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Rapid recap of the Rivalry Week that was: Iowa got things off to a nice start, beating Nebraska on the road on Black Friday. Ohio State erased a 14-point deficit to beat Michigan. Purdue is going bowling, beating Indiana in West Lafayette. Wisconsin took home The Axe for the 14th straight year, shutting out Minnesota on the road. The Illini scored the opening touchdown in a loss to Northwestern. Penn State showed no mercy in an easy win at Maryland. Michigan State had one of its ugliest performances of the season in a win at Rutgers.
Big Ten Top Performers
Iowa running back Akrum Wadley
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The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers have been playing on-and-off since 1891. After Friday’s result and a special performance from running back Akrum Wadley, Iowa has now won four of the last five against Nebraska.
Akrum Wadley scored three touchdowns in his last regular season game as an Iowa Hawkeye. He has now eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in consecutive seasons, joining an elite group of Iowa running backs:
Back-to-Back 1000-yard rushing seasons in Iowa history:
— Matt Benson (@mbenson6) November 24, 2017
Sedrick Shaw - 1994-95
Ladell Betts - 2000-01
Fred Russell - 2002-03
Akrum Wadley - 2016-17
Stay tuned to see where Iowa will play their bowl game. The Hawkeyes finish the season 7-5.
Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins
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The Game between the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes had a little bit of everything: big hits, blocked kicks, a ton of injuries and momentum swings galore.
“He’s not flinching at all”- Fox color commentator Joel Klatt said of Ohio State backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the fourth quarter. Haskins replaced starter J.T. Barrett in the second half — the senior appeared to injure his knee, went to the locker and ultimately came back to watch from the sideline. There’s actually more to it than that in what’s turning into a bizarre storyline with a pending investigation.
Dwayne Haskins completely outplayed Michigan quarterback John O’Korn, leading the Buckeyes to a 31-20 win in Ann Arbor. True freshman Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins was masterful too, and he figures to join Haskins in the Buckeyes backfield in the years to come.
Purdue running back Markell Jones
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The Purdue Boilermakers are going bowling for the first time since 2012, an incredible feat for first-year head coach Jeff Brohm.
Stakes in the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry game could not have been bigger (okay, I guess if you watched the Iron Bowl, this pales in comparison). With a bowl game on the line, Purdue workhorse tailback Markell Jones ran for 217 yards on 31 carries. Jackson Anthrop led the Boilers in rushing touchdowns, but it was Jones that was repeatedly shredding the Hoosier defense.
Markell Jones is @BoilerFootball 1st 200-yard rusher since Ralph Bolden in 2009, and 1st in a #BigTen game since Montrell Lowe against #Indiana in 2000. #Purdue #BoilerUp #BucketGame
— BTNStatsGuys (@BTNStatsGuys) November 25, 2017
Markell Jones had one of the best rushing games in the history of Purdue Football. Against the arch-rival Indiana Hoosiers, does it get any better than this? Purdue is poised for a big 2018 season, and Markell Jones figures to play a major role in the continued growth of the Purdue program.
Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook
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The Wisconsin Badgers are undefeated for the first time since 1912. That’s the same year the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. Let that sink in...
See what I did there?
Running back Jonathan Taylor was sensational again today (minus his fumble), but the real player of the game was quarterback Alex Hornibrook.
Yes, the Badgers have the Big Ten’s best defense. Yes, they also have the conference’s best running back and offensive line. But, it’s time Alex Hornibrook got the credit he deserves as the starting quarterback for the best team Wisconsin’s ever had.
It looks like Alex Hornibrook's day is done: 15 of 19 passing, 151 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for the first time in Big Ten play. https://t.co/VO53ImyJO5
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 25, 2017
Wisconsin is so good in so many different ways, all the quarterback really has to do is not turn the ball over. Alex Hornibrook was efficient and kept the offense moving. A Big Ten Conference Championship Game and a possible berth in the College Football Playoff lies ahead in Indianapolis against Ohio State next weekend. Wisconsin has won the last 14 in a row against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Northwestern running back Justin Jackson
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Running back Justin Jackson has just one more game left in his illustrious career playing for the Northwestern Wildcats. Jackson was not as good as he was in this game last year against the Illinois Fighting Illini (three TDs in Evanston a year ago), but he took it to Lovie Smith’s squad when it mattered most.
The 9-win Wildcats will play in a pretty good bowl game where Justin Jackson will have the opportunity to pad his already jaw-dropping career stat-line:
Justin Jackson esta perto de se tornar o 3º RB em jardas via terra na conferencia B1G Ten que grande momento para historia dos Wildcats @TheFraternityBR pic.twitter.com/HdsM1nNNhh
— Chi-Town Football (@ChiTownFB) November 25, 2017
A long, losing season is finally over for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Stay with The Champaign Room for some of the best college basketball coverage there is this winter!