BIG TEN. BIG NEWS.
• All 14 schools are in action this week, with seven Big Ten contests highlighted by four divisional matchups. The complete schedule can be found to the right.
• Three Big Ten teams appear in the AP Poll this week. Michigan leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State, while Rutgers is receiving votes. The Big Ten (three teams) is the only conference with more than two teams ranked in the top-10 of the AP Poll.
• There are just eight undefeated teams remaining in the FBS, including two Big Ten teams: Michigan (8-0) and Ohio State (8-0). The Buckeyes travel to Piscataway, N.J., this weekend to face Rutgers, while the Wolverines welcome Purdue.
• Michigan and Penn State currently rank among the top 10 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Wolverines lead the nation in scoring defense (5.9 points per game), while ranking No. 6 nationally in scoring offense (40.6 points per game). The Nittany Lions rank No. 3 nationally in scoring defense (11.5 points per game), while ranking 10th in scoring offense (38.9 points per game).
• Five additional Big Ten teams rank in the top 25 in terms of scoring defense: Ohio State (2nd, 10.0 points per game), Iowa (6th, 14.5 points per game), Rutgers (13th, 15.8 points per game), Nebraska (21st, 18.6 points per game) and Wisconsin (23rd, 19.0 points per game).
• Ohio State allowed 10 points and 259 total yards against the Badgers, marking the third straight game the Buckeyes allowed fewer than 260 yards. Ohio State has held all eight opponents to 17 points or fewer, tied for their longest streak in the last 15 years. The Buckeyes improve to 36-2 in Big Ten play under Ryan Day and overall and have won an FBS-high 36 straight games against unranked teams.
• Penn State’s Khalil Dinkins (9 yards) and Theo Johnson (16 yards) hauled in touchdown receptions against Indiana last weekend. The two touchdowns give the Penn State tight end room 10 touchdown receptions this season. The Nittany Lions’ 10 receiving touchdowns by tight ends are the most among FBS teams. Tyler Warren paces the group with five touchdowns, good for third among FBS tight ends, while Johnson has three and Dinkins owns two this season. Penn State and Appalachian State are the only FBS teams with two tight ends with three or more touchdown receptions this year.
• Jordan Nubin ran the ball 40 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns, leading Minnesota to a 27-12 win against Michigan State last weekend. His 204 yards were the most by a Minnesota player since Mohamed Ibrahim ran for 263 yards against Iowa on Nov. 19, 2022. His 204 yards are also the 28th most in program history. Nubin is the first Minnesota running back with 40 carries in a game since Ibrahim had 41 rushing attempts at Maryland on Oct. 30, 2020, and his 40 carries are tied for the seventh most in program history. His 204 yards marks the 33rd time that a Gopher has rushed for 200 yards or more in a game.
• With wins over Illinois (20-7), Northwestern (17-9) and Purdue (31-14) in October, Nebraska completed its first unbeaten month of October since 2001. Nebraska’s three-game win streak is its first at any point in a season since an eight-game winning streak including a bowl game in 2015 and the first seven games of the 2016 season. The Cornhuskers held all three opponents to 14 or fewer points in October, the first time Nebraska has held three straight opponents to less than 15 points since 2009.
• Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers have all secured bowl eligibility by reaching six wins this season, while Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin need just one more win to become eligible. The Big Ten will continue to feature the largest bowl lineup in conference history.
• Seven Big Ten Conference programs appear in the top 20 of the latest NCAA attendance rankings, including the nation’s top three schools: No. 1 Michigan (109,787 fans per game), No. 2 Penn State (108,579), No. 3 Ohio State (103,399), No. 12 Nebraska (86,920), No. 18 Wisconsin (75,876), No. 19 Michigan State (71,626) and No. 20 Iowa (69,250). Additionally, Big Ten teams own 13 of the top 15 single-game attendance highs this season, including the top eight spots.
• Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, Michigan’s Zak Zinter and Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu were named finalists for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy on Oct. 25. Now in its 34th year, the Campbell Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s top football scholarathlete. The finalists will travel to the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, where one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
• The 2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 2, at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and will be televised nationally on FOX. The winner will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of the six bowls that comprise the College Football Playoff.
• This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2024, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl. Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium. The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game.
