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My apologies for posting this late (I was under the weather Thursday), but new Minnesota coach Jerry Kill is retaining only two members from Tim Brewster's staff.

Thomas Hammock will remain with the Gophers as running backs coach, and director of football operations Dan O'Brien also will continue in his role. No word on whether O'Brien's Olympic gold medal will be retained as well. Whoops, wrong Dan O'Brien.

It's not a huge surprise that Kill didn't retain more assistants from Tim Brewster's staff. Kill has a core group of his own long-time aides. Several are already with him at Minnesota, and others, like current Northern Illinois quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski, likely soon will follow.

Hammock is a strong recruiter who has done a good job developing Minnesota's running backs. He also showed promise as a playcaller down the stretch this fall after Jeff Horton moved into the interim coach role.

"Whenever you take a new job as a head coach, you search for that special guy on the current staff,” Kill said in a statement. "There were some good coaches here. But Thomas Hammock is a great fit for us. On the recruiting trail, Thomas is known around the country as a relentless recruiter. You go to the national convention and you hear people talk about how hard he works in recruiting. Thomas is an intense guy. He works very hard. He’s just a good fit for us."

A lot of us were rooting for Horton to find a spot on Kill's staff, as he did a terrific job keeping Minnesota's team together after the midseason firing of Brewster. But you can't fault Kill for sticking with the guys he knows and trusts.

"Coach Horton did an outstanding job with the program," Kill said. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He was tremendously helpful with the transition. There is no doubt there would have been a place for him on my staff, but I was able to bring in my offensive coordinator [Matt Limegrover] who has been with me for 13 years. I will still use coach Horton as a resource,” Kill added. “We’ll be spending a lot of time on the phone and I’m sure there will be a few steak dinners in our future. Jeff Horton made the University of Minnesota better."

Hopefully, Horton catches on somewhere soon. Good coach and good guy.

It's not too late to join the Big Ten chat, which begins right now.

• Iowa doesn't have a drug problem but it tried to address its perception problem Tuesday, CBSsports.com's Dennis Dodd writes. The Hawkeyes are mired in a rough stretch, AOL FanHouse's Mark Hasty writes. Coach Kirk Ferentz didn't say much of note Tuesday, but he looked worn down, Sean Keeler writes in the Des Moines Register.
• Monday Night Football is coming to Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium, Paul Levy writes in the Star Tribune.
• The Big Ten defends its new division names, Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Rivals.com reveals its Big Ten All-Freshman team, which looks a lot like mine. Several Big Ten freshman appear on Phil Steele's national All-Freshman squad.
• Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor is feeling disrespected, and he could look to prove a point in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Bill Livingston writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Buckeyes don't know much about Arkansas -- the team or the state, Ken Gordon writes in The Columbus Dispatch.
• The Detroit News' Lynn Henning wonders: if Michigan came calling, would Jim Harbaugh listen? Arkansas' Ryan Mallett says he still has "a little Michigan in me" regarding his feelings on Ohio State.
• Jeff Horton and all but one of Tim Brewster's former assistants won't be retained at Minnesota, Charley Walters writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press.
• Wisconsin safety Aaron Henry overcame injuries to finish his career strong, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. Wisconsin's governor is a part of the team's official Rose Bowl party heading to Pasadena, Don Walker writes in the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
• Penn State will conduct several bowl practices at the Philadelphia Phillies' training complex in Clearwater, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News.
• Big Ten defenders Greg Jones of Michigan State and Ryan Kerrigan of Purdue are cleaning up with the postseason awards.
• Michigan State offensive lineman John Stipek forecasted a special season and says the Spartans aren't done yet, Greg Johnson writes in The Grand Rapids Press.
• It's back to the basics for Northwestern's defense, Greenstein writes.
• New Indiana coach Kevin Wilson is driven by loyalty, LaMond Pope writes in The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
• Illinois adds another commitment for its 2011 class, Joe Mink writes in the Ithaca Journal.

Jerry Kill is moving from Northern Illinois to Minnesota, and he's bringing his coordinators with him.

Kill will keep two of his longtime aides in the same roles with the Gophers according to a report in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press. Matt Limegrover will serve as Minnesota's offensive coordinator, and Tracy Claeys will coordinator the Gophers' defense.

Both Limegrove and Claeys have served on Kill's staff for more than a decade, so no surprise here.

"My offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator have been with me a long time and are with me right now," Kill told the Pioneer Press. "Then we're going to go from there. I'm working through it, making sure I put the best staff together available for the University of Minnesota."

Kill told me this week that he would wait and see how Northern Illinois would proceed in forming its coaching staff for the upcoming Humanitarian Bowl. Tom Matukewicz, the Huskies' linebackers coach under Kill, is serving as NIU's interim head coach.

I'll never fault a coach for sticking with assistants who make him comfortable. The big challenge for Kill and his staff remains recruiting to a higher level with the Gophers. It'll be interesting to see if Kill retains any of Tim Brewster's assistants. Limegrover's appointment probably means Minnesota's previous offensive coordinator, Jeff Horton, will end up elsewhere.

Limegrover started his coaching career at the University of Chicago and served as a graduate assistant at Northwestern in 1995-96, as the Wildcats won back-to-back Big Ten championships. Claeys hasn't coached in the Big Ten before.

A very rough season in Minneapolis ended on a good note with hope for better things ahead.

Minnesota would love to delete most of the 2010 season, as the team endured a nine-game losing streak and became the first FBS squad to fire its coach this fall. Tim Brewster was sent packing in mid October after his team slipped to 1-6.

The Gophers had a multitude of problems, but most traced back to a defense that began the season with 11 new starters. Minnesota ranked last in the Big Ten against the run (191.4 ypg) and struggled to slow down opponents for long stretches. Special teams also were problematic at times, and the offense couldn't translate yards into points. Although quarterback Adam Weber improved upon his poor junior season, he and his teammates struggled to put it all together for victories.

To the Gophers' credit, they never stopped fighting, and interim coach Jeff Horton did a fantastic job keeping the team united. Minnesota finally broke through at Illinois on Nov. 13 and followed it up with an upset victory against Iowa to claim a rivalry trophy for the first time since 2006. Players like receiver/quarterback MarQueis Gray and cornerback Troy Stoudermire finished the season the right way.

It's time for Minnesota to close the book on 2010 and start a new chapter.

Offensive MVP: Adam Weber. The wins didn't come until November, but Weber gave Minnesota chances to win with an improved performance from 2009. He passed for 2,679 yards with 20 touchdown strikes and nine interceptions, and he added 156 rushing yards. Receiver Da'Jon McKnight merits a mention here after tying for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions.

Defensive MVP: Gary Tinsley. Tinsley developed into one of the Big Ten's more productive linebackers in 2010. He ranked 10th in the league in tackles per game (7.5) and ranked second on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss. Tinsley added a forced fumble and an interception. Stoudermire, linebacker Mike Rallis and safety Kyle Theret should be mentioned as well.

Turning point: Minnesota never truly recovered from a Week 2 loss to FCS South Dakota State, which scored at will against the Gophers. But Minnesota continued to play hard and had a great chance to open Big Ten play at 1-0 after building a 28-20 fourth-quarter lead against Northwestern on Oct. 2. But the Gophers couldn't hang on and fell 29-28. Two weeks later, Brewster was canned and Minnesota endured five consecutive losses by double digits after the Northwestern defeat.

What's next: Minnesota on Monday introduced Jerry Kill as its new head coach. Kill isn't the big name Gophers fans had hoped for, but he has a track record of turning around programs and brings a more measured approach to Minneapolis after Brewster's promises of Big Ten titles. The rebuilding likely will continue in 2011, but Kill inherits some nice pieces, including Gray and McKnight.

Still basking in the glow of another ACC-Big Ten Challenge win? Yeah, I thought so.

• Mike Leach feels he's a good fit not only at Miami, but at Minnesota, Phil Miller writes in the Star Tribune. Gophers interim coach Jeff Horton finally gets an interview for the real thing, Charley Walters writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press.
• The Big Ten needs to back up its big talk in the bowls, Michael Hunt writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Big Ten expansion might not be done yet, annarbor.com's Pete Bigelow writes.
• In case you missed it, Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee backs off his controversial comments from last week, Ken Gordon writes in The Columbus Dispatch. Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor has a legitimate beef about not being on the All-Big Ten squad, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises.
• Michigan State is a good story, but getting a BCS at-large berth seems doubtful, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal. The Spartans have a big recruiting weekend on tap, Matt Dorsey writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• Indiana is asking its players to assist in the coaching search, Pete DiPrimio writes in The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel.
• No contract extension for Purdue coach Danny Hope, but his boss supports him amid fan criticism, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
• A good case for why Big Ten coaching target Brady Hoke should stay at San Diego State, Tim Sullivan writes in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
• Wisconsin fans are already booking their trips to Pasadena, Deborah Ziff writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. Bret Bielema is going through the Bristol car wash today, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette's Marc Morehouse states Iowa's case to the bowl selection committees.
• A good Q&A with Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Petrino from The (Champaign) News-Gazette's Bob Asmussen. Illini running back Mikel Leshoure is focused on the immediate future, not the NFL, Mark Tupper writes in The (Decatur) Herald & Review.
• The uncertainty surrounding Michigan's coaching staff could impact recruiting, Mark Snyder writes in the Detroit Free Press.
• It's still slow going for Penn State's 2011 recruiting class, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisbrug) Patriot-News.
• Northwestern likely is bound for the TicketCity Bowl, Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune.

Let's look back before a very quick look ahead.

Team of the Week: Michigan State. The Spartans put the final stamp on a special season by winning at Penn State for the first time since 1965. The victory gave Michigan State a share of the Big Ten championship for the first time since 1990. Michigan State took control of the game early behind quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Edwin Baker and a stout defense, and held on late to prevail 28-22. Minnesota and Indiana both deserve mentions as well for winning rivalry games and earning the right to do this and this.

Biggest play: Two defensive plays propelled Minnesota and Indiana to wins Saturday. Gophers cornerback Troy Stoudermire stripped the ball from Iowa's Marcus Coker late in the fourth quarter, which led to Minnesota running out the clock to preserve a 27-24 victory. Indiana linebacker Jeff Thomas picked off a Rob Henry pass in overtime, allowing the Hoosiers to drive for the game-winning field goal. Michigan State's recovery of an onside kick after Penn State had cut its deficit to six points also stands out.

Specialist spotlight: Indiana freshman Mitch Ewald came up big against Purdue with two field goals, the first to send the game into overtime and the second to win it in the extra session. Minnesota's Eric Ellestad went 2-for-2 on field goals and recovered his own onside kick against Iowa, helping the Gophers jump out to a 10-0 lead. Ohio State's Jordan Hall prevented Michigan from gaining any momentum with an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown midway through the second quarter. Northwestern's Venric Mark had a 94-yard kick return for a touchdown against Wisconsin, and his 273 return yards mark the second-highest single-game total in Big Ten history. Ohio State's Devin Barclay went 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts. The day featured good punting performances from Purdue's Cody Webster (56-yard average, three inside the 20-yard line), Iowa's Ryan Donahue (47.5-yard average, two inside the 20-yard line), Michigan State's Aaron Bates (46.5-yard average, two inside the 20-yard line) and Wisconsin's Brad Nortman (39.6-yard average, four inside the 20-yard line).

Filling the void: A quick shoutout to Jeff Horton, who did a very good job in a very difficult situation at Minnesota as interim coach. Horton kept the team focused despite the midseason firing of head coach Tim Brewster, and the Gophers ended the year with two solid wins against Illinois and Iowa. Although Minnesota will bring in a new coach, I would hope Horton gets consideration to remain on the staff. Otherwise, I'm sure he'll latch on elsewhere.

Game balls (given to players on winning or losing teams not recognized in helmet stickers)

• Ohio State defensive end Nathan Williams: Williams ended the regular season on a very strong note with 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups as Ohio State held Michigan scoreless in the second half.
• Indiana receiver Tandon Doss: Doss recorded three touchdown catches for the second multi-touchdown game of his career. He added 18 rushing yards on two carries and had 117 yards on six kickoff returns with a long of 30 yards.
• Indiana linebacker Jeff Thomas: In addition to the interception in overtime, Thomas recorded three tackles for loss against Purdue.
• Michigan State cornerback Chris L. Rucker: The senior recorded three pass breakups, a forced fumble and five tackles for a playmaking secondary in the win against Penn State.
• Purdue linebacker Jason Werner: Werner finished his college career by recording 3.5 tackles for loss and eight total tackles in the overtime loss to Indiana.
• Minnesota running backs DeLeon Eskridge and Duane Bennett: The Gophers backfield tandem finished an up-and-down season on a good note, combining for 158 rush yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries in the win against Iowa.
• Wisconsin safety Jay Valai: Valai recorded six tackles with a forced fumble and an interception as the Badgers recorded seven takeaways in the rout of Northwestern.
• Michigan defensive end Ryan Van Bergen: It was another rough day for the Wolverines' defense, but Van Bergen did his part with three tackles for loss, a sack and five total tackles.

There's only one Big Ten game on the docket this week and it comes to you Friday night on ESPN2.

Illinois (6-5) at Fresno State (7-4): The Illini can secure their first winning season since 2007 and possibly earn a berth to a Florida bowl with a victory. Fresno State typically plays very well at home, but has dropped games to Nevada and Hawaii on its home turf. The Bulldogs won last year's contest in Champaign 53-52 after one of the wildest plays you'll ever see, a two-point conversion by Fresno State offensive lineman Devan Cunningham following a tipped pass. Illinois' Mikel Leshoure rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns against Fresno State last year and comes off of a 330-yard rushing performance at Wrigley Field.

Don't forget that the 2010 All-Big Ten teams will be revealed tonight. I'll have immediate reaction on the blog.

• In case you missed them, my Week 14 Power Rankings.
• SI.com's Stewart Mandel knows the bowls, and he has some Big Ten surprises in his latest projections. Colleagues Mark Schlabach and Andrea Adelson also weigh in on the bowls.
• The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises reveals his Big Ten awards endorsements.
• Reaction to Indiana's firing of Bill Lynch and what the future holds from The Indianapolis Star's Terry Hutchens, The (Bloomington) Herald-Times' Andy Graham, The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel's Pete DiPrimio and this guy.
• Michigan AD Dave Brandon is sticking to his timetable of evaluating Rich Rodriguez and the program after the bowl game. Both Michigan and Rodriguez deserve a quicker answer, Michael Rosenberg writes in the Detroit Free Press. The Ohio State loss shows it's time for a change in Ann Arbor, Bob Wojnowski writes in The Detroit News.
• Wisconsin belongs on the stage with the nation's top teams, Michael Hunt writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Badgers can start packing for Pasadena, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal.
• Michigan State AD Mark Hollis made a hire that changed the football program's identity, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal. The BCS standings are screwy and prevent Michigan State from its ultimate goal, Lynn Henning writes in The Detroit News.
• Ohio State thinks it's worthy of a BCS bowl berth, Matt Markey writes in the Toledo Blade.
• Joe Paterno's hearing issues have to be a concern for Penn State, Cory Giger writes in The Altoona Mirror. Leadership remains a big question mark with the Nittany Lions, Jared Shanker writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News.
• Jeff Horton made a good case to return to Minnesota in some capacity, Marcus Fuller writes in The (St. Paul) Pioneer Press. Minnesota's coaching search is entering the final stages, Fuller writes.
• Iowa's third straight loss leaves players and coaches baffled, Andy Hamilton writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen. The Hawkeyes coaches seem to have lost the team, Pat Harty writes in the Press-Citizen.

Jeff Horton won't win Big Ten Coach of the Year. That honor will deservedly go to Michigan State's Mark Dantonio or Wisconsin's Bret Bielema.

But Horton deserves a ton of credit for keeping Minnesota on track through a very tough time. And today, the Gophers got a big reward.

The Floyd of Rosedale.

Minnesota's 27-24 upset of No. 24 Iowa allowed the Gophers to hoist a rivalry trophy for the first time since 2006. And you could tell how excited the Minnesota players were as they raced over to grab the bronze pig on Iowa's sideline.

Those of us who know Gophers quarterback Adam Weber are happy for him Saturday. He has endured a ton of losing in his college career, and to win a rivalry trophy in his final game is something he'll never forget. Weber had a so-so day passing the ball, but he got plenty of help from running backs DeLeon Eskridge (95 rush yards, TD) and Duane Bennett (63 rush yards, TD).

Backup quarterback MarQueis Gray also provided a lift with 39 rush yards and a score, including a huge third-down conversion to set up the winning touchdown.

What a letdown for Iowa, which dropped its final three Big Ten games by a total of 10 points. The Hawkeyes once again seemed to wear down on defense and recorded only 218 offensive yards against the nation's No. 88 defense.

I expected a lot more from a senior-laden Iowa team that needs to refocus itself for a bowl game.

Minnesota's open week came at the perfect time, but only because of what the Gophers had done on the preceding Saturday.

A win at Illinois snapped a nine-game losing streak and an eight-game Big Ten slide stretching back to last season. The emotion-charged triumph momentarily parted the clouds and left the Gophers feeling good and relaxed as they went through practice last week.

"You could definitely tell we had a different feel around here," interim coach Jeff Horton said. "You could actually smile and laugh and not be fake."

More than a week after the victory, Horton wasn't about to minimize what it meant.

"The old monkey had grown into a gorilla, it was King Kong on our backs, losing that many in a row," Horton said. "So obviously, it was an awesome feeling to get that off of you."

Minnesota is undoubtedly the looser team heading into Saturday's season finale at TCF Bank Stadium. But Iowa is still the better team.

The Hawkeyes simply need to play like it. Although they've fallen well short of preseason expectations, they can still secure a Jan. 1 bowl berth and retain the Floyd of Rosedale with a win in Minneapolis.

Iowa's biggest challenge could be the mental hurdle of bouncing back from consecutive losses in which it blew fourth-quarter leads.

"I'd have concerns either way," Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said. "If we were coming off two big, euphoric-type wins, I'd be concerned probably the other direction. So it's like in any game. ... The mental state of the team is always an issue that you think about and try to do your best to manage. Circumstances change, but you're always trying to anticipate how the team's thinking and what things you might have to cover."

Iowa has held Minnesota scoreless in each of the teams' last two meetings, and the Hawkeyes have surrendered a combined 39 points in five of their wins this season. While Ferentz has struggled with Iowa's previous two opponents, Ohio State and Northwestern, he's 8-3 against Minnesota.

"It is a huge rivalry game," Horton said. "In the last 10 years, we're 2-8, so we’ve got to do our part to rekindle that. We don't want Iowa to feel comfortable about just coming in expecting to win."

For the first time in 72 days, the Minnesota Golden Gophers entered a locker room with smiles on their faces.

What happened after their 38-34 win against Illinois was to be expected.

"It was definitely insane," Gophers running back DeLeon Eskridge told ESPN.com. "I wish we had cameras in there or something because we just went crazy. It was wild, and we just enjoyed it."

Minnesota had waited a long time to celebrate something after a season filled with disappointment.

The Gophers came to Illinois as losers of nine consecutive games. Their head coach, Tim Brewster, had been fired Oct. 17 after the team dropped its sixth consecutive contest. The team had struggled mightily in all three phases, and most assumed Minnesota would finish 1-11 for the second time in four years.

Motivating Minnesota to play out the string wasn't an easy task, but interim coach Jeff Horton saw no quit in the players.

"The easy thing to do is walk away or believe what everybody's saying, 'You've got no chance,'" Horton said. "That's human nature. And I thought in the second half [against] Ohio State, it got away from us. The turning point was against Michigan State last week at the half, when they scored on the last play. They had all the momentum, but we came back out in the second half, played really well and it carried over into [Saturday]."

Minnesota jumped out to a 17-7 halftime lead, but as has been the case all season, the good times didn't last. Illinois stormed back to claim a 34-24 edge with 8:14 to play, as the Gophers had no answer for running back Mikel Leshoure.

Another defeat seemed certain, but Minnesota got some life when Troy Stoudermire returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards.

"The main thing that was being said was, 'We can still win this, don't give up, it's still a close game, keep going,'" Eskridge said. "We definitely did that."

After Minnesota stopped Illinois with 2:44 left, the Gophers took the ball at their own 20-yard line, trailing 34-31. Horton approached senior quarterback Adam Weber, telling him to enjoy the moment: his last road game in college, trying to run the 2-minute drill to win the game.

Weber also had received some encouragement from Brewster, who sent him a text message Friday that read: "Call me after you beat them." Weber came through, making plays with both his feet and his arm as Minnesota reached the end zone in 10 plays.

"He puts up with so much crap and never complains," Horton said of Weber. "All he does is do the right thing all the time, say the right thing, so it was really rewarding for him."

The emotion in Horton's voice was still there hours after the game, as Minnesota waited to board its flight home.

"Just the circumstances, all the uncertainty, coaches, players, all we've been through," Horton said. "I don't think people realize how hard this is. It's a daily grind to try to keep moving forward. To see it pay off for the kids and the coaches was awesome."

» Power Rankings: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

I'll be the first to admit this installment of the power rankings went easy on some teams. Although Iowa lost to Northwestern, I still have a hard time dropping the Hawkeyes below the No. 4 spot. Same thing for Penn State at No. 5.

Should Michigan vault both the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions after two somewhat shaky wins? Let's remember that Michigan lost to both Iowa and Penn State. And while Northwestern finally put it all together against Iowa, I have a hard time placing the Wildcats ahead of both Iowa and Penn State.

Basically, Iowa and Penn State get a bit of a pass this week. But both teams had better get things in gear this coming Saturday.

1. Wisconsin (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten): The Badgers flexed their muscles in a historic offensive performance Saturday against Indiana. Some felt Bret Bielema went too far, but he can't tell his players to stop playing the game. Wisconsin has the easiest closing slate of the three league title contenders, but it must find a way to get over the hump in the state of Michigan.

2. Ohio State (9-1, 5-1): After a lackluster first half, Ohio State looked like the team we've come to know under Jim Tressel in the month of November. The Buckeyes overpowered Penn State with Dan Herron and the run game, and an always opportunistic defense recorded two interception returns for touchdowns. Things get tougher this week with a trip to Iowa City.

3. Michigan State (9-1, 5-1): The open week came at a good time for Michigan State, which had to be pleased seeing Iowa stumble at Northwestern. The Spartans now become big Hawkeyes fans as they want Iowa to beat Ohio State and increase the likelihood of a two-team tie atop the Big Ten between Michigan State and Wisconsin, which the Spartans would win.

4. Iowa (7-3, 4-2): Sure, the Hawkeyes didn't drop in the power rankings, but they took a major step back in the Big Ten title race. Iowa would need a lot to go wrong elsewhere to have any chance to catch both Wisconsin and Michigan State in the final two weeks. Given the preseason expectations and all the seniors coming back, Iowa should be disappointed with how things have turned out.

T-5. Penn State (6-4, 3-3): This is another team that shouldn't feel good about being in the same spot in the rankings. Penn State did a lot of good things in the first half at Ohio State but completely fell apart in the final 30 minutes. Quarterback Matt McGloin's hot start abruptly ended, and it will be interesting to see how things play out under center in the final two weeks. Penn State should bounce back this week against Indiana.

T-5. Northwestern (7-3, 3-3): The Wildcats recorded a season-affirming win against Iowa but unfortunately lost star quarterback Dan Persa to a season-ending injury. No Big Ten player has meant more to his team than Persa this fall, so expectations have to be tempered the rest of the season. Redshirt freshman Evan Watkins will need to grow up fast, and he'll need help from the offensive line and the run game.

6. Michigan (7-3, 3-3): Kudos to the much-maligned Michigan defense for bailing out Denard Robinson and the offense Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium. Michigan played a very sloppy game and made several questionable decisions, but it found a way to beat a banged-up Purdue team and ensure its first winning season since 2007. Things get a lot tougher the final two weeks with Wisconsin and Ohio State.

8. Illinois (5-5, 3-4): Only a few plays separate Illinois from a 7-3 mark, but the team's inability to beat both Michigan and Minnesota suddenly puts bowl eligibility in jeopardy. The Illini must beat a shorthanded but fired-up Northwestern squad this week at Wrigley Field or knock off Fresno State on the road Dec. 3 to reach the six-win plateau. If not, the heat will rise for coach Ron Zook.

9. Purdue (4-6, 2-4): Despite having the Big Ten's best defensive player in end Ryan Kerrigan, the Boilers are too injured and too limited on offense to beat decent teams. Purdue's defense has made several big plays the past two weeks, but the Boilers simply haven't converted enough opportunities and have made too many major mistakes of their own. It doesn't get any easier this week with a trip to Michigan State.

10. Minnesota (2-9, 1-6): It would have been easy for Minnesota to give up weeks ago, and especially after falling behind by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter. But interim coach Jeff Horton and his players didn't relent and mounted an impressive come-from-behind win on the road. You had to feel happy for quarterback Adam Weber and the other seniors who have endured so many losses in their careers.

11. Indiana (4-6, 0-6): Until Saturday, the Hoosiers could hang their hats on competing hard in Big Ten games. But they couldn't generate any defensive stops against Wisconsin, even after the Badgers put their second- and third-stringers into the game. Allowing 83 points is simply unacceptable, and Bill Lynch needs to get more out of his team the last two weeks to ensure he's back in 2011.

Minnesota just showed why you should never give up in college football. Kudos to Jeff Horton and his team.

Meanwhile, Illinois fans might be ready to give up on Ron Zook once again.

Minnesota ended its nine-game losing streak with a 38-34 come-from-behind win against Illinois. It marked the Gophers' first win since Sept. 2 and their first conference victory since Oct. 31, 2009, against Michigan State.

The most impressive thing from Minnesota was its resiliency after getting down 34-24 with 8:14 remaining. Think about it: you're 1-9, your coach has been fired, you're on the road and a bye week beckons. But the Gophers didn't quit, mounting two touchdown drives and scoring the game-winner on DeLeon Eskridge's third touchdown run, with 16 seconds left.

Adam Weber passed for 225 yards and two touchdowns for a well-deserved win.

This is crushing for Illinois and it once again raises serious questions about Zook's leadership. It's not merely that the Illini have lost two straight, but how they did. Defense and special teams have been Illinois' hallmarks this season, but both areas have let down in the past two losses.

Illinois had everything to play for today on Senior Day but came out flat. And after taking control late, the Illini let up and gave Minnesota new life.

Bowl eligibility seemed like a foregone conclusion two weeks ago. Now Illinois needs to beat Northwestern in Chicago or Fresno State on the road to get it done. Won't be easy.

Ten items to track in the Big Ten heading into Week 11:

1. 'Eyes face final hurdles before showdown: Most folks believe that no remaining regular season game will impact the Big Ten title race more than No. 9 Ohio State at No. 13 Iowa on Nov. 20 at Kinnick Stadium. But for that game to truly mean something, both the Buckeyes and the Hawkeyes must take care of business this week. Ohio State faces a Penn State squad riding a wave of confidence following three consecutive Big Ten victories. Iowa goes up against its recent nemesis, Northwestern, which has beaten the Hawkeyes in four of the teams' last five games.

2. Matt McGloin at the controls: Once an afterthought in Penn State's quarterback competition, McGloin has earned the starter's tag, and deservedly so, for Saturday's game in Columbus. The former walk-on has a distinct swagger and confidence about him that seems to be rubbing off on his teammates. McGloin has 475 pass yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in his last two games. He faces a much tougher test Saturday in Ohio State, which is tied for sixth nationally in interceptions (16) and will challenge Penn State's improving offensive line with steady blitzing.

3. Hope, Rodriguez reunite: Purdue coach Danny Hope and his Michigan counterpart Rich Rodriguez had an awkward interaction after Purdue's historic win last year at Michigan Stadium. Hope called out Rodriguez for allegedly alerting the Big Ten about a play that resulted in the league suspending Boilers offensive lineman Zach Reckman. The post-game exchange surprised Rodriguez (and most of us, quite frankly). Both Hope and Rodriguez say the issue is in the past, but keep an eye on how the two coaches conduct themselves Saturday, especially if the score is lopsided.

4. Illinois aims to secure bowl eligibility: There's no time for Illinois to wallow in what might have been last week at the Big House. It's never easy to lose in triple overtime, much less when you've scored 65 points and have a plus-4 turnover margin. But Ron Zook must get his team to refocus for last-place Minnesota, as a win will make Illinois bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. Illinois' final two games -- vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field, and at Fresno State -- are no gimmes, so the Illini must take care of business against the hapless Gophers. Look for big things from Mikel Leshoure, Nathan Scheelhaase and the Illinois ground attack against a Minnesota defense that ranks 106th nationally against the run (200.5 ypg).

5. Wisconsin's running back rotation: After providing a huge lift in Wisconsin's last two victories, Montee Ball is expected to get the start at running back Saturday against Indiana. Ball performed well last year against the Hoosiers, racking up 115 rush yards and two touchdowns in a 31-28 win. James White, who leapfrogged Ball for the backup job in the preseason, is getting healthy from a sprained knee and should get a nice chunk of carries as well. Coach Bret Bielema has gone back and forth on the status of starter John Clay (sprained knee), and I wouldn't expect to see much of No. 32 unless Wisconsin finds itself in real trouble.

6. Northwestern returns to finishing school: In two of the last three weeks, Northwestern has gotten away from a hallmark of its program -- the importance of finishing. The Wildcats squandered leads of 17-0 and 24-14 against Michigan State and watched a 21-0 lead against Penn State vanish quickly. Coach Pat Fitzgerald counted 27 missed tackles in the Penn State game, and a young defense seems to be showing its cracks against the play-action pass. Northwestern will need a much stronger performance from the defense against Ricky Stanzi and the dangerous Iowa offense.

7. Offensive Player of the Year race: There's still no clear favorite for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as we enter crunch time. Stanzi has been extremely effective and efficient, but he'll need a strong finish to hold off both Denard Robinson and Terrelle Pryor. Robinson, the nation's No. 2 rusher, goes up against Purdue star defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, the frontrunner for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Pryor has completed better than 75 percent of his passes in five games this season, and he tries to make strides before the showdown against Stanzi and Iowa.

8. Gray day for Minnesota: Interim coach Jeff Horton finally used MarQueis Gray at quarterback last week against Michigan State and likely will do so in a limited role for the rest of the season. Most Minnesota fans consider Gray the team's quarterback of the future, and it's good that he's getting some reps at quarterback before the end of a lost season. Horton isn't going to have Gray run a large package of plays, but the talented sophomore could provide a much-needed spark for an offense that can't seem to get over the hump with Adam Weber at the controls.

9. Robinson vs. Robinson: You shouldn't have trouble remembering the names of the starting quarterbacks Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium. Denard Robinson will start his 10th consecutive game for Michigan despite leaving last week's game against Illinois with concussion-like symptoms. Purdue once again will turn to true freshman Sean Robinson at quarterback, as both Rob Henry and Justin Siller are still recovering from injuries. Purdue's Robinson provided an early spark last week against Wisconsin and could do some damage against a suspect Michigan defense if he can avoid turnovers.

10. Backing up Belcher: Indiana receiver Damarlo Belcher "felt like a failure" after he dropped the potential game-winning touchdown in the final minute last Saturday against Iowa. Fortunately, Belcher's teammates have picked him up this week, unanimously voting him one of the game captains for the Wisconsin contest. For Indiana to have any shot at a monumental upset, the Hoosiers' passing attack must be on point and Belcher is a huge part of it. Coach Bill Lynch has seen a positive response in practice from Belcher, who leads the Big Ten with 65 receptions.

Four up, four down heading into Week 11.

STOCK UP

Penn State's red zone offense: The red zone was an absolute dead zone for Penn State earlier this season, but Evan Royster and the Nittany Lions have turned things around. Penn State scored touchdowns on all four of its red zone chances against Northwestern, none bigger than Brett Brackett's leaping grab in the back of the end zone with three seconds left in the first half. Penn State is 12-for-13 in red zone scoring chances the past three weeks with 11 of those conversions being touchdowns.

Michigan's wide receivers: Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier are getting a lot of help from this group right now. Roy Roundtree recorded a team-record 246 receiving yards and two touchdowns on nine receptions against Illinois, while Junior Hemingway made several of the game's biggest plays and finished with six receptions for 104 yards and two scores. Darryl Stonum also added a touchdown catch in Michigan's historic offensive performance.

Wisconsin's linebackers and defensive backs: The Big Ten knows about star defensive end J.J. Watt, but the Badgers' back seven really distinguished itself in a come-from-behind road win against Purdue. Cornerback Antonio Fenelus earned Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording a pick-six, a 48-yard fumble return and nine tackles against the Boilers. Wisconsin also got big performances from linebackers Mike Taylor and Culmer St. Jean and safety Aaron Henry, among others.

Michigan State RB Edwin Baker: Quiet since the Michigan win, "Rock" ran all over Minnesota for 179 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries. Baker didn't have a run that went for longer than 30 yards but broke off several impressive intermediate gains against the Gophers. On a day when quarterback Kirk Cousins struggled, Baker and the offensive line picked up the slack.

STOCK DOWN

Illinois' defense: The Illini forced five turnovers but did little else to stop Michigan's offense at the Big House. A unit that came in ranked 12th nationally in points allowed and 15th in yards allowed got gashed for 67 points, 676 total yards and 33 first downs. Coordinator Vic Koenning demands more from his defense, and I think he'll get it this week against Minnesota.

Northwestern's ability to close out halves: A good portion of the scoring drives Northwestern has allowed this season, both in wins and losses, have occurred right before halftime or late in the fourth quarter. It reveals a team and a coaching staff that doesn't keep the pedal down enough. Northwestern might not have lost a 21-0 lead against Penn State if it didn't allow the Lions to march 91 yards in 47 seconds right before halftime. That's inexcusable.

Minnesota's kicking game: There are problems on both offense and defense, but Minnesota's kicking game hasn't done it any favors this year. After having a punt blocked and recovered for a touchdown against Ohio State, Minnesota averaged just 32 yards per punt at Michigan State and missed its lone field goal attempt. The Gophers are 10th in the Big Ten in field goals and 11th in punting. "We have no consistency punting the ball," interim coach Jeff Horton said. "We don't have any consistency. Obviously, I don't feel comfortable kicking field goals." Ouch.

Iowa's red zone offense: The Hawkeyes made four trips to the red zone against Indiana but had to settle for three short field goals and a short missed field goal try by Michael Meyer. Fans are blaming Ken O'Keefe's play calling and the absence of running back Adam Robinson, but it comes down to execution, too. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi didn't make great throws and Iowa took back-to-back pre-snap penalties on one series to go from third-and-goal from the 7 to third-and-goal from the 17.

Maybe it's because I've spent months listening to coaches dodge, spin and downplay questions, but I've enjoyed listening to Minnesota interim coach Jeff Horton these last few weeks.

A big part of my job as a blogger -- and, to a lesser extent, yours as a Big Ten fan -- is sifting through what coaches say to figure out what they really mean.

Horton makes it easy for us. He's brutally honest because, well, he can be.

Unfortunately, it's only in times like these at Minnesota, when the coaches know their days are numbered, when we get no spin from the men wearing whistles.

Last week, Horton was asked to project the future for receiver/quarterback MarQueis Gray.

"I don't [know] because I'm 99.999 percent sure I will not be here," he said.

Horton's news conference Tuesday in Minneapolis started with the question, "If you look at the teams ahead of you in the Big Ten ..."

Horton interrupted, saying, "I think they're all ahead of us, aren't they?"

Here are some other notable quotes from Horton during the last few weeks ...

On Minnesota's kicking game: "We have no consistency punting the ball. We don't have any consistency. Obviously, I don't feel comfortable kicking field goals."

On Minnesota's losing streak: "We need to win for them [the players]. Who cares about me? I'm 53 years old. When you're in coaching, you got a lot of ups, you got a lot of downs. That's all part of it. Wade Phillips feels like crap today. He's won a lot of games, been in Super Bowls. That's the nature of the business."

On several suspensions last week: "Things happen. It's part of life. No program's squeaky clean, everybody has issues. I always say those issues are all encompassing. Nobody is immune to them."

On the offensive game plan: "We’ve really got nothing to lose. We can try anything. If it works, it works, If it doesn’t, who cares?"

On facing a top-10 team: "To me it's how do you think you can win. It's no different if you're [having surgery]. You'd want the surgeon coming in to operate on you, you'd want him coming in that day thinking that he's going to do a great job, got a chance to make you better. You wouldn't want him coming in there thinking, 'This is a little tough, I don't know if I have a good chance to save this guy; Or a lawyer going against F. Lee Bailey: 'Can I beat him in court? Should I even show up?'"

I know these are tough times for Minnesota fans. Neither Horton nor anyone else in that program wants to be in this situation.

But after listening to a lot of overly positive spin from Gophers camp for the last few years, Horton has been a nice change of pace.