Big Ten Roundup (Oct. 2): Purdue Destroys Illinois, Other Week 5 Saturday Game Results

Week 5 of the 2023 college football season is in the books, as this past Saturday of Big Ten football brought several lopsided scores, giving more clarity as to which teams are on the rise, and which teams still have a lot to figure out.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Another week of Big Ten football is in the books.

Week 5 did not feature the fireworks show that Week 4 brought, with two of the conference's better teams (Ohio State and Wisconsin) on bye, and every single game being decided by 10 points or more. 

Still, it was nevertheless a Saturday filled with football. 

Here are all of the Big Ten football results from Week 5's slate of Saturday games, and here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:

Big Ten Saturday Game Results

Maryland 44, Indiana 17

Anyone reading this story right now likely already watched and read about what happened in College Park on Saturday. 

What's more telling is the aftermath, as coach Tom Allen fired offensive coordinator and play caller Walt Bell on Sunday. Quality control coach Rod Carey was promoted to the role of offensive coordinator, with no interim tag to speak of. 

Michigan 45, Nebraska 7

All you need to know from this game is that Nebraska's offense did absolutely nothing all day, and that Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson made a catch that rivals what Florida's Ricky Pearsall did last week. 

Penn State 41, Northwestern 13

Don't be deceived by the final score here. Northwestern actually led the Nittany Lions 10-3 till very late in the first half. Penn State turned on the afterburners in the second half to reach a more aesthetically pleasing final score, but coach James Franklin and his team have some serious issues to work out. 

Quarterback Drew Allar once again finished with an underwhelming stat line (18-for-33 for 189 yards and one touchdown), and Penn State's offense just doesn't look anywhere near championship level at the moment. 

Minnesota 35, Louisiana 24

This was dubbed the official morbid curiosity game of the week during the Saturday watch grid article, and that turned out to be a good call. P.J. Fleck's Gophers were trailing Louisiana 17-14 at half, and were in serious danger of dropping a home game to a Group of Five team just a week after blowing a 21-point lead at Northwestern. Minnesota could be in store for a no good, very bad season.

Purdue 44, Illinois 19

Raising my hand like a defender on the basketball court who just got beat on a back-door cut. I predicted Illinois 30, Purdue 24, prior to Saturday, and I was dead wrong. 

After only leading 16-13 at half, Ryan Walters' Boilermakers poured it on in the second half, outscoring Illinois 28-6 in the following two quarters of play. Deion Burks and Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran wild over the opposing defense, and the defending Big Ten West champions got back on track after a discouraging 1-3 start. 

Iowa 26, Michigan State 16

To put it mildly, this was a very stupid game. 

Iowa won by 10 points despite their two quarterbacks — Cade McNamara and Deacon Hill — combining to only complete 14 of 32 passes for 161 yards. And it's not like the Hawkeyes' rushing attack made up for it. Iowa finished the game with 61 yards on 27 carries, making for a dismal 2.3 yards per carry. But nevertheless, Noah Kim threw three interceptions and Michigan State was outscored 13-0 in the fourth quarter as it snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory.   

Rutgers 52, Wagner 3

Somehow Gavin Wimsatt still didn't have impressive stats in this win. But that doesn't really matter, because 4-1 Rutgers is here. 

Related Stories:

• JACK'S TAKE: Indiana coach Tom Allen wasted no time when making changes during Indiana's bye week. On Sunday, he fired offensive coordinator Walt Bell and promoted Rod Carey. The move makes sense, but it may not help Indiana improve enough to have a successful season. CLICK HERE
• WALT BELL FIRED: Coach Tom Allen and the Indiana football team have fired offensive coordinator Walt Bell following the Hoosiers' 44-17 loss against Maryland on Saturday. Offensive coordinator responsibilities for the remainder of the 2023 season will be assumed by Rod Carey, who was previously the quality control coach for Allen and Indiana. CLICK HERE
• DANIEL OLINGER'S COLUMN: Indiana lost to Maryland 44-17 on Saturday in the most discouraging performance of the 2023 season. Coach Tom Allen blamed execution yet again after the game, an excuse that rings hollow this deep into the season. CLICK HERE