The Big Ten rankings have a lot of power at the top, but mediocre play rules the day. With so many average teams knocking off each other, it’s hard to get a read on the entire conference. Part of the problem is due to the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ inability to finish games.
With their win over Minnesota, the Huskers rose a couple of spots in the current Big Ten rankings, but they should be much higher, considering the way they played this season. The last second losses haunt the Huskers, and will continue to all season. Sitting at (3-4), no one expected Nebraska to blowout Minnesota, but that’s exactly what happened. Coincidentally, it was the Huskers’ most complete game of the year. They had chances to fold in the fourth quarter, but made the plays to get Mike Riley his first Big Ten win.
Offensively, the Huskers had their most consistent showing of the season. As a team, they ran the ball 39 times for 203 yards, and Terrell Newby’s 69 yard touchdown run was the longest play from scrimmage this year. The big play was definitely missing from the offense. In addition, Tommy Armstrong threw three touchdown passes on 26 attempts. The offensive philosophy really helped Armstrong flourish last weekend.
Defensively, Nebraska still couldn’t contain the passing game. They gave up over 300 yards to a Minnesota team, struggling to reach the 200 yard mark in games this season. It’s a narrative that continues to plague the Huskers.
However, Nebraska wasn’t the biggest story of the Big Ten weekend. The Michigan State vs. Michigan game came down to the final seconds. Although the Spartans should have lost the game, they found a way to get another victory. The win helped the Spartans keep pace with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
While the Spartans controlled the headlines early in the week, the Buckeyes decision to start J.T. Barrett at quarterback is certainly the biggest story entering this week’s games.
Here are the updated Big Ten rankings. See which of the teams made the College Football Treat 16 Power Poll.
Next: Will Nebraska get injured players back?
This is a critical week for many Big Ten teams. Once again, the Huskers need a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. With games against two undefeated teams left on the schedule, the Huskers have no margin for error as the month of October winds down.