There was not a ton of drama in the Big Ten in Week 12, but there was a game-winning field goal as time expired in a baseball stadium. You don't get that every week in college football!
In the big picture, the Big Ten race is still looking like a collision course for Indiana and Ohio State, but USC and Oregon remain in the conversation with time starting to run out. All four of those teams will keep playoff hopes alive after recording wins this weekend, all doing so in different ways.
Here is a look at everything that went down in the Big Ten in Week 12.
No. 1 Ohio State 48, UCLA 10
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was limited and Carnell Tate was sidelined, but it didn't seem to slow down the Buckeyes in a home rout of UCLA. UCLA was without quarterback Nico Iamaleava was also out with a concussion. Ohio State's Julian Sayin passed for 184 yards and a touchdown while the running game and the defense of the Buckeyes took care of business.
No. 2 Indiana 31, Wisconsin 7
Fernando Mendoza and Indiana were in a defensive battle with Wisconsin for one half after their thrilling win the previous week at Penn State. But the second half saw the Hoosiers take over full control and pull away for a comfortable victory to improve to 10-0. Mendoza ended the game with 299 passing yards and 4 touchdowns while completing 22 of 24 attempts.
No. 8 Oregon 42, Minnesota 13
Oregon got the weekend started wiht a Friday night victory at home against Minnesota. Dante Moore passed for 2 touchdowns and 306 yards in the win. The Ducks remain in the hunt for a spot in the Big Ten championship game, but do need some help in the final couple of weeks. Oregon will remain in a great spot for a playoff bid, too.
No. 17 USC 26, No. 21 Iowa 21
Iowa held the upper hand on USC in the Coliseum for one half, but the Trojans regained control after halftime with a 16-0 scoring advantage. Jayden Maiava passed for 254 yards and a touchdown and Makai Lemon caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. The win keeps USC's playoff hopes alive while putting Iowa's to rest.
No. 18 Michigan 24, Northwestern 22
Typically, if a team commits five errors in Wrigley Field, then they will not stand much of a chance to win. But this was not the case for Michigan against Northwestern. The Wolverines turned the football over five times, including a pair of interceptions thrown by Bryce Underwood in the fourth quarter (and a botched handoff resulting in a fumble), but Michigan escaped with a last-second victory thanks to a game-winning field goal as time expired.
In scores of other games
- Penn State 28, Michigan State 10
- Illinois 24, Maryland 6
- Washington 49, Purdue 13
Updated Big Ten Football Standings
| B1G W | B1G L | W | L | |
| Indiana | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| USC | 6 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| Oregon | 6 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Michigan | 6 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| Iowa | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Washington | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Illinois | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Northwestern | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| UCLA | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Rutgers | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Maryland | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Penn State | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 |
| Purdue | 0 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
Bowl Eligibility Tracker
- Bowl eligible: Indiana, Ohio State, USC, Oregon, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Washington
- One win away from eligibility: Rutgers, Northwestern
- On the brink of ineligibility: Penn State, Maryland, UCLA
- Ineligible: Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin
Big Ten Week 13 Matchups
- Ohio State vs. Rutgers
- Oregon vs. USC
- Maryland vs. Michigan
- Iowa vs. Michigan State
- Penn State vs. Nebraska
- Northwestern vs. Minnesota
- UCLA vs. Washington
- Wisconsin vs. Illinois
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Updated Big Ten final scores and standings after Week 12