As a fan of a Big Ten team today, you fall into one of the following categories:
- Mad because your team blew a late lead (Michigan St., Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern)
- Relieved because your team came back and won (Michigan, Ohio St., Nebraska)
- Happy that your team won in a waltz (Wisconsin, Penn St.)
- Sad that your team got smoked (Minnesota, Iowa)
- Thankful for a bye week (Illinois)
Here's some game summaries. Please take up your joy, relief, anger or sadness in the comments.
- Purdue 22 at Ohio St. 29 (OT): Purdue's defense held Braxton Miller in check and then he got injured. Backup Kenny Guiton came in and led a TD scoring drive in the final minute and followed it up with a two-point conversion. With momentum on their side, the Buckeyes scored a TD in OT that Purdue couldn't match. After not showing up for two weeks, the Boilers showed up for most of the game but choked in the end. I am not sure how bad Miller's injury is, but he was released from the hospital today.
- Minnesota 13 at Wisconsin 38: James White and Montee Ball both rushed for over 160 yards. Maybe firing the OL coach after a couple games was a good idea? Jerry Kill is looking forward to the future, giving Freshman Philip Nelson the start at QB. He didn't set the world on fire, but he definitely wasn't the reason the Gophers lost.
- Michigan St. 10 at Michigan 12: In a defensive struggle, the Spartans took the lead on a FG with 5:48 left, but Michigan managed to set up and make a 38-yarder with just 5 seconds left. This win puts Michigan in the driver's seat in the Legends Division and has Spartan fans calling for the OC's head (even more than they were last week).
- Indiana 30 at Navy 31: Even though it was a non-conference game, Indiana proved that it was a Big Ten team by blowing a nine-point fourth quarter lead to the Midshipmen.
- Nebraska 29 at Northwestern 28: Northwestern took a 12 point lead with under ten minutes to play, but couldn't hold on as Taylor Martinez drove the Huskers on two TD drives to take the lead. Wildcat kicker Jeff Budzien missed his first field goal of the season, a 53-yarder with just over a minute left. Chicago's Big Ten fans have seen their team lose two conference games where led by double digits in the final quarter.
- Penn St. 38 at Iowa 14: This prime-time matchup should have been moved to late night; children should not have been awake to watch the R-rated beatdown that Penn St. put on the Hawkeyes. Iowa didn't score until the fourth quarter, about three quarters too late. Are the best two teams in the conference right now both on probation? It's beginning to look like it.