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Maryland football dropped to 1-2 in conference play after falling to Purdue, 40-14, this past Saturday, coming up short against the Boilermakers for the first time in program history.
On Saturday, 10 of the remaining 12 members of the conference were in action, with Northwestern and Ohio State on bye weeks.
The Terps’ loss was certainly one to forget, but there were some big games of intrigue throughout the rest of the Big Ten this weekend. Here’s a quick recap of what went down.
Big Ten East
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Weekend Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Weekend Outcome |
| Ohio State | 3-0 | 6-0 | BYE |
| Penn State | 3-0 | 6-0 | W, 17-12, Iowa |
| Michigan | 3-1 | 5-1 | W, 42-25, Illinois |
| Michigan State | 2-2 | 4-3 | L, 38-0, Wisconsin |
| Maryland | 1-2 | 3-3 | L, 40-14, Purdue |
| Indiana | 1-2 | 4-2 | W, 35-0, Rutgers |
| Rutgers | 0-4 | 1-5 | L, 35-0, Indiana |
Big Ten West
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Weekend Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Weekend Outcome |
| Illinois | 0-3 | 2-4 | L, 42-25, Michigan |
| Iowa | 1-2 | 4-2 | L, 17-12, Penn State |
| Minnesota | 3-0 | 6-0 | W, 34-7, Nebraska |
| Nebraska | 2-2 | 4-3 | L, 34-7, Minnesota |
| Wisconsin | 3-0 | 6-0 | W, 38-0, Michigan State |
| Northwestern | 0-3 | 1-4 | BYE |
| Purdue | 1-2 | 2-4 | W, 40-14, Maryland |
Biggest surprise: Minnesota vs Nebraska
Through its first five wins of the season, the Golden Gophers had allowed opponents an average 27.2 points per game. Minnesota gave up over 30 points to the likes of Fresno State and Georgia Southern, but consistently relied on its offense to pull away with victories.
That wasn’t the case this past weekend against Nebraska though, with the Golden Gophers only allowing one touchdown in a 34-7 victory. Their defense held the Cornhuskers to just 35 total yards in the second quarter and 64 yards in the third.
The win also marked the first time Minnesota has started a season 6-0 since 2003, vaulting itself to No. 20 in the AP Top 25.
Statement game: No. 8 Wisconsin vs Michigan State
While the Badgers were favored going into this matchup, the spread was only eight points. Instead, Wisconsin took a dominant 38-0 victory over Michigan State, recording its fourth shutout of the season.
The Badgers proved that they can do much more than just hang with the Big Ten East, limiting the Spartans to 149 yards and seven first downs. The defense also forced Michigan State to go 2-for-14 on third down conversions and throw two interceptions.
On the offensive end, Wisconsin scored more points than Michigan State has allowed all season, gaining 402 yards in the process. The beatdown showed that the Badgers are the real deal this year and moved them to No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25.
Biggest upset: Maryland vs Purdue
The Terps entered this matchup slightly favored over the Boilermakers, and it seemed like a game they could win with Purdue’s starting quarterback, wide receiver and center out of commission, among other injuries.
But Maryland could barely even put up a fight in West Lafayette, Indiana, losing 40-14. Going into this contest, Purdue redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Plummer only had 545 yards on 97 attempts in three games, but the Terps allowed him 420 yards and three passing touchdowns on a 80.5 percent completion rate to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.
While one could have predicted the Boilermakers stealing a victory in this one, a 26 point margin certainly wasn't expected. But Maryland didn’t show up to play and dramatically decreased its chances of bowl eligibility.