18 B1G Things
- Did I already mention they would have been better off letting him walk?
- Fucked Arizona over, and seemingly fucked Washington over too.
- Should have taken the Florida job.
The Rundown
Iowa has an offense now I guess, whoops Washington 41-24
I went to bed when it was 20-0 and unlike Ohio State and Texas, did not wake up surprised.
Mr. Grizz: This was--almost relaxing? Iowa hasn't had a running game of note against a P4 team this year. I'd enjoy deluding myself into thinking that the running game was fixed, but I also saw how our receivers frequently had no defender within 15 yards of them on multiple occasions. That was one bad Washington team.Before the season started, conventional wisdom would have been that Iowa going 5-1 before the bye with the triumvirate of Michigan, Ohio State and Washington was on its way to a possible playoff berth. Michigan and Washington changed that perception entirely. It now seems kind of ordinary Iowa, and the supposed easier back half of the season looks a lot tougher than thought. Purdue just whipped Minny, wisconsin is improved, and Nebraska gave Indiana all it could handle. I'll take 5-1 into the break happily but it still don't know how good this team is. Or how the QB situation works out.
Nebraska leads for most of the game, somehow loses. I'm sure this is a new thing. Never happened before.
Take it from a Penn State fan. This is what happens when you play garbage in the non-con. Nebraska had this in the bag until all their mistakes piled up to hand the game away. Silver lining, at least it wasn't the ass-whooping that it was two years ago.
BigRedTwice: Well, you can't say it was surprising. When the Huskers completed a notably solid first half with an empty possession capped by a missed field goal, the writing was on the wall. Anyone who has watched the Huskers for any length of time knew that that was going to matter. And sure enough, it did.
It was nice seeing them play more competently, but ultimately this is just more of the same old Nebraska.
BuffKomodo: I mean…this is great. Indiana. A 22 game win streak. Bowl eligible by the second week of October. It’s everything 2023 me dreamt of.
Now? In the light of the past year? It’s just convenient that it’s someone else who is Charlie Brown.
Indiana played like…mostly bland mashed potatoes all game. No flavor. No butter. Just bland. It looked bad.
However, Indiana responded in the 4th down two scores to pull out a victory from the jaws of defeat. Major props to Nick Marsh and Josh Hoover in this one. In a game where the run game sucked, those two carried the load. The line was okay but running was non-existent. So glad to have a top 10 matchup in Bloomington next week!
IUinVA: Massive, massive road win. An absolute dogfight against a very good Nebraska team that was throwing everything at Indiana. This was just like the win at Iowa last year, however, this year’s Nebraska team is definitely better than last year’s Iowa team.
To fight back and win after trailing 17-6 in the 4th quarter shows how tough-minded this group is and how hard they are to defeat. Really proud of these guys to find a way to win. 22 straight wins and counting.
DeadRead: Indiana earned the win. Nebraska earned the loss.
I wish Big Red would find a new story arc, because (at least for me) this one has grown tiresome.
The Huskers will get another dose of medicine next weekend, then there are five more opportunities to become bowl eligible.
Things have been worse.
Ball State/Northwestern happened
Nothing to see here.
LinconlParkWildcat: Northwestern’s first day game at New Ryan Field is a homecoming laugher against Ball State. Taking care of business. Rank us!
MNWildcat: It has been 30 minutes since I entered the pit. I now cannot remember a time in which I was not part of the corn. Or perhaps the corn is part of me.
I reach back: corn.
I rest my head: corn.
A child positioning himself near me begins long snapping corn: corn.
Every part of me is corn.
Northwestern looked fine, I assume.
UCLA Stifles Oregon, 17-15
In the disaster that is Penn State football, I can always take solace in knowing 2026 Oregon is on the 2025 Penn State track. Oh, and they spend twenty million dollars more on their roster than Penn State does.
So, to the person who asked why they couldn't spend the 700 million earmarked for the stadium in NIL instead, well, this is why. The stadium is guaranteed, the title isn't.
Narrator: This is where UCLA and Oregon writer comments would go, if we had any!
Illinois squeaks by Michigan State on a failed 2-point conversion, 38-37.
I heard if Illinois won by 1 someone was supposed to win the season-long picks contest by default?
thumpasaurus: Right on the verge here
Bielema resign right now and you can still have a winning record at Illinois
It's over, you're done, you're outclassed
Thanks for the memories
Five reasonably fun seasons
Dropping us from a great height into the pit
LincolnParkWildcat: So dramatic Thump
BuffKomodo: They did lose to Purdue
thumpasaurus: LOL HE CAN STILL GO FUCK HIMSELF. Should have lost.
He was a high school QB: As a long time Illinois fan, I do not judge B1G wins or road wins for their quality like the elite school fans like osu and indiana so I’m happy for a conference road win. However, this win does not inspire confidence. What I don’t understand is how we lost the attention to detail that helped us win 19 games the last two years. We look like a Zook team out there that can get yards, but does not make winning plays and that makes me sad. Losing this game might’ve been more comfortable as all hope for football would be lost and I could fully pivot to a top five basketball team.
thumpasaurus: BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS,
The Illini were a machine in the early parts of this game despite telegraphing every rushing play. They got out to a 17-0 lead and then just on their own decided to implode. Milla Jovovich went 22 for 26 and the Illini were once again dominated on the line of scrimmage. It's clear that for as talented as our DB’s are, they have not adapted to this defense at all. They just got picked apart, which will happen when you can't get any pressure.
Still, the Illini kept the Spartans at arms length until senior quarterback Katin Houser uncorked one of the dumbest picks I've ever seen and then broke his throwing hand saving the touchdown on the tackle. What an unfortunate end to a brief but disappointing era as the Illini starting quarterback.
Michael Clayton took over, but Illinois was trying in vain to run the ball. After getting caught with their pants down on an onside kick attempt but being bailed out by the refs, Illinois squandered the gift when Bret Bielema, who has spent much of the last two years winning through smart in game coaching decisions, went for it in 4th and short from his own 33. It appears that I Am Pat Fitzgerald’s Football Opponent In The Fourth Quartet And I Don’t Remember My Name, Cannot Feel My Face Syndrome is back. MSU of course scored to tie it up.
Ultimately the MSU offense outsmarted itself on the game winning 2 pointer, giving the once-vaunted-but-now-toast Xavier Scott the chance to make the game saving tackle.
If Bret Bielema retired today, he'd be a hero. 40-29 overall with a 24-24 big ten record and a 2-1 bowl record. Unthinkable numbers at Illinois.
He probably should. It seems he's hit his limit. This is a 4-8 team at best.
Although, this being Illinois, that raises the question: how bad is 4-8 really?
Narrator: He's still writing as you read this.
Ardichoke: I owe thump an apology, Illinois really is a terrible football team this year. Almost as terrible as MSU. I attempted to channel my budding OTR "writer" by not actually watching the game. Instead I was out with some friends letting the kids run wild at a farm. I checked in on the game from my phone when there was about 9 minutes left in the second quarter to find that MSU had 0 first downs at that point and less than 10 yards of total offense. Pretty well sums up the season.Then we went to a restaurant/sports bar for some dinner, which was full of MSU fans and had the game on all the TVs where we listened to those poor souls go wild as Illinois attempted to choke the game away. I knew deep in my soul that a Sparty, No moment was coming. I was proven right with the most ridiculously terrible 2-pt conversion call ever. I mean, come on, you're in the wildcat with your QB lining up at wide receiver? Everyone knows he's getting the ball and looking for a pass.2-10, here we come. I hope they end the Fitz debacle quickly, before we get to the shameful hazing part.
AlmaOtter: My mom's record remains impeccable. Illini are 5-0 when she visits, nothing else to see here.
Maryland/Ohio State also happened
But Maryland scored more than 3 this time.
Transient Buckeye: Ohio State handled Maryland in generally comfortable fashion. Maryland's points were heavily assisted by Ohio State--the Terps had a pick-six, their lone offensive touchdown came at the end of a drive where Ohio State handed them at least 30 yards in penalties, and they got a field goal off a turnover that set them up inside the OSU 35. Julian Sayin got hit WAY too much behind a patchwork offensive line that was missing three of its game 1 starters. Ohio State got the running game going late and pulled away to win comfortably. But there's nothing here that's going to make the OSU fanbase feel any more optimistic about the trip to Bloomington next weekend.
MaximumSam: The Buckeyes won 45-16 and outgained Maryland 449 to 146. Buckeye fans are Very Mad and someone ought to get fired this week.
Penn State is 1-2 against West Coast teams in the Whiteout. Maybe stop doing that. USC 31, Penn State 23
It looked different, but the exact strategy that bit them in the ass against Wisconsin reared its ugly head against USC. They went punch for punch with the Trojans in the first half, took a lead in the second, then, seeing how the defense wasn't stopping USC, decided to kick a field goal to go down one instead of trying to score a touchdown.
Hey guess what USC did immediately after? Scored a touchdown.
Yeah there was no way Minnesota was beating Purdue after last week, and they didn't. 41-13
P.J. Fleck wins just enough at Minnesota to stick around, but he also fancies himself an Iowa lite, so the genuine belief that you don't have to try to win will always end in results like this.
Biff: I don't need to wait until the end of this game to weigh in. As my friend just said to me, being a lifelong Gopher fan does a great job of preparing you for actual life. Purdue has run the exact same play 20ish times against Fame Ijeboi’s old school (not sure if anyone caught that from the broadcast) with the same results, and Danny Collins has still not adjusted. Nor will he before the end of this game. Same for Harbaugh. They guessed right the last 2 weeks, they guessed wrong badly today.
Winning two in a row against Washington and Michigan was an incredible experience I'll never forget. There's a limit to how much that means when you come out supremely flat against Purdue. Not just flat, but getting absolutely beaten down in every facet of the game.
I'm grateful to PJ Fleck for everything he's brought to this program. There remains no question that he's done far more to elevate it than any coach in living memory. And before you say Glen Mason, no. I can go for a day on the reasons that's wrong but I won't here.
What I remain baffled by is how this happens. This in no way takes away from Purdue who played and called a masterpiece here. And good for them. But how…HOW do you come out of the last two weeks and lay an egg of this magnitude? It was clear from the first drive the players were not engaged, not prepared, not worked up. That’s coaching, and that's inexcusable for a “Culture Guy.”
Minnesota has gone from being a team that can't win 2 real games in a row into one that can't win 3. Progress, of a sort.
Narrator: It happens because "Iowa ball" only works at Iowa.
BoilerUp89: Purdue has won... two Big Ten football games in a row. Fame Ijeboi had himself a night and has become a star RB. I wonder what school he transferred in from. Too bad there's no way of finding that information out.
Purdue finds themselves at 3-3. With the defense playing better and the offense showing they can put up points on (almost) anybody, is it crazy to say a bowl game is within the realm of possibility? Purdue gets Washington at home (a team that both Iowa and Minnesota beat), a Penn State that has looked far from impressive, and a disinterested Maryland. If you want to go really crazy in your Purdue predictions (don't!) the other 3 games are wisconsin, iowa, and iu. Look, the most likely result at this point is probably only 4-8. But hope is a dangerous thing and this football team has it right now.
HoustonBoiler: What did I just watch? On October 2, Purdue had the worst defense in the B1G and I don't recall if being particularly close. Since then, the defense has somehow figured out how to play better and thus Purdue has won two B1G games in a row for the first time since 2022 and is 3-3 on the year. I did not see tonight's performance, total domination by Purdue, coming. Let's start with the defense, who held Minnesota to 27 yards rushing, 275 yards in total, picked off a pass, and gave up only 13 points - a season low! On offense, I knew the game was going well when Purdue had first half TD drives of 98 and 92 yards. I was blown away by how well the offensive line performed, opening up holes for Fame Ijeboi. Ryan Browne had a very good game overall with 81 yards rushing, 159 yards passing, and 2 TDs (1 rushing and 1 passing). Fame Ijeboi, who transferred to Purdue from Minnesota, had a career night - 195 yards rushing and 3 TDs, against his former team. The offense scored over 40 points for the second time this season and 464 yards. Special teams play has continued to be solid with true freshman kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano going 2 for 2 tonight (13 of 14 on the season) and Purdue recovered a muffed punt, their first fumble recovery on the season. Basically, Purdue thoroughly beat Minnesota at their own game with Purdue having the ball for over 37 minutes. Wow! Just wow!
glass: It is halfway through the football season and Purdue is tied for 5th out of 18. Burn the league to the ground.
RUReady4Brazil: Glad Rutgers didn’t play because in the season of parity, they aren’t even at the table.
Kind of...: Wisconsin had a bye. No news of arrests yet, so that's a victory. But, next three opponents--UCLA, USC, Iowa--all registered road wins this weekend more impressive than anything the Badgers have done this year. (USC's win over PSU was less fluky than UW's.) So, come Halloween, I'm still fearing the trick that a 4-1 start has turned into a 4-4 slog.
