Big Ten’s Week 10 efforts: 1. Iowa, 2. Wisconsin, 14. 4-way tie

Nothing that happened in Big Ten football Saturday caused much of a ripple in the rest of the nation.

Hey, there are enough ripples in the nation. Besides, Ohio State is at Michigan State Saturday and Nebraska is at Wisconsin the following week.

Now, let's rank the performances of the Big Ten's teams in Week 10.

1. Iowa, W 48-7 vs. Northwestern

The Hawkeyes rushed, they passed, they blocked, they hit, they got a special-teams touchdown. And it was against a team that wasn't even one of the two worst in the Big Ten West, although you wouldn't have known it from the way the Wildcats played.

Here's what Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote in this blog post. Yeah, 'Sid Hartman” and 'blog” in the same sentence.

The Gophers knew they had a tough schedule at the end of the season with Ohio State, Wisconsin and Nebraska coming up, but nobody in their right mind about Big Ten football, thought that an Iowa team would improve as much as they have since losing to Iowa State and Maryland and barely beating Northern Iowa, in the early part of their schedule.

2. Wisconsin, W 37-0 at Rutgers

This should probably be 1a). Melvin Gordon scoops a lot of headlines, and deservedly so since he has rushed for 1,296 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. But how about backup Corey Clement?

The sophomore actually topped Gordon Saturday, 131 yards to 128, and matched his two TDs. It was Clement's third 100-plus game, and this one came in his New Jersey home state.

'You know how I'm feeling,” Clement said in this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story. 'I'm feeling great. This is awesome.

'I was like: ‘I hope I don't try too hard to please all the fans I have coming to support me today.' Family is what drove me today. I was happy to show out for them today and happy to go back to Madison with a victory.”

3. Ohio State, W 55-14 vs. Illinois

This game was all the commentary of how lackluster Saturday's Big Ten schedule was. It was in prime-time on ABC/ESPN.

Let's see, Illinois-Ohio State or Auburn-Ole Miss? Illinois-Ohio State or Stanford-Oregon? Illinois-Ohio State or Arkansas-Mississippi State.

Anyway, the Buckeyes have won six in a row and head to Michigan State Saturday to almost surely decide the eventual Big Ten East champion.

'We feel like we're ready for this challenge,” OSU linebacker Darron Lee said. 'We've had all the tests and obstacles for it. We've had the atmosphere of an away game, teams that are passing threats and running threats. We feel well prepared for this.”

4. Michigan, W 34-10 vs. Indiana

Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press wrote it well here:

Amidst the mess of an athletic director's resignation, a motivational prop gone wrong, a crushing rivalry loss and intense speculation on their coach, the Michigan football team was prepped for failure.

But Indiana provided a great reminder on Saturday: other teams have it worse.

'The goal is to simply win the next game, so we're looking at Northwestern,” Michigan defensive end Brennen Beyer said. 'That's our next goal.”

5. Maryland, W 20-19 at Penn State

This business of Maryland's players not shaking hands with Penn State's before the game? Sure, it was bush-league. Sure, it was dumb. But put yourself in the shoes of the Terrapins ...

OK, so you wouldn't have done it.

On the basis of this classless moment, I had no choice to drop Maryland from the No. 3 spot this win deserved to No. 5.

It is kind of interesting, though. Players who are expected to try to knock their opponents into the middle of next week are also expected to be civil and gracious moments before kickoff. It's like when 100,000 people are asked to stand up and salute America during the national anthem. How many are thinking of something else during the song? My guess is 91,243. But I could be wrong.

Nonetheless, it was a big win for a Maryland organization that has forever been behind Penn State when it comes to college football recognition in its region and has a stadium half the size of Penn State's.

'You don't know what this means to our program,” Maryland Coach Randy Edsall said.

'Let the rivalry begin.”

6. Nebraska, W 35-14 vs. Purdue

The Cornhuskers are 8-1. And there are concerns.

First and foremost, star running back Ameer Abdullah suffered a sprained knee early in the game and was done for the day.

Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald spelled it out in this column.

The Huskers have championship talent. But not nearly enough championship execution.

The question is, can the playmaking outweigh the sloppy play? Can the Huskers 'talent” their way to a Big Ten title?

Not without Abdullah they can't.

7-8. Michigan State, Minnesota (idle)

9. Purdue, L 35-14 at Nebraska

Purdue had a significant knee injury in this game, too. Wide receiver Danny Anthrop, one of PU's top playmakers, was hurt in the fourth quarter.

'Guys have to step up, guys have to grow up fast. There's no looking back. There's no feeling sorry for ourselves. No one else in the conference is going to feel sorry for us,” Purdue defensive end Ryan Russell said. 'We have to win out if we want a chance to play in the postseason.”

The Boilermakers host Wisconsin Saturday. There will be no 'winning out.”

10. Penn State, L 20-19 vs. Maryland

Penn State, which got its bowl-eligibility for this season restored by the NCAA in September, is 4-4. It has too win two of the following three teams to reach six wins:

At Indiana, Temple at home, at Illinois. Because the Nittany Lions certainly aren't winning at Michigan State on Nov. 29.

After this fourth-straight loss, none of the above games can be regarded as a likely win.

14. (tie). Illinois, L 55-14 at Ohio State

Northwestern, L 48-7 at Iowa

Indiana, L 34-10 at Michigan

Rutgers, L 37-0 vs. Wisconsin

Illinois was outgained 545 yards to 243. Rutgers was outgained 385-139. Northwestern was outgained 483-180. Indiana was outgained 404-191.

Indiana threw the ball just eight times and had a mere 24 passing yards. Illinois trailed 31-0 at halftime. Northwestern trailed 24-0 after one quarter. Rutgers got shut out at home.

These were four putrid performances. What someone will have to explain is how Indiana won on the road against Missouri, the current leader of the SEC East. Or how Northwestern beat Wisconsin. Or how much attention the New York/New Jersey market will give Rutgers football the rest of this season when it the Scarlet Knights couldn't fire a shot at home against Wisconsin.

Comments: mike.hlas@thegazette.com

Twitter: @Hlas