Winners And Losers In The Big Ten After Eight Weeks
Three Big Ten teams are still undefeated eight weeks into the season and Michigan is now 5-2 after losing to one of them. Michigan State and Nebraska were off this past week but the other 12 members of the conference had a chance to send a message. Here's a look at the Big Ten's winners and losers through eight weeks.
Winners
Illinois
The Illini pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten history by defeating Wisconsin as 30-point underdogs. Credit to Lovie Smith and his guys, a week after showing some life and heart against Michigan, for beating an undefeated Badger team that had been rolling everyone. Junior kicker James McCourt nailed a 39-yard field goal as time expired to send the Badgers back to Madison with their first loss of the season.
Minnesota
Row the boat! PJ Fleck and his Golden Gophers are now 7-0 after a 42-7 drubbing of Rutgers. With a home game against Maryland coming up, it's very possible that Minnesota is 8-0 before a bye week and a huge matchup against Penn State in Minneapolis. The Gophers haven't really beaten anyone yet so that game against the Nittany Lions is a huge measuring stick game.
Penn State
The Nittany Lions are also still undefeated after staving off the Wolverines in Happy Valley over the weekend. Penn State jumped out to a 21-0 lead and ended up winning 28-21 after U-M stormed back and nearly tied the game with less than two minutes on the clock. They have a big test on the road against Michigan State this weekend and would really be in good shape if they can leave East Lansing with a W.
Losers
Northwestern
The Wildcats are usually pesky but at 1-5, they're just bad this year. Pat Fitzgerald is a good coach who usually gets more out of his guys than talent suggests should be possible, but not this year. They were absolutely pounded by Ohio State at home to the tune of 52-3 and show no signs of beating anyone with a pulse.
Rutgers
Another week, another horrible loss for Rutgers. A 42-7 loss against Minnesota this weekend send the Scarlet Knights to 1-6 with no signs of improvement. Unfortunately for Nunzio Campanile, brother of Michigan linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, his head coaching record is taking hit after hit as the interim in Piscataway.
Wisconsin
The Badgers had everything working at 6-0 with some nice wins and a seemingly unstoppable rushing attack with junior Heisman candidate Jonathan Taylor running wild. Somehow, they went into Champaign and lost to the Illini, who has one of the worst run defenses in the country, and lost. Taylor finished with 132 yards and a touchdown, which is modest for him and the Badgers ultimately fell by a point on a last-second field goal.
