Despite a lackluster Week 8 schedule, the Big Ten entertained with upsets, nail-biters, and an obliteration of one of the best defenses in the nation.
The Michigan Wolverines and Illinois Fighting Illini played in the conference’s marquee matchup, and defense ruled. Both coaching staffs had their units ready to play, leading to plenty of turnovers and stops. If not for Illinois QB Luke Altmeyer’s awareness of the pocket, this game could have played out well for Michigan. The Wolverines ultimately gave away the ball too much. Three fumbles, two lost, and an interception from QB Jack Tuttle were too much to overcome.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers had no answers for the Indiana Hoosiers in a 56-7 drubbing. The game had the down note of Hoosiers QB Kurtis Rourke being lost for half of this game, and he will be out again in Week 9 against the Washington Huskies.
Nebraska has no margin for error when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes next week with OSU coming off of a bye.
The Michigan State Spartans, UCLA Bruins, and Maryland Terrapins provided major shocks of their own Week 8. Sparty took out the Iowa Hawkeyes, while the Bruins went to New Jersey and bested the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Both programs needed something to be positive about, and these wins more than do that. The Terps shocked the USC Trojans but outscoring them 22-7 in the second half of their game in Maryland.
Rutgers and Iowa now have three losses on the season, with the Scarlet Knights suffering all three defeats in conference play. The Trojans join the Purdue Boilermakers as the Big Ten teams with four conference defeats.
The worst game of the week took place Friday night. The Oregon Ducks railroaded the Boilermakers in West Lafayette, 35-0. One week after almost ending Illinois’ College Football Playoff chances, the Boilermakers laid down to the No. 1 team in the nation.
The changes are vast this week. Let’s get to them.