Ohio State at Rutgers
Game Recap: The Buckeyes thoroughly dominated Rutgers 49-7 with J.T. Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott leading the way on offense and the defense pitching a shutout until a final minute touchdown by Rutgers against the backups.
Key Players: Barrett passed for 223 yards and three touchdowns and ran 13 times for 101 yards and two more scores. Elliott carried 19 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 3 passes for 29 yards and remains Ohio State's second leading receiver. Top wideout Michael Thomas (5-103-1) led the receivers again. Braxton Miller had only three touches but put up 71 yards of total offense. For Rutgers, Leonte Carroo had three catches for 55 yards in the first half but did not play in the second half, resting his sore ankle. Paul James (10-56-0) led the rushing attack.
Injuries: Carroo is clearly not 100% and is listed as questionable for the game against Wisconsin. Wide receiver Janarion Grant is also listed as questionable. Both are likely to be gametime decisions, but facing a tough matchup aren't good options anyway.
Players to Watch: Ohio State is on bye and Rutgers faces a brutal matchup at Wisconsin. Rutgers has a team total of just 15 points. Carlton Agudosi is priced near the minimum and if Carroo is unable to go, may be worth a shot in GPPs. He has topped 70 receiving yards in each of the past two games and Rutgers is likely to be playing from behind. Andre Patton is only slightly more expensive and is a safer option but has less big-play ability.
Indiana at Michigan State
Game Recap: Indiana played MSU tough and trailed by just two points entering the fourth quarter and by only five late in the 4th quarter. The Spartans scored three touchdowns in the final five minutes to pull away for a 52-26 final score.
Key Players: Connor Cook had a career day with 398 yards and four touchdown passes. Top target Aaron Burbridge again had a big game with eight catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. R.J. Shelton (6-76-2), Macgarrett Kings Jr. (7-69-0) and tight end Josiah Price (3-51-1) were also active in the passing game. The Spartans backfield is crowded despite the injury to Madre London. LJ Scott rushed 11 times for 68 yards and a touchdown while Gerald Holmes had 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown. For Indiana, Nate Sudfeld had another strong game with 308 yards through the air and three passing touchdowns. His three primary targets Simme Cobbs Jr. (5-108-1), Mitchell Paige (8-99-0) and Ricky Jones (5-45-1) all had solid games. Jordan Howard returned to post 78 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries.
Injuries: Both teams are beatup, but have a bye week to heal up for November. Jordan Howard should really benefit from the rest and could respond with a strong November.
Players to Watch: Both Indiana and Michigan State are on bye this week.
Penn State at Maryland
Game Recap: Penn State escaped with a narrow 31-30 road victory in an entertaining back-and-forth contest. Maryland could not overcome five turnovers by Perry Hills.
Key Players: Christian Hackenberg completed just 13-of-29 attempts, but connected on a number of big plays to throw for 315 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Godwin (4-135-1) and DaeSean Hamilton (5-96-1) are his two go-to targets. Saquon Barkley had a surprisingly tough day averaging just 3.3 yards per carry (20 rushes for 65 yards and a touchdown). For Maryland, dual-threat quarterback Perry Hills had another big rushing game with 26 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown. He completed 19-of-28 passing attempts for 225 yards and a touchdown, but his three interceptions were the difference in the game. Brandon Ross rushed 10 times for 58 yards and a touchdown while Hills' 19 completions were spread between nine different receivers.
Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Maryland has a tough matchup at Iowa. While Hills has been a turnover machine, he has rushed for 294 yards in his last two starts despite facing similarly talented defenses (Ohio State and PSU). He's a decent low-priced quarterback option despite the tough matchup. Penn State's top two wideouts (Godwin and Hamilton) are both strong options given their low prices despite the relatively difficult matchup against Illinois.
Wisconsin at Illinois
Game Recap: Wisconsin turned to backup quarterback Bart Houston after Joel Stave suffered an early concussion and Houston led the Badgers to a 24-13 victory.
Key Players: Houston played most of the game for Wisconsin and completed 22-of-33 passes for 232 yards with a pair of touchdowns and two interceptions. Dare Ogunbowale was the Badgers' lead back with 16 carries for just 42 yards, but he added 63 yards on five receptions. Alex Erickson was the star of the game at receiver (10-91-1) and added 81 yards on four carries. Ke'Shawn Vaughn received every carry for Illinois, but found little room to run (13-55-1). Geronimo Allison was once again the top option in the passing game with eight receptions for 99 yards. Wes Lunt completed just 22-of-43 passes for 278 yards and an interception.
Injuries: Josh Ferguson remains out for Illinois. The big story for Wisconsin this week will be the availability of top running back Corey Clement. He was close to a return last week after sports hernia surgery and has been cleared to practice. He is from New Jersey and would probably love to be able to suit up against Rutgers. Wisconsin lost another offenisve lineman (Center Dan Voltz) to a season ending injury and #2 wide receiver Robert Wheelwright went down with an injury as well. Quarterback Joel Stave should be able to return from his concussion, but is still listed as questionable.
Players to Watch: The Illini travel to face Penn State in what should be a low-scoring affair. Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Geronimo Allison are the only options worth considering but neither is a great option against the stingy Nittany Lions defense. For Wisconsin, Alex Erickson is a very strong option in a great matchup against Rutgers. Should Corey Clement be able to return, he will be one of the top running back options on the slate considering his price. If not, Ogunbowale is a solid option. He should continue to see heavy usage in the passing game with the Badgers banged up at receiver.
Northwestern at Nebraska
Game Recap: Northwestern was able to go on the road and pull off the 30-28 upset of the Cornhuskers behind a solid performance from quarterback Clayton Thorson.
Key Players: Thorson passed for just 177 yards and one touchdown but made a number of key runs and finished with 126 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Justin Jackson had yet another quiet day with just 40 yards on 14 carries. He did have two catches for 55 yards though. Tight end ("Superback" in Northwestern parlance) Dan Vitale led the Wildcats with 55 yards and a touchdown on five catches. For Nebraska, Tommy Armstrong completed just 24-of-48 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown. He added a pair of short rushing scores. He spread the ball around to 10 different receivers but Jordan Westerkamp (5-92-0) and Brandon Reilly (4-83-1) led the way. Terrell Newby was unable to get anything going on the ground, rushing for just 52 yards on 16 carries.
Injuries: Armstrong injured his foot and was seen in a walking boot on Tuesday after missing practice. He is questionable for next week. Walk-on Ryker Fyfe will be the starter if Armstrong cannot play Saturday.
Players to Watch: Northwestern is on bye. Armstrong's availability will go a long way towards determining which (if any) fantasy options are on the table for Nebraska. Should he play, it is an attractive matchup against Purdue for Westerkamp and Reilly. If Armstrong is out, Nebraska will presumably lean more heavily upon Newby and the running game. Fyfe is incredibly cheap and is also worth considering if Armstrong is out.
