Big Ten Week 13 Rewind: Michigan the beast of the East, Purdue takes the West

College football’s rivalry weekend to wrap up the regular season is always packed with intense drama. The Big Ten certainly had its share of rivalry fun in Week 13 as each division’s top spot was on the line over a handful of rivalry games. Michigan and Ohio State battled for the top spot in the East Division and the West crown was left hanging in the balance after Iowa stumbled on Friday after Thanksgiving and Purdue and Illinois were hoping to capitalize on the opportunity.

But now the books are close don the regular season and the stage is set for next week’s Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis.  Here is a brief rundown of all of the results from the Big Ten’s closing weekend beginning with the big one in Columbus.

No. 3 Michigan 45, No. 2 Ohio State 23

Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive back Mike Sainristil (0) celebrates following the defensive stop at the goalie during the second half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Without star running back Blake Corum for the vast majority of the game, Michigan still managed to find a way to dominate Ohio State in the trenches and run away with a massive win for the Wolverines and head coach Jim Harbaugh. Micigan punched its return ticket to the Big Ten championship game with a 28-3 advantage after halftime with explosive plays through the air and on the ground.

Donovan Edwards rushed for 216 yards and scored two long touchdowns to fuel Michigan’s big day. Edwards took off for a 75-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to extend Michigan’s lead to 38-3, and four minutes later Edwards took off for 85 yards to slam the door shut on the Buckeyes in stunning fashion.

But the star of the game was Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy who passed for 263 yards and three touchdowns as he put the offense on his back on a day where Corum was not able to go after a couple of early attempts. McCarthy’s confidence and poise shined in the second half and he’ll get a chance now to take Michigan back to the top of the Big Ten and lead them to a return to the College Football Playoff.

Meanwhile, Ryan Day has some things to figure out after seeing Michigan run away from his program for a second straight season. The Buckeyes are still heading to a New Years Six bowl game and could still be on the playoff radar, but this is a bitter ending to the regular season in Columbus.

No. 11 Penn State vs Michigan State

Nov 26, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Theo Johnson (84) makes a catch in the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State was already locked into finishing in third place in the Big Ten East Division this season behind Michigan and Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions needed a solid win to keep pace in the hunt for a spot in a New Years Six bowl game. And although it didn’t look like things were going to work out for a while, Penn State responded to Michigan State’s second-half threat with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to slam the door shut and clinch a 10-win season.

Sean Clifford had four touchdown passes in his swan song in Beaver Stadium and, thanks to losses by three other teams ranked ahead of them (Clemson, Oregon, and LSU), Penn State could now be sitting in a favorable spot for a NY6 invite.

Nebraska 24, Iowa 17

Nov 25, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Casey Thompson (11) hands off against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

The wild fun in the Big Ten this weekend got started with Nebraska coming up with a shocker at Iowa. The Hawkeyes were hurt by key injuries with the loss of cornerback Cooper DeJean and quarterback Spencer Petras, and Nebraska took advantage of both. The Huskers used a monster game from Palmer, Nebraska’s all-time single-season receiving leader, but Iowa battled back to make a run at the Huskers. After trailing 24-0, Iowa rallied before having the offense stall with two turnovers on downs on their final two offensive possessions.

The Iowa loss opened the door to the Big Ten West crown to Purdue, who needed a win against Indiana to clinch the division and book their first trip to the Big Ten championship game.

Purdue 30, Indiana 16

Nov 26, 2022; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; The Purdue Boilermakers celebrate after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

And Purdue capitalized on the golden opportunity. They had to work for it though against in-state rival Indiana, but Purdue wrapped up its first Big Ten West Division title in program history on the back of a big game from star wide receiver Charlie Jones, who caught just four passes but did so for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Purdue trailed the Hoosiers 7-3 at halftime but came out swinging in the second half to clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game to face the Michigan Wolverines next week in Indianapolis.

Illinois 41, Northwestern 3

Nov 26, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Rod Heard II (24) tries to tackle Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Isaiah Williams (1) during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

With Purdue winning its game, the result of this one had no impact on the Big Ten West race. Illinois did what it needed to do to keep its hopes alive for the division crown, but the Illini needed Purdue to take a loss to the Hoosiers to get to the Big Ten championship game. Northwestern actually out-gained Illinois in total offensive yardage but the Wildcats turned the football over six times.

Although Illinois lost its grip on the division in the final month, there is no debate that Bret Bielema has the Illini heading in the right direction overall. They should not be taken lightly next season in the division.

Minnesota 23, Wisconsin 16

Nov 26, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; The Minnesota Golden Gophers team poses for a photo with the Paul Bunyan Axe following the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Gophers and Badgers were not playing for a spot atop the West division, but they were playing for one of the coolest trophies found in the Big Ten. And for the second year in a row, Paul Bunyan’s Axe belongs to Minnesota.

A 45-yard touchdown pass from Athan Kaliakmanis to Le’Meke Brockington gave Minnesota the go-ahead score with under four minutes to play in Madison, and an interception by the defense on Wisconsin’s ensuing possession helped run off a minute from the clock as Wisconsin’s final drive of the game fell short of the end zone.

Maryland 37, Rutgers 0

Nov 26, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) prepares to pass the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the third quarter at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports

The end of the season could not have come any sooner for Rutgers, who were outscored in their final two games of the season by a margin of 92-10. Maryland handed Rutgers a 37-0 loss in the final game of the year.

Taulia Tagovailoa passed for 342 yards and a touchdown and freshman running back Roman Hemby scored three times on the ground as Maryland took full control of the game in the second quarter and never looked back. The Terrapins outgained the Scarlet Knights 513-135 and racked up 31 first downs to just seven by Rutgers.

While the season is over for Rutgers, Maryland will have an opportunity to play in a bowl game and end its season with another win.

Final Big Ten Football Standings

EAST DIVISION

WEST DIVISION

Bowl Eligible: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire