ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

I've been wrapped up with Ohio State-Illinois so far, but here's my take on the other Big Ten games today.

NORTHWESTERN 21, MICHIGAN 14

Quarterback C.J. Bacher returned to the starting lineup, threw his customary interception but then came back in the second half to lead Northwestern to another road win. Bacher in many ways represents Northwestern this season. There are always some anxious moments, but the job usually gets done. A strong third quarter and tough defense in lousy weather helped Northwestern improve to 8-3, virtually assuring the Wildcats of a solid bowl placement.

Michigan remains a mess, particularly at the quarterback position. Neither Nick Sheridan nor Steven Threet could get anything going, and Michigan suffered a school-record eighth loss. The Wolverines mustered just 83 passing yards. Last week's win at Minnesota looked like a mirage, and Michigan will have a hard time keeping pace with Ohio State.

IOWA 22, PURDUE 17

Is there anything more to be said about Iowa's Shonn Greene? After today's 211-yard, two-touchdown performance, he could very well be the nation's best running back. Greene and Ohio State's Chris Wells are the most NFL-ready running backs in the country, and Greene could earn himself a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony if he keeps this up. Iowa struggled a bit following the Penn State win, but Greene's play and solid run defense sealed the win.

You have to feel for Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter. He gets back on the field and turns in an extremely efficient performance (24-for-30 passing, 190 yards). But it wasn't enough, and Purdue is assured of the most losses in Joe Tiller's tenure.

PENN STATE 34, INDIANA 7

Credit Indiana for battling hard in the first half. The banged-up Hoosiers capitalized on a still-shaken Penn State team and played more or less even for the opening half. But Penn State eventually rediscovered its big-play offense, and wide receiver Derrick Williams was the primary beneficiary.

The Nittany Lions had three turnovers and will need a much more polished performance to beat Michigan State, but their defense limited Indiana to 180 yards.

WISCONSIN 35, MINNESOTA 32

The battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe proved to be the most entertaining game of the day. Minnesota performed much better than expected on offense without star wideout Eric Decker, but the Gophers' problems on the offensive line came back to haunt them in the second half. Wisconsin won the line of scrimmage today, both with P.J. Hill (116 rush yards) and a pass rush that recorded one of two safeties.

The Badgers are bowl eligible and can improve their standing by beating Cal-Poly next week. Minnesota has dropped three straight and could be falling down the bowl pecking order after a startling start.