period, the safety intercepted passes on back-to-back drives, which led to two Wisconsin touchdowns. His efforts helped the red and white cruise to 9-0.
Khaleke Hudson, Michigan DB – Look up “unstoppable” in the dictionary, and you’ll likely see Hudson’s stat line against Minnesota. 13 tackles, 11 solo stops, 6.5 (!) tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Yeah, that’s pretty good.
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