B1G Rewind: Ground and pound, Western rodeo, no College Gameday

The Southeastern Conference generates the airtime, but no college football league grounds it out like the Big Ten.

Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon slashed through the Nebraska defense for an NCAA-record 408 yards in Saturday's 59-24 pasting at Camp Randall Stadium. Even more impressive, Gordon ran just 25 times and sat out the final quarter. Gordon, who has a national-best 1,909 rushing yards, leads the country with 190.9 yards per game and 8.56 yards per carry.

'I thought this guy (Melvin Gordon), the best of the best,” Wisconsin Coach Gary Andersen said. 'Unbelievable. And I know the first thing he's going to tell you is about his teammates. So I'm going to tell you how special a young man he is. I've said it all year long: Ever since I got a chance to meet him, almost two years ago now, I knew it.”

Nearly as impressive as Gordon was Indiana's Tevin Coleman, who ran for 307 yards on 32 carries in a loss to Rutgers on Saturday. Coleman has maintained his high numbers this year with a one-dimensional offense. The Hoosiers have yet to win a Big Ten game, in part because of quarterback Nate Sudfeld's season-ending shoulder injury. Yet Coleman somehow ranks second nationally with 167.8 rushing yards per game.

But they aren't the only ones. Minnesota's David Cobb rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns against Ohio State. He ranks seventh with 135 rushing yards per game. Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah shook off a knee injury two weeks ago to run for 69 yards on 18 carries. Before he was injured against Purdue, he ranked first nationally in all-purpose yards per game. Michigan State's Jeremy Langford is 21st with 111 yards a game. Iowa running back Mark Weisman ranks 12th nationally in rushing touchdowns with 14.

In all-purpose yards, Gordon, Coleman and Abdullah rank one-two-three nationally.

As for Gordon, his performance gives Wisconsin a trifecta on great running back performances. Montee Ball holds the career record for touchdown runs (77) and Ron Dayne boasts the NCAA career record with 7,125 rushing yards.

'It's an honor to even be brought up with either back,” Gordon said. 'And it just goes back to show you how special Wisconsin is, having three backs holding three records is special. Like I said, I'm just honored to be brought up in the same sentence as Mr. Dayne and my boy Montee. Like I said, we always get a great coaching staff, great teammates. Great players around us to be successful. That's pretty much what I can say to that.”

WESTERN RODEO

Four teams remain in contention for the West Division crown, but this coming Saturday will provide some clarity. Wisconsin (5-1 Big Ten) holds a one-game lead over Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska (all 4-2). The four teams play one another on Saturday with the Badgers traveling to Iowa and Nebraska playing host to Minnesota. A Wisconsin win clinches a share of the divisional title.

Plenty of scenarios remain for the Western crown and the nod to Indianapolis. Here's how it plays out:

1. If Wisconsin and Nebraska win on Saturday, the Badgers clinch the West Division's automatic Big Ten Championship berth.

2. If Wisconsin and Minnesota win on Saturday, the teams play a winner-take-all battle in Madison on Nov. 29. Iowa and Nebraska are eliminated.

3. If Iowa and Nebraska win on Saturday, Minnesota is eliminated. The Iowa-Nebraska winner on Nov. 28 claims a share of the divisional title. Iowa would earn the title-game slot with a win against Nebraska. Nebraska would need to beat Iowa and for Minnesota to beat Wisconsin to advance.

4. If Iowa and Minnesota win on Saturday, Nebraska is eliminated. Minnesota wins the title if it beats Wisconsin. Iowa earns the nod if it beats Nebraska and Wisconsin beats Minnesota. If Nebraska beats Iowa, the Minnesota-Wisconsin winner then qualifies.

In previous games among the foursome, Wisconsin beat Nebraska 59-24 and Minnesota topped Iowa 51-14.

NEWBIES' SUCCESS

Not much was expected from Rutgers and Maryland entering the Big Ten this season. The Terrapins returned 19 starters so a bowl berth was probable, but Rutgers was 6-6 last year in the American Athletic Conference. Both faced step-ups in weekly competition.

But both have picked up signature wins this year to enable them to earn postseason eligibility. Rutgers' 45-23 win against Indiana on Saturday gave the Scarlet Knights their sixth win. Rutgers (6-4, 2-4) traveled to Washington State for the opener, faced Navy on the road and won both. Rutgers dealt with a rugged stretch of Michigan-Ohio State-Nebraska-Wisconsin in succession. It wasn't easy, but the Scarlet Knights survived.

'I would tell you it validates what I said at the beginning of the season - we have a pretty good football team,” Rutgers Coach Kyle Flood said. 'And people told me, ‘Coach, how do you feel, you guys have the toughest schedule in the Big Ten? You've got to go out to the West Coast in the first game, you're going to play Navy. I said, ‘I think we have a pretty good football team and I like our football team.'”

Maryland (6-4, 3-3) beat Penn State on the road and Iowa at home. The Terrapins can gain another notch in their belt this week if they can virtually eliminate Michigan from bowl consideration.

‘CAT SCRATCH FEVER

Northwestern recorded an improbable 43-40 overtime win at Notre Dame on Saturday to keep its bowl hopes alive. The Wildcats (4-6, 2-4) trailed 40-29 until quarterback Trevor Simien scored from 6 yards out with 4:10 left in regulation. Northwestern's Warren Long burst in for the two-point conversion to pull within 40-37.

Notre Dame tried to run out the clock, and Northwestern had no timeouts remaining. But Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell forced a fumble by Notre Dame running back Cam McDaniel, which was recovered by Wildcats' Jimmy Hall with 1:28 left. Northwestern knotted the game at 40-40 on a 45-yard field goal from Jack Mitchell.

In overtime, Notre Dame's Kyle Brindza's missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt, and Mitchell won the game with a 42-yarder.

'It means a lot, especially with me being a senior and this being my last season,” Campbell said. 'The opportunity to extend the season on a good note makes it that much better and more exciting. I actually sat down, and I'm not a very excitable guy in the first place, but it was just a lot to take in so I had to take a seat and then I hugged a lot of people.”

Northwestern could earn its first bowl bid in two years if it sweeps its final two games. The Wildcats face Purdue (3-7) and then Illinois (4-6) for their last two games.

GAMEDAY LOCATIONS

ESPN's College Gameday will travel to the annual Yale-Harvard Ivy League game this week. Yes, Harvard-Yale is steeped in tradition. The Ivy League title is at stake with the Crimson at 9-0 and the Bulldogs at 8-1. But for the national populace, which cares little for teams outside their geographic region let alone for lower-division squads, it once again provides fuel for ESPN's perceived SEC bias.

This year, five of the 13 Gameday locations were held at SEC campuses. This week's Gameday is the second this year staged at a FCS school (North Dakota State is the other). Twice it was held at Florida State and a third FSU game was held at a neutral location. It originated from Pac-12, Big 12 and Big Ten campuses just once.

Here are the schools and their number of Gameday appearances this season: Florida State 3, Alabama 2, Ole Miss 2, Mississippi State 2, Michigan State 2, Missouri, South Carolina, LSU, Auburn, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Clemson, Notre Dame, TCU, West Virginia, Incarnate Word, North Dakota State, Yale and Harvard.

School appearances by conference: SEC (10), ACC (5 - counting Notre Dame), Big Ten (3), Big 12 (3), Pac-12 (1), plus four FCS schools.

The two most impactful games this week nationally are Wisconsin at Iowa and USC at UCLA. Badgers running back Melvin Gordon set a national record with 408 rushing yards on Saturday. First place is at stake in the Big Ten West for Iowa-Wisconsin, and the Badgers lead the all-time rivalry 43-42-2. Crosstown rivals USC and UCLA meet for the 84th time and are tied atop the Pac-12 South in the loss column. ABC will televise both games nationally, so the family of networks recognizes their significance.

The SEC's slate this week includes only three power-five conference games (Ole Miss at Arkansas, Missouri at Tennessee, Mississippi State at Vanderbilt), four SEC-FCS battles and one game against non-power-five (South Alabama at South Carolina). College Gameday is likely to air from either Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Auburn-Alabama) or Oxford, Miss. (Ole Miss-Mississippi State) on Nov. 29. It probably will originate from Atlanta for the SEC title game on Dec. 6, so nearly half of Gameday settings could come from SEC country this year.

The Ivy League, like Fargo, N.D., provides a unique backdrop for College Gameday. But the network's decision provided a yawn Big Ten and Pac-12 fan bases. And you wonder why there's a perception of SEC bias associated with a media company that owns a network with said league.

SATURDAY'S STARS

Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon rushed for an NCAA record 408 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns. ... Indiana RB Tevin Coleman ran for 307 yards on 32 rushes. ... Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett passed for 200 yards and three TDs and rushed for 189 yards and one score. ... Maryland LB Cole Farrand had 18 tackles. ... Northwestern K Jack Mitchell had four field goals, including the game-winner in overtime. ... Minnesota RB David Cobb rushed for 145 yards and 3 TDs.

NOTEWORTHY

Rutgers QB Gary Nova threw for 217 yards and two TDs. ... Nebraska punter Sam Foltz punted eight times for a 46.9 yard-per-punt average. ... Illinois WR Mike Dudek caught six passes for 80 yards and two scores. ... Iowa RB Mark Weisman rushed for 134 yards. ... Penn State LB Mike Hull had 10 stops. ... Michigan State RB Jeremy Langford rushed for 138 yards and two TDs.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Ohio State (1) 9-1 6-0

Overcame the cold, a power team and showed no hangover effect from big win

2. Wisconsin (4) 8-2 5-1

Badgers have outscored their last four opponents 182-47

3. Michigan State (2) 8-2 5-1

Methodical but important 22-point road win at a probable bowl team

4. Minnesota (5) 7-3 4-2

Two wins give Gophers a rematch with the Buckeyes

5. Nebraska (3) 8-2 4-2

Doesn't face the easiest opponent when trying to bounce back

6. Iowa (7) 7-3 4-2

Two wins could send the Hawkeyes into the Big Ten title game

7. Maryland (6) 6-4 3-3

Loss aside, a successful inaugural Big Ten season for the Terrapins

8. Penn State (8) 6-4 2-4

Setting the foundation for a strong future

9. Rutgers (9) 6-4 2-4

Earning bowl eligibility is a major accomplishment

10. Michigan (10) 5-5 3-3

Win and go to a bowl; lose and it's chaos in December

11. Northwestern (12) 4-6 2-4

Salvaged season and kept bowl hopes alive after major upset

12. Purdue (13) 3-7 1-5

Can wreck Northwestern's bowl hopes with an upset

13. Illinois (11) 4-6 1-5

Season isn't over despite performance on Saturday

14. Indiana (14) 3-7 0-6

League's worst team owns a win over SEC East leader

STANDINGS

WEST DIVISION

Wisconsin 8-2 5-1

Nebraska 8-2 4-2

Minnesota 7-3 4-2

Iowa 7-3 4-2

Northwestern 4-6 2-4

Illinois 4-6 1-5

Purdue 3-7 1-5

EAST DIVISION

Ohio State 9-1 6-0

Michigan State 8-2 5-1

Maryland 6-4 3-3

Penn State 6-4 2-4

Rutgers 6-4 2-4

Michigan 5-5 3-3

Indiana 3-7 0-6

SATURDAY'S RESULTS

Iowa 30, Illinois 14

Penn State 30, Temple 13

Ohio State 31, Minnesota 24

Wisconsin 59, Nebraska 24

Rutgers 45, Indiana 23

Northwestern 43, Notre Dame 40 (OT)

Michigan State 37, Maryland 15

Idle: Michigan, Purdue

UP NEXT

Minnesota at Nebraska, 11 a.m. (ESPN)

Penn State at Illinois, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)

Northwestern at Purdue, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)

Rutgers at Michigan State, 11 a.m. (BTN)

Indiana at Ohio State, 11 a.m. (BTN)

Maryland at Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (BTN)

Wisconsin at Iowa, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com