Big Ten Week 5 Stock Report: rutger Redefines Terrible Power 5 Team

Stealing from MNW a bit....5 rock fights and one mercy killing. That is certainly the nice way to describe the Ohio State-rutger game on Saturday night. But hey, at least Ash doesn’t pretend to row a boat on the sidelines to hype his teams between plays, right?!

Stock Up

Penn State Nittany Lions - ...Franklin is really starting to live up to the billing we give him here on OTE. Running Back trick play when you’re up by that much in the second half? Why? What is the point? Next up: Northwestern.

Maryland Terrapins - So, I will take my lumps here and they’re all deserved. I think in my dramatic, hungover state from a second QB down to a torn ACL before conference play had me predicting 2-3 wins total on the season, which is still in play, but Max Bortenschlager did much better this week. Minnesota’s vaunted defense looked very average against Maryland. Next up: Ohio State.

Michigan State Spartans - I mean really, when the O/U came out in the 30s for this game we were all laughing at the easy bet, right? Michigan State did an amazing job containing Akrum Wadley and dared Iowa to beat them otherwise. It was a good bet. Next up: Michigan. Whatever the O/U is, take the under.

Stock Holding

Nebraska Cornhuskers - Our fellow Illinois writer is extremely down on his team, and this game feels a lot like the huge gap between Maryland and Nebraska last year when they played. Nothing was determined from this game. Next up: Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Badgers - This game was weird and made no one think that Wisconsin actually has a chance to challenge whoever emerges from the East between OSU, Michigan, and PSU. Wisconsin lives off the run and couldn’t average 3 yards per rush. Next up: Nebraska.

Northwestern Wildcats - Good thing: you held Wisconsin to under 3 yards per rush. Bad thing: You lost the game because you averaged 3 times less than Wisconsin on the ground and were forced to exclusively try to run your offense through the air. Next up: Penn State.

Ohio State Buckeyes - Yep. rutger. Next up: Maryland.

Michigan Wolverines - bye. Next up: Michigan state

Purdue Boilermakers - bye. Next up: Minnesota

Stock Down

Minnesota Golden Gophers - So much for that vaunted defense. Maryland was able to move at will throughout the first half against Minnesota and held on with two picks in the second half to win the game. Maybe Rhoda should have kept the ball more than once or twice on those inside zone reads where there was no one accounting for him. Next up: Purdue.

Indiana Hoosiers - It’s not like that wasn’t expected but it didn’t feel any better nonetheless. That 28 point barrage in the 1st quarter took any life Indiana had out of them. Next up: Charleston Southern (this is the FIU make up game).

Iowa Hawkeyes - That was quite the let down after playing a hell of a game against Penn State. The thing is, when games are ugly I expect that Kirk Ferrentz wins them, unless he’s playing Michigan State apparently. Next up: Illinois.

Illinois Fighting Illini - Perhaps the “fighting” part should come out of the Illinois name because there wasn’t much of a fight put up on Friday night. In fact, if you start looking over the last few years, Illinois has more blowout losses than rutger. Yes, I’m as shocked as you are. Next up: Iowa.

rutger scarlet knights - I just...I don’t know how else to describe the mediocrity. Next up: bye. Please don’t find a way to lose to bye.