BIG TEN ROUNDUP
No. 8 Ohio State 26, No. 24 Michigan State 6: Drue Chrisman kept host Michigan State pinned back with a sensational second half of punting, and Ohio State eventually pulled away. In a tight defensive struggle, the Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP) enjoyed a huge advantage in field position during the second half. Chrisman’s punts forced Michigan State (6-4, 4-3, No. 18) to start its first five drives after halftime from its own 5, 6, 3, 1 and 2-yard line.
No. 4 Michigan 42, Rutgers 7: Shea Patterson threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, Karan Higdon ran for a pair of 1-yard scores and visiting Michigan kept its national championship hopes intact. The Wolverines (9-1, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) have won nine straight and remain in first place in the conference’s East Division.
No. 21 Penn State 21, Wisconsin 10: Trace McSorley tied host Penn State’s record for wins by a quarterback with his 29th. Miles Sanders ran for 159 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, and McSorley completed 19 of 25 passes for 160 yards and a TD while matching Todd Blackledge’s victory total from 198082. DeAndre Thompkins caught a touchdown pass for Penn State (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten, No. 20 CFP), which held the Badgers (6-4, 4-3) to 125 yards in the second half and sacked backup quarterback Jack Coan five times.
Minnesota 41, Purdue 10: Host Minnesota’s maligned defense held Purdue to season-lows in yards and points, and Seth Green had a touchdown rushing and passing for the Gophers in the cold and snow. Gophers linebacker Blake Cashman forced a fumble and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown as Minnesota (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) held Purdue to 233 total yards and 0 of 12 on third down. Senior quarterback David Blough was 20 of 31 for 142 yards passing for the Boilermakers (5-5, 4-3).
Nebraska 54, Illinois 35: Adrian Martinez threw for 290 yards and accounted for four touchdowns and Devine Ozigbo ran for 162 yards and three scores to lead host Nebraska. Illinois (4-6, 2-5 Big Ten) committed turnovers on four of five full possessions spanning the halves, and Nebraska (3-7, 2-5) converted them into 24 points.
Indiana 34, Maryland. 32: Peyton Ramsey threw two touchdown passes, Logan Justus made the goahead field goal with 2:32 left and the Indiana Hoosiers recovered a fumble in the final minute Saturday to preserve a 34-32 victory over Maryland.
The Hoosiers (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) ended a four-game losing streak and kept their bowl hopes alive with the victory. Anthony McFarland rushed for a career-high 210 yards in relief of the injured Ty Johnson but the Terrapins postseason plans took a big hit with their third consecutive road loss.