Big Ten weekend review: Week 9

Check out how Big Ten football teams fared this past weekend.

The Week 9 Big Ten slate featured multiple near-upsets and a handful of blowouts. The conference standings’ top-four stayed stagnant, and all three undefeated teams remained as such.

Let’s take a closer look at some performances from the week.

Statement victory: USC 42, Rutgers 20

Both the Trojans and Scarlet Knights were looking to rebound from ugly losses. At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, USC reestablished itself as having one of the conference’s highest ceilings.

The Trojans’ offense was firing on all cylinders. Quarterback Miller Moss looked like the best version of himself, finishing with 308 passing yards and two touchdowns. He set season-highs in yards per attempt (11.0) and passer rating (136.0).

Woody Marks dominated on the ground, with 94 yards and a trio of touchdowns on just 15 carries.

With a lot of questions circling about USC’s decision to move to the Big Ten, a dominating win over Rutgers resembled vindication. The Trojans still have a long way to go to becoming a conference powerhouse, but they took a step in the right direction Saturday.

Surprise result: No. 4 Ohio State 21, Nebraska 17

The Buckeyes did come out victorious at home Saturday, but it was a nail-biter the whole way through.

Nebraska likely would have won if not for poor play from freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. He finished with just 152 passing yards on 32 attempts, and ended the game with an ugly interception on the Huskers’ final drive. He made multiple lowlight-reel throws throughout the game that cost Nebraska.

But despite Nebraska’s shortcomings, Ohio State struggled to get much of anything going. After two first-half touchdowns, its five subsequent drives resulted in a combined zero points. The Buckeyes put up just 64 yards on 2.1 yards per carry — both were season-lows by wide margins.

Quarterback Will Howard was efficient, finishing 13 for 16 passing for 221 yards and three touchdowns. Despite an interception, his performance was the only reason Ohio State stood a chance against an inferior Nebraska team.

Performance of the week: Minnesota QB Max Brosmer

Maryland’s defense had a poor performance against Minnesota. But that’s not taking away from Brosmer, who excelled Saturday.

Brosmer, who transferred to Minnesota last offseason after five seasons at New Hampshire, did everything asked of him against the Terps. He looked poised, in command and accurate. His 320 passing yards and four touchdowns were his highest totals as a Golden Gopher.

He got some help with standout performances from wideouts Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer, who both got open with ease against an injured Maryland secondary. But Brosmer was lights-out getting them the ball, and despite the Terps’ injuries and defensive struggles, Brosmer deserves a lot of credit.