Dilly, dilly! B1G’s best plays Hawkeyes Saturday

The Big Ten had its Game of the Year Saturday. Ohio State 39, Penn State 38.

Reportedly, it was exciting.

Which brings us to this week's Big Ten performance rankings.

1. Ohio State (5-0 Big Ten, 7-1 overall):

Iowa has won nine of its last 10 trophy games. It needs to get a trophy created for Saturday's game against Ohio State, and pronto. How about the 'Urban/Rural Trophy” with a pewter farm family huddled at an Apple Store?

2. Penn State (4-1, 7-1):

Saquon Barkley rushed 21 times for 44 yards at Ohio State. That's not exactly a feel-good stat this week for Iowa's offensive line and running backs.

3. Wisconsin (5-0, 8-0): Badger offensive tackle Michael Deiter scored after catching a backward pass from quarterback Alex Hornibrook at the Illinois 15-yard line. Normally, teammates have little trouble hoisting someone who scores, 'but it's hard when you're trying to lift up a 320-pound guy,” Deiter said.

4. Michigan (3-2, 6-2): Sunday, the Wolverines' top-rated 2018 recruiting commitment was lost when offensive lineman Emil Ekiyor of Indianapolis flipped to Alabama. 'I would like to thank the Michigan fan base for their constant support,” Ekiyor said. The guess here is it will cease to be constant.

5. Northwestern (3-2, 5-3)

: After beating Iowa in overtime the week before, the Wildcats defeated Michigan State in three overtimes. If this pattern continues, Northwestern's contests will eventually be as long as World Series games.

6. Michigan State (4-1, 6-2):

No one in the Big Ten celebrates bowl-eligibility. They do, however, revel in earning enough wins to skip past Detroit's Quick Lane Bowl, and the Spartans need one more.

7. Iowa (2-3, 5-3)

: Tennessee and Florida smacked down the Hawkeyes in bowl games within the previous three seasons. The wins turned out to be fool's gold. Florida fired coach Jim McElwain Sunday, and Tennessee's Butch Jones has one foot on a banana peel and the other on an even slippery banana peel with a team that's 0-5 in the SEC.

8. Maryland (2-3, 4-4)

: Maryland's game at Rutgers this Saturday was originally scheduled for Yankee Stadium, but on Oct. 20 the location was changed to Rutgers' stadium because of the possibility the Yankees might be playing in the World Series on Nov. 4. If a game changes sites but no one is around to see it, does it really make a sound?

9. Nebraska (3-2, 4-4):

The Omaha World-Herald noted Iowa State has more wins over Top 5 teams (two) this season than Nebraska has collected over the last 18 years. That's not considered a 'Fun Fact” in Omaha or Ogallala.

10. Minnesota (1-4, 4-4)

: A current beer commercial using the phrase 'Dilly, dilly!” is set in a medieval banquet hall. Speaking of medieval times, remember the Gophers' last Big Ten football championship season?

11. Rutgers (3-5, 2-3):

After his team lost 35-14 at Michigan, Rutgers Coach Chris Ash said 'To their credit, they just kept running power and toss and power and toss and counter, and they force you to fit. And we had some fit issues.” Don't we all?

12. Purdue (1-4, 3-5)

: The announced crowd at Purdue for the Nebraska-Boilermakers game was 41,411, far from a sellout. But in poker, 41,411 would be a full house.

13. Indiana (0-5, 3-5)

: Without question, the Hoosiers are the best 0-5 team in the Big Ten.

14. Illinois (0-5, 2-6): The Illini wore 'Gray Ghost” uniforms Saturday to salute Red Grange, who was called a gray ghost by sports writer Grantland Rice. Alas, Illinois completed just 9 of 31 passes in its 24-10 loss to Wisconsin. It never had a ghost of a chance.