Nov 07, 2017

Big Ten & SEC Week 10 Recap: Iowa and Michigan State Stun the Big Ten

Standings and Results

Big Ten

SEC

AP Top 10

1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Notre Dame
4. Clemson
5. Oklahoma
6. Wisconsin
7. Miami
8. TCU
9. Washington
10. Auburn

Hawkeyes Cruise in Iowa City Stunner

Ohio State appeared to have momentum on its side after its Week 9 win over Penn State in Columbus, but the Buckeyes ran into a buzzsaw at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, dropping a 55-24 decision to Iowa State that few likely saw coming.

The game got off to a poor start for Ohio State, which entered the game ranked No. 6 in the initial CFP poll. Eight seconds in, the Bucks were already down 7-0 thanks to an Amani Hooker pick-six on the first play from scrimmage:

The teams were all square through the 10:22 mark of the second quarter, when a 44-yard touchdown pass from J.T. Barrett to Johnnie Dixon tied the score at 17-17. But Iowa scored twice in the final 3:06 of the first half and outscored the Buckeyes 17-7 in the fourth quarter, part of a 38-7 game-ending run leading to the most lopsided Iowa win in series history. (The previous mark was set in 2004, when Iowa beat Ohio State 33-7, also in Iowa City; Iowa’s 55 points are also the most scored by the Hawkeyes in series history.)

The effort was also apparently enough to make a believer of Colin Cowherd, who earlier in the week described the Hawkeyes as the “fake ID of college football.”

Defensively, Iowa held Ohio State to 371 yards of offense — 200 below its season average — and was led by Josh Jackson, whose three interceptions tied a school record also held by Tyler Sash and Grant Steen.

Overall, the Hawkeyes have won four of their past five home games against teams ranked in the AP Top 5 (Saturday, vs. Michigan in 2016, vs. Michigan State in 2010 and vs. Penn State in 2007), and this week will aim to deal Wisconsin its first loss of the season when the team heads to Camp Randall.

Sparty Brings the Rain Against Penn State

Michigan State bounced back from its triple-overtime loss to Northwestern last week with a 27-24 win over Penn State at a rain-soaked Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

The game, which kicked off at 12:05 p.m. local time, did not end until 7:03, thanks to a three hour, 22 minute rain delay that started with Penn State leading 14-7 in the middle of the second quarter — one that even had Spartans coach Mark Dantonio making jokes to pass the time:

Once the teams returned to the field, Michigan State tied things up, then took the lead on an L.J. Scott touchdown run midway through the third. Penn State responded, however, and took a 24-21 edge into the final frame thanks to this 70-yard touchdown pass from Trace McSorley to DeAndre Thompkins on the final play of the third:

Later, however, it was Thompkins who couldn’t corral a fourth-down pass from McSorley with the game tied at 24-24 late in the fourth quarter, giving Michigan State one last shot to steal a win. Eight plays later, a roughing the passer call on 3rd-and-4 kept the Spartans’ drive alive, and as time expired, Michigan State kicker Matt Coghlin knocked through a 34-yard field goal for the win.

The victory was Michigan State’s eighth over an AP Top 10 team since 2013 — the Spartans trail only Alabama in the category in that span — and gave Sparty a slim 16-15-1 edge in the all-time series with Penn State. This week, Michigan travels to Columbus for a crucial Big Ten East showdown with Ohio State, while the Nittany Lions will look to get back on track when they host Rutgers in State College.

‘Bama Passes Latest Test vs. LSU

No. 2 Alabama faced arguably its its stiffest test of the season Saturday when LSU traveled to Tuscaloosa for the teams’ annual SEC West showdown. And while the visiting Tigers were able to claim the total yardage and time of possession battles (306-299 and 34:07-25:53, respectively), it was the Crimson Tide that emerged victorious for the sixth consecutive year, controlling throughout in a 24-10 win.

For the third consecutive season, Alabama never trailed in the game, and the Tide’s first score this time around was set up by an impressive 47-yard pitch and catch from Jalen Hurts to Henry Ruggs III — who, incredibly, had not caught a pass this season that was not a touchdown before this play:

https://twitter.com/DarrellPuckett/status/926970180667920385

Once it had the lead, Alabama did what Alabama does, and while LSU made things interesting with a third-quarter touchdown to cut the lead to 21-10 following Darrel Williams’ 54-yard carry out of the wildcat, LSU managed just 24 yards of offense in the fourth quarter and failed to get on the board again.

Alabama — which also honored alum and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas during the game — has now won 21 consecutive SEC regular-season contests dating back to Sept. 2015 and is closing in on the program’s all-time record of 27, set from 1976-80. Saturday also marked the 79th time a Nick Saban-coached Alabama team held an opponent to 10 points or less — including the seventh time this season and the 22nd time in the Tide’s past 39 games.

This week, Alabama looks to move to 10-0 on the year when it visits Mississippi State in Starkville, while LSU looks to get back on track against Arkansas, which rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Coastal Carolina in Week 10.

Team Selection Committee Recap

The Florida Citrus Sports Team Selection Committee held its latest meeting of the 2017-18 season Monday morning at Camping World Stadium in the newly-renovated Varsity Club — and after another week of memorable college football, there were more than a few exciting stories to go around. READ MORE >>>

Vote for the Play of the Week!

Week 10 was filled with memorable plays in the Big Ten and SEC. Here were two of our favorites. Make sure you vote for the best in the poll below!

1) D.K. Metcalf hauled in this touchdown pass from Jordan Ta’amu to give Ole Miss a 37-34 lead with five seconds left to play in its comeback win over Kentucky:

2) We mentioned Josh Jackson’s three interceptions for Iowa this weekend, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more impressive pick than this one:

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