What we learned in the Big Ten: Week 10
November 8, 2009
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
Five lessons from a wild week in the Big Ten.
1. Once again, Ohio State is the team to beat: Completely written off after a loss to Purdue, Ohio State is in position to win its fifth consecutive Big Ten title and reach the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997. The Buckeyes crushed Penn State in Happy Valley as the defense flexed its muscles and sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor stepped up on a very big stage. Ohio State enters this week’s clash against a reeling Iowa team riding a wave of confidence, having dominated the Hawkeyes in Columbus ever since 1991. It has been a strange road for the Big Ten preseason favorites, but Ohio State is hitting its stride at the perfect time.
2. The Big Ten won’t be playing for the national title: Iowa’s loss to Northwestern takes the Big Ten out of the national title race, and it’s likely the league will only have one BCS bowl entry for the first time since 2004. The Hawkeyes entered Saturday with a shot at the championship game but needed to run the table, complete a brutal road slate and hope for some help. Ricky Stanzi’s ankle injury puts Iowa’s BCS bowl hopes in serious jeopardy, while Penn State saw its BCS bowl hopes likely dashed with a blowout loss to the Buckeyes.
3. Michigan could be staying home for another winter: The Wolverines faced a virtual must win Saturday against Purdue but squandered a 24-10 halftime lead and fell 38-36. At 5-5, Michigan needs to pull off an upset against Wisconsin or Ohio State to become bowl eligible. Second-year head coach Rich Rodriguez has won only two Big Ten games at Michigan, and he’ll be under a ton of pressure if the Wolverines miss the postseason once again. Though the offense showed life, Michigan’s defense once again flat lined against Joey Elliott and Purdue.
4. Corey Wootton is still a difference maker: It’s been a very rough season for the Northwestern senior defensive end, who hasn’t looked like the same player coming off of ACL surgery. But Wootton made the play of the day in the Big Ten when he sacked quarterback Ricky Stanzi in the end zone, forcing a fumble that NU recovered for a touchdown. Wootton completely changed the game and most likely the Big Ten title race, as Stanzi suffered a severe right ankle sprain. Northwestern notched its first win against a top 10 opponent since 2004 and is almost assured of back-to-back bowl appearances for just the second time in team history.
5. Bowl bids still up for grabs: We’re more than a week into November, and all 11 teams are still alive for bowl berths. The Michigan State-Purdue game this week at Ross-Ade Stadium could be a play-in game for the postseason, while both Indiana and Illinois can’t afford to lose any more. Minnesota needs to take care of business this week against South Dakota State after stumbling against Illinois. The top four spots seem set with Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin, but there are a lot of possibilities for bowl selection after that group.