There was not as much chaos this week in the Big Ten, but the weekend was highlighted with a win by USC that clearly shows the Trojans are ready to give the Oregon Ducks a run for their money. Every other favorite this week took care of business, while Michigan held on for dear life to escape the frisky Northwestern Wildcats.
Here are the scores from this weekend in Big Ten football for Week 12, along with my analysis for each team:
Oregon 42-13 vs Minnesota (Friday)
Playmakers out for the Oregon, and it did not matter for the Oregon Ducks offense as they still managed to put up 42 points on the Gophers. Oregon showed its dominance on both sides of the ball in this game, giving the Gophers yet another disappointing loss. Perfect response for the Ducks after last week’s nail-biter against Iowa.
Wisconsin over Indiana
The Badgers put up a fight early in this game, but Indiana was just the more talented team. Fernando Mendoza put on full display why he is the current Heisman favorite with his 4 passing touchdowns, 299 yards passing, and only 2 interceptions. The Hoosiers handle business, and they are now undefeated at home for the second straight year.
Michigan over Northwestern
Michigan survives an almost-upset versus Northwestern. Michigan keeps its playoff hopes after a roller coaster game where they were dominating and then melted down in the second half, only to figure things out late in the game. Bryce Underwood gave the full experience of himself and his inconsistencies. Michigan got the win nonetheless. I don’t know how many other teams they beat playing like this, though but they found themselves 8-2.
USC over Iowa
Lincoln Riley and the Trojans deliver a big-time victory, maybe the biggest win of the Riley era for USC. The Hawkeyes had their way with the Trojans in the first half, but the resilience USC showed and how they responded in the second half was something that has yet to be seen from the Trojans. If USC can play like they did in the second half yesterday against Iowa, they can beat the Ducks.
Illinois over Maryland
Illinois’ defense continues its great play, only giving up 6 points against the Terrapins. The Fighting Illini complemented their elite defensive play with a great run game as they totaled 225 yards rushing on the day, and running back Kaden Feagin had his biggest game since Western Michigan. The Luke Altmyer to Hudson Clement connection remains lethal Saturday as the two connected for two touchdowns and 72 yards.
Penn State over Michigan State
Terry Smith leads Penn State to their first victory since moving on from James Franklin. What an emotional win for Smith, and the energy he has brought into this team is evident. This team had life, and they were clearly the better team in this game. Michigan State gave the Gophers a game last week, but that was not the case this week by any means. The Nittany Lions got after the Spartans’ freshman quarterback with 5 sacks, and the run game was unstoppable. Kaytron Allen had himself a day with 181 yards rushing on 25 carries. This team still has a shot to go bowling; do not count them out.
Washington over Purdue
As expected, the Huskies blow the doors off Purdue. Without their number one receiver or the number 1 running back, the offense for the Huskies put up an offensive clinic. As I keep reiterating, if Washington got to play every game at home, they would be undefeated. Washington remains one of the toughest environments for an opposing team to play and one of the liveliest environments for the home team in the country. If only this team could have played like this on any of their road games.
Ohio State over UCLA
It was not the lethal passing attack that helped the Buckeyes cruise to victory this week; it was the dominant rushing attack. Bo Jackson only needed 15 carries to put up 112 yards rushing and a touchdown. Julian Sayin still put up an impressive passing performance, and the best receiver in the country, Jeremiah Smith, made a freakish one-handed catch. The Buckeyes displayed a more balanced offense, and that is dangerous for the entire college football landscape.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten week in review – USC gets biggest win of the season and heavyweights cruise
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
