USC football and Lincoln Riley showed a new Trojan team on the road against Penn State. UCLA showed the start of the season was no fluke. A few teams are earning their keep in the Big Ten as contenders, and then there's Washington, which looked far from a worthy Big Ten team.
Here are the scores from this weekend in Big Ten football, plus my breakdown for each team:
Friday: Iowa 41-24 vs Washington
Washington at home got embarrassed by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Demond Williams went down with an injury in the second quarter, but the game already felt out of hand. Backup quarterback for the Huskies, Elijah Brown, gave the Huskies a spark, but the Iowa Hawkeyes were fueled by a dominant Kamari Moulton performance. This game was very telling for the Huskies' credibility in the Big Ten.
Iowa, on the other hand, looks like a worthy team in the Big Ten this year.
Saturday: Indiana 20-17 vs Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers were up 2 possessions for most of the game. Anthony Colandrea more than proved himself as a Big Ten quarterback. Unfortunately for the Cornhuskers, they could not put away a good football team in the Indiana Hoosiers. The better football team prevailed, and Curt Cignetti scored 14 straight points unanswered. The Hoosiers proved they were battle-tested, but have they proved they still are a title contender yet?
Northwestern 45-14 vs Ball State
Many expected it to be a big Caleb Komolafe game this week; instead, the Wildcats' offense was led by a brilliant performance by quarterback Aidan Chiles. It looks like Chip Kelly was all Chiles needed to flourish. Northwestern moves to 4-1 after Chiles' 3 passing touchdown' 3-passing-touchdown performance.
Illinois 38-37 vs Michigan State
An awful call played a big part in things in overtime, and the Illinois Fighting Illini were big beneficiaries. The Fighting Illini pulled through, yet this is a game they should not feel good about. The Spartans, on the other hand, made some poor decisions in this game that were costly. However, the future still looks bright. Alessio Milivojevic put together one of his best performances yet in his tenure.
UCLA 17-15 vs Oregon
The UCLA Bruins won the battle of adversity Saturday. Both teams had a lot to overcome. The Ducks had to bench backup quarterback Dylan Raiola, and the Bruins lost their starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava due to injury. The Bruins, however, showed exactly what they were made of as Wayne Knight put the team on his back on the offensive end. The Bruins on defense forced 7 turnovers and stonewalled the Ducks' run game. In just 1 season, Bob Chesney has the Bruins as the best newly added Big Ten team in the conference this season.
Ohio State 45-16 vs Maryland
The Buckeyes' offense dominated for another week as they prepare for a tough slate of games coming up. Jeremiah Smith was special as usual, but the Buckeyes run game was the most dominant part against Maryland. The Buckeyes will need all hands on deck the next week. For the Terrapins, not much hope or momentum was gained after this lopsided loss.
USC 31-23 vs Penn State
The USC Trojans answered the bell against Penn State. The Trojans' offense's best players each shone with dominant performances, while their defense stepped up in pivotal moments. If this USC Trojans team shows up in the next few games, the season may still have a great amount of hope. 3 straight losses now for Penn State; the exact opposite could be said.
Purdue 41-13 vs Minnesota
Purdue pulls off the upset in commanding fashion. Former Gopher Fame Ijeboi led the Boilermakers, rushing for 195 yards and scoring 3 touchdowns. He was a one-man wrecking crew, and he for sure got the best of his former team. Huge letdown performance for Minnesota as their magical season came to a quick halt.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC pulls through in must-win game, Indiana survives Nebraska
