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Week 9 in the Big Ten went about as expected. After weeks of excitement, we were treated to a Saturday with much less mayhem.
At the top of the conference No. 1 Oregon handled No. 20 Illinois. No. 3 Penn State lost QB Drew Allar to an apparent knee injury but backup Beau Pribula stepped in to beat Wisconsin. No. 4 Ohio State was able to hold off Nebraska, and No. 13 Indiana continued its magical run with a win over Washington.
With five teams ranked in the polls just a week out from the first time we’ll see rankings as voted on by the College Football Playoff selection committee, the Big Ten has a strong case for four teams in the newly expanded playoff field. All but a few teams in the league have been highly competitive, even if not ranked, making the conference as a whole look strong and more interesting.
Indiana, Penn State and Oregon all look incredibly dominant but Ohio State has shown some flaws. In their Week 9 game against Nebraska, the Buckeyes, who are battling some injuries, struggled to put the Huskers to bed. While no team is perfect, they’ve got a week to get it together before they face the undefeated Nittany Lions in Happy Valley.
Penn State goes into the matchup with the Buckeyes undefeated this season but on the losing end of the series. They last beat Ohio State in October 2016, having lost the last seven games. The game is one to watch in Saturday’s slate. Regardless of the result, both teams will be certain to receive selection committee consideration.
It’s the Hoosiers I’m hoping the selection committee will give a serious look. No. 13 in the AP poll just feels a bit too low. They’re not just squeezing out wins, they’re dominating. I’m sure someone will make the argument they haven’t really played a major team, but Indiana hasn’t trailed at all this season and they’re tied…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/shakeia-taylor-big-ten-football-023600487.html
Author : Chicago Tribune
Publish date : 2024-10-28 02:36:00
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