Big Ten Rundown: Week 3

Nebraska: (2-1) lost: UCLA 41-21. It all started so well, the offense was rolling, the defense was playing well, then Avery Moss couldn’t corralle Brett Hundley in the backfield and everything changed. There are questions every where, including off the field. How badly hurt is Taylor Martinez? The answer to that question could define the rest of the season. Next: vs. SDSU, BTN

Indiana: (2-1) defeated Bowling Green 42-10. The return of the explosive Hoosier offense. QB Nate Sudfeld threw for 335 yards and 2 TD’s and had two eclipse the 100 yard mark. Not facing an option offense helped too. Next: vs. Missouri, BTN

Michigan: (3-0) defeated Akron 28-24. Was win vs. Notre Dame a mirage? Wolverines seemed to suffer from a let down after holding on by the skin of their team to beat a, to put it kindly, bad Akron team. This one likely served as a wake-up call for Hoke’s bunch. Next: @ UCONN, ABC

Minnesota: (3-0) defeated Western Michigan 29-12. The final outcome wasn’t the story here. Coach Jerry Kill suffered another seizure on the sidelines. He’s ok, but this a scary trend for the Gophers coach. Next: vs. San Jose St. ESPN2

Iowa: (2-1) defeated Iowa State 27-21. The Hawkeyes held off a furious Cyclone rally in the final 7 minutes of the game to take the Cy-Hawk Trophy back to Iowa City. The Hawk defense held Iowa State to 59 yards rushing. Mark Wiesman ran for 145 of his own. Next: vs. Western Michigan, BTN

Michigan State: (3-0) defeated Youngstown St. 55-17. The Spartans defense was shut out in this game and their offense got some things figured out. Connor Cook passed for 4 TD’s in the rout and a host of running backs ran for better than 270 yards, led by the Nick Hill who carried the ball 9 times for 82 yards. Now, they just need to do it vs. some FBS competition. How about last year’s national championship runners up? Next: at Notre Dame, NBC.

Penn State: (2-1) lost to UCF 34-31. Another solid game from young Christian Hackenberg and Zack Zwinak, but the Lions dug themselves an 18 point hole and could not dig themselves out of it. UCF held off the Penn St. charge to pick up their first all-time win vs. a Big Ten team. Next: vs. Kent St., BTN

Illinois: (2-1) lost to Washington 34-24. Illinois was hoping to make a statement as they took on the Huskies in Soldier Field, but their good fortune ran out. Washington bottled up the Illini and standout QB Nathan Scheelhaase while racking up 615 yards of offense. Illinois is better than they were last year, but there’s still a long way to go for Beckman’s bunch. Next: Bye

Ohio State: (3-0) defeated Cal 52-34. This one was never really in doubt, building a 28 point lead midway through the third quarter. Star QB Braxton Miller sat this one out as he fights through an MCL sprain. Kenny Guiton filled in admirably thworing for 4 TD’s and running for 92 yards to boot. Jordan Hall tallied 168 yards himself, finding the endzone three times. The defense did fine, but surrendering more than 500 yards isn’t going to sit well in Columbus. Next: vs. Florida A&M, BTN.

Purdue: (1-2) lost to Notre Dame 31-24. The Boilers nearly pulled the stunner of the day, but couldn’t make the plays down the stretch to knock off the Irish who used a 21 point fourth quarter to pull out the win. Purdue could only muster 38 yards on the ground. If you’ll recall, Purdue hung with the Irish last year as well. Is this close call a mirage like it was last year? Next: @ Wisconsin, ABC

Northwestern: (3-0) defeated Western Michigan 38-17. This was a seven point game with five minutes left in the third quarter, but Northwestern used two TD’s in the last 20 minutes of the game to pull this one out. Saturday was the coming out party for RB Treyvon Green who ran for 158 yards and those final two TD’s. Kain Colter, used more as a ground threat in this one also topped the 100 yard mark on the ground. Next: vs. Maine, BTN

Wisconsin: (2-1) lost to Arizona State 32-30. This one will live in Wisconsin lore for as long as Wisconsin plays football. The Badgers fell victim to some shoddy officiating as they were trying to line up for the game winning field goal. Confusion ensued and the refs failed to spot the ball in a timely fashion and the clock ran out on the Badgers. The Pac-12 reprimanded the officials, but that’s of little consolation. This one will sting in Madison for some time. Next: vs. Purdue, ABC

Players of the Week: Jordan Hall and Kenny Guiton, Ohio State - With Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde on the shelf for the trip to Berkley, the Buckeyes turned to their back-up backfield. Turns out those guys are pretty good, too. The duo combined for 538 of the Buckeye’s 608 yards and all seven of their touchdowns on the day. It’s an embarrassment of riches in Columbus.