Tag: big ten west standings

Wisconsin is atop the Big Ten West thanks to the refs in Iowa City

Wisconsin is atop the Big Ten West thanks to the refs in Iowa City:

Wisconsin found a late win at Illinois on Saturday to improve to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play. The win was not dominant by any means but it did the job of keeping the Badgers alive in the West.

The Iowa loss is still a killer given the Hawkeyes having the tiebreaker over the Badgers. But what Iowa also has is an incompetent offense that gives the team a chance to lose to anybody.

We saw that on Saturday. Iowa lost to Minnesota 12-10 to fall to 3-2 in conference play. Believe it or not, Wisconsin now leads the Big Ten West.

The craziest part here is how Iowa’s loss occurred. The Hawkeyes totaled 127 yards in the contest and only two yards in the second half. They had the single most pathetic second-half drive chart I’ve ever seen:

But the defense, per usual, had the team in the game. Then with Minnesota punting from its own 17 yard-line with 1:41 left in the game, chaos ensued:

The miraculous play by star Cooper Dejean was overturned, however. The refs deemed Dejean gave an illegal fair catch signal before picking up the ball.

This is a situation Wisconsin fans are familiar with, as the same thing happened to the Badgers in a 2015 contest against Northwestern:

Whether it was the correct call or not, the decision handed Iowa its second conference loss and moved Wisconsin into first place in the Big Ten West. The Badgers owe a thank you note to the referees in Iowa City.

Now Wisconsin just needs to pull an improbable upset against Ohio State this Saturday in Madison. If it somehow happens, the division is all-but theirs.

Big Ten West Standings After Week 9

Here are the Big Ten West standings after Week 9

The Nebraska Cornhuskers lost to the Illinois Fighting Illini 9-26 on Saturday, and it had a major impact on the Big Ten West standings. Illinois extended their lead at the top of the group with a 4-1 conference record. Meanwhile, Nebraska dropped all the way down to sixth with a 2-3 conference record.

Northwestern remains in last after losing to Iowa 13-33. The Wildcats have a 1-3 conference record and 1-7 overall record. Concurrently, the win moved the Hawkeyes up to fourth place.

Two teams in the division (Wisconsin and Purdue) did not play a game this week.

Let’s take a look at the full Big Ten West standings.

Big Ten West Standings After Week 7

Here are the Big Ten West standings after Week 7

Week 7 proved to be monumental for the landscape of the Big Ten West. There were two division matchups: Nebraska-Purdue and Illinois-Minnesota. Entering the games, Nebraska, Purdue, and Illinois were all potential candidates to claim the number one spot in the division.

Purdue ended up holding off Nebraska in a shootout 43-37. Meanwhile, Illinois held Minnesota to only 38 total passing yards, and the Fighting Illini marched to a 26-14 victory.

Wisconsin suffered a devastating loss in double overtime to Michigan State. Two teams in the division (Iowa and Northwestern) did not play a game this weekend.

Let’s take a look at the full Big Ten West standings.

Big Ten West Standings After Week 4

Here are the Big Ten West standings after Week 4.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers did not play a game during Week 4, but there was plenty of activity from the rest of the teams in the Big Ten West. The other six teams recorded a combined 4-2 record this week.

Notably, Minnesota and Iowa picked up their first conference wins of the season. Minnesota cruised to a 34-7 victory over Michigan State, and Iowa defeated Rutgers 27-10.

Northwestern continued to struggle. The Wildcats lost to Miami (OH) in overtime 14-17. Their only win this season came against Nebraska. Northwestern now has a 1-3 overall record. The victory looms large in the standings, however, as it is currently the only division win.

Let’s take a look at the full standings for the Big Ten West.

Big Ten West Standings After Week 3

Here are the Big Ten West standings after Week 3.

The Big Ten West has officially wrapped up Week 3.

During the weekend, the teams had a combined record of 3-3. Illinois was the lone team in the group that did not play a game.

Nebraska had the most notable loss, as they dropped to 1-3 after losing to Oklahoma 14-49. In addition, Purdue had a three-point loss to Syracuse, while Northwestern surprisingly lost to Southern Illinois 24-31.

Meanwhile, Minnesota had a big 49-7 win against Colorado. Iowa defeated Nevada 27-0, and Wisconsin blew out New Mexico State 66-7.

Let’s take a look at the full standings for the Big Ten West.

Three teams control their own Big Ten West destiny with six weeks remaining

Three teams control their own Big Ten West destiny with six weeks remaining

Much has been made of the Wisconsin Badgers controlling their own destiny in the Big Ten West after Purdue defeated Iowa last weekend.

The current Big Ten West standings are as follows:

  1. Iowa (3-1)
  2. Minnesota (2-1)
  3. Purdue (2-1)
  4. Wisconsin (1-2)
  5. Northwestern (1-2)
  6. Illinois (1-3)
  7. Nebraska (1-4)

The race is as wide open as can be. And somehow, the team in first place doesn’t even control its own destiny moving forward.

Here is where each team stands with six (or fewer) games remaining if they win out:

  • Iowa: Needs a Purdue loss
  • Purdue: Needs a Minnesota loss
  • Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern: Control their own destiny

That’s right. Wisconsin is not the only team with the ability to win out and capture the division, yet Iowa and Purdue are not those teams.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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ESPN SP+ likes Wisconsin’s chances against Purdue on Saturday

ESPN SP+ likes Wisconsin chances against Purdue on Saturday

Wisconsin is set to face No. 25 Purdue in what will be a critical game in the Big Ten West race.

It is undoubtedly a tough matchup for Wisconsin. Purdue boasts a strong defense led by star defensive end George Karlaftis and has the ability to beat teams passing the football.

If the Badgers win, they enter next weekend’s contest against Iowa with a chance to enter the Big Ten West driver’s set. If they lose, the division becomes nearly out of reach.

While many (including myself) are skeptical about Wisconsin’s chances at coming away with a victory on Saturday, Bill Connelly’s SP+ metric likes the Badgers chances.

The final score prediction? Wisconsin 27, Purdue 18.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

REPORT: Indiana starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is out for the season

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers will return to the field (for what seems like the fifth time) on Saturday and face off against the 5-1 and…

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers will return to the field (which seems like the fifth “return” they’ve had) on Saturday and face off against the 5-1 and No. 10-ranked Indiana Hoosiers at Camp Randall Stadium.

Indiana has put together an impressive season thus far, starting the year 4-0 with wins against Penn State and Michigan before falling to top-ranked Ohio State by only seven points.

Related: An update on our bold predictions for the Badgers’ 2020 football season

Their leader and best player, Michael Penix Jr, injured his leg last weekend against Maryland, however, and according to a report from Bruce Feldman will now miss the remainder of the season.

Along with playing the sports’ most important position and being immensely talented, he’s put together the best season-long performance the Big Ten has seen from the position.

Here is how his stats rank in the conference:

  • Pass attempts: first
  • Completions: first
  • Passing touchdowns: first
  • Total yards: first
  • Passing yards: first
  • Total touchdowns: first
  • Adjusted passing yards-per-attempt: second

He’s been practically unstoppable and has proven to be the spark the Indiana program needed.

The Badgers will now face the Penix Jr.-less Hoosiers on Saturday which will help their chances at bouncing back from the loss at Northwestern and improving to 3-1 on the season.

Five keys to a Wisconsin victory over Northwestern on Saturday

The 2-0 and No. 10-ranked Wisconsin Badgers are set to go into battle on Saturday against the 4-0 and No. 19-ranked Northwestern Wildcats…

The 2-0 and No. 10-ranked Wisconsin Badgers are set to go into battle on Saturday against the 4-0 and No. 19-ranked Northwestern Wildcats in a game that will most likely end up deciding the Big Ten West division.

Northwestern has completely turned things around from their 3-9 2019 campaign and currently sit atop the West division after wins against Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska and Purdue. They haven’t exactly beaten the Ohio States of the world, but this is a much-improved football team that is playing well on both sides of the football.

Related: Everything you need to know about the 2020 Northwestern Wildcats

The Badgers, on the other hand, enter the contest after a 49-11 drumming of the Michigan Wolverines last Saturday. We know about the two-week layoff that led up to that contest due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program, but what Paul Chryst’s team did on Saturday answered a lot of questions about how good his team really is.

It seems like every year when these two teams meet their records go out the window, as no matter how good either team is the contest turns into a slugfest and seems to always be closely-contested.

The Badgers will need to many things right if they want to come away with a victory and move into first place in the West division.

Here are five keys to a Wisconsin victory over Northwestern on Saturday:

Related:

Wisconsin vs. Northwestern: Series history

After a dominant 49-11 victory against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, the No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers now sit at 2-0 on the year…

After a dominant 49-11 victory against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, the No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers now sit at 2-0 on the year with a combined point margin of 94-18.

It’s been an impressive start, even with the team having two games canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the program.

Related: Studs and duds from the Badgers’ onslaught of the Michigan Wolverines

Michigan is now in the rearview, so all eyes now turn to this weekend’s opponent: the 4-0 and No. 19-ranked Northwestern Wildcats. With the Badgers having only played two games thus far, the Wildcats sit in first place in the Big Ten West after taking care of business against Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska and Purdue.

We’ll be previewing the game all week. But first, here is the series history between the two schools:

 

All-time record: 60-36-5 in favor of Wisconsin

Current win streak: 1 (Wisconsin)

Largest margin of victory: 56-0 (Wisconsin), 41-0 (Northwestern)

Longest win streak: 13 (Wisconsin), 6 (Northwestern)

 

The series has been especially close as of late, with the Badgers holding a 10-9 advantage during the teams’ last 19 contests.

Wisconsin also holds nearly every all-time advantage, with more wins, conference championships, bowl games, NFL Draft picks, Heisman winners, All-Americans and weeks in the AP Poll.

The only area where Northwestern boasts an advantage is weeks at AP No. 1, with five compared to only one for Wisconsin.

 

The two teams will take the field in Evanston, Illinois at 2:30 Central on Saturday in a game that may decide the Big Ten West.

 

Gameday work: